Clamp on pallet forks or debris forks?

[Gio]

I have a 5 acre property scattered with tree limbs, brush, and misc things headed to a burn pile. I have a Massey gc2400 with FEL and I would like to find the best, most affordable attachment to help me with Fall clean up.

Do I need dedicated "Debris forks" or can I use pallet forks? I have my eye on some light duty pallet forks for about 300, most debris forks seem to be twice that much.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Gio]

These are the Pallet forks I had in mind. Has anyone tried this brand?

Tractor Forks, Bucket Forks, Loader Forks

 

[foggy1111]

I have a set of clamp-on bucket forks. I have used them for some uses like you describe....but more-so for loading and unloading machines. They are OK for light-duty, temporary uses. But for all-day use or heavy-duty use....I would pass on em.

I have pried out a few rotted stumps and lifted some smaller rocks with them....and used for brush pile clean-up. They are a little "un-ruly" and prone to slipping to one side if used too long.

If your doing lots of brush on an on-going basis.....a tooth bar and bucket grapple or a dedicated root grapple may be the real ticket. Also, I think some folks like their dedicated forks....but I would rather have one of the first two mentioned....and clamp-on forks bring up the rear in the desirability index.

They are affordable and sure get the job done. I ain't about to sell mine.

 

[jake98]

They look like they'd be handy, not sure if they're worth the money tho. Notice that the light duty set doesn't have the 2x4 pockets for the back-stop..
If you have lots of trees to clear then you want a grapple.

 

[CurlyDave]

You really want a grapple for the jobs you describe. I think the clamp on forks will be wobbly and not well suited for the task. Remember, the bucket obscures your view of the forks.

What can be done with a good root grapple in a day will take weeks with the clamp on forks and may become an unsafe exercise.

 

[gwdixon]

I build a set of four clamp on brush forks out of black pipe. Looked great worked not so great. It is amazing how many times you can stick the fork in the ground or against a stump. Lot of heating and straightening required.

That being said, a grapple is quite expense and most require hydraulics up front.

I do use a set of heavy duty pallet forks for moving brush, slash, and tree trimming without an issue. The only thing that would be nice would be to put another two forks on to make a total of four. Much less debris ends up falling through with four tines.

You could buy two sets (4 total) and make it work.

Here is a set made from channel iron that my wife uses on her BX. Building something yourself or by a friend with a welder is a much more economical alternative.

 

[FredH]

Loader Forks Bucket Skid Tractor Pallet Fork Deere - eBay (item 230532758616 end time Oct-07-10 20:33:32 PDT)

Clamp on Loader Bucket Skid Tractor Pallet Fork chain - eBay (item 300474179347 end time Oct-05-10 14:29:07 PDT)


These are just a couple that I found on E-bay , 1 is clamp on , other is chain around bucket I guess ? Half the price that you quoted in your first post with free shipping .

I have a set of clamp on forks although I also have a adjustable bar that slides over both forks all the way back to the bucket , thus stabilizes or ties together both forks . I have used them exactly as you described with great success . Pile brush in fields , then simply drive up to pile with forks on bucket like a forklift , scoop and run . While you may not get every twig , you do get majority if you think about how you stack your piles of debris .

Start with big items on bottom , ( So you don't have to lift them later onto top of pile ) . Stack your pile all in 1 direction , say north / south . When finished , drive up to pile from east / west , scoop and go . I have moved piles of Oak limbs , although not as heavy as my TC30 , they were nearly as large , without any problems , other than fitting between trees as I snake my way through the field . You don't need to raise it over your head , just high enough to clear ground and shove .

Fred H.

 

[blueriver]

If your bucket is QA ... this combo works great. The hay spear and the pallet fork interchange on the same unit.

 

[Gio]

THANKS EVERYONE! As always this forum has been very helpful. I think I am going to take a swing at the EBAY tip (thanks for saving me $) they look pretty decent and for the price worth a shot.

Thanks again,

Jason

 

[tsteahr]

I have a 5 acre property scattered with tree limbs, brush, and misc things headed to a burn pile. I have a Massey gc2400 with FEL and I would like to find the best, most affordable attachment to help me with Fall clean up.

Do I need dedicated "Debris forks" or can I use pallet forks? I have my eye on some light duty pallet forks for about 300, most debris forks seem to be twice that much.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

Gio, I have a GC2410 and I also have quite a bit of the same kind of work. As others have said, the ideal solution would be a grapple. However on a sub compact tractor I'm not sure how realistic it would be, given the pin on bucket, lack of third function valve and the limited lift capacity of the loader. I suspect to build a grapple big enough to be functional would not leave much lift capacity left in the loader. I think the sub compacts are just to small for a real grapple that is big enough to handle the tree branches .

You might be able to work something up with a bucket thumb like this but I'm not sure how well it would work in a big brush pile. I'm also thinking it will end up over a $1k by the time you have the extra hydraulics installed.

I use a set of light duty clamp on forks. I end up manually stacking up a big pile of brush on the forks, wrapping a chain over the top of the pile (I have chain hooks on the bucket), and driving to the brush pile. It's still work, but a lot easier than dragging it by hand. I also have a fork stabilizer but I have not needed it yet. I clamp the forks on tight and they seem to stay in place ok. I would not spend the extra money on a stabilizer right away. Try the forks without the stabilizer and see. I should add the light duty forks I have are rated for 1200lbs. Relative to the GC, they are very rugged. They weigh about 35lbs each. I would not want a heavier fork on the GC. They would only be that much more awkward to handle and take away from lift capacity. The light duty forks are actually heavier than what a sub compact needs.

As to the Debris forks vs the pallet forks, the debris forks are quite a bit shorter. You won't be able to carry as much brush per trip. I also suspect you will have a difficult time seeing the tip of the debris forks because they are short. The close tine spacing is nice to keep the little stuff from falling through, but you could clamp a piece of 1/4 in plywood onto the pallet forks as well.

So I think the options are a set of light duty pallet forks which you will use for all sorts of things but still require some manual labor, get a 3ph chipper and take care of the brush that way (big money however) or get a bigger tractor with a QA bucket and a real grapple bucket.

 

[Delaware Devil]

The $135 chain on ones from E-Bay are heavy pipe. 2 1/2" outside diameter and heavy as all He(double hockey sticks). Probably used well casings then coated with a rust converter to get rid of the rust. Just thought you ought to know, I bought them,and am not happy with them.

 

[vineyardkeeper1]

I understand that these clip on forks will damage your bucket and bend the bottom of the bucket as to were you cannot scoop level. Has anyone seen this problem ?

 

[IslandTractor]

You need a light duty grapple or an Add A Grapple kit for your bucket. Forks are frustrating as they don't contain the load so you will need to get off the tractor frequently to chain each time you load and unload.

Read grapple or grapple bucket threads. You'll also need a set of rear remotes.

 

[Yourkie]

Any experience with the type where the forks are secured against the front edge of bucket and with chains and chain binders? I've seen them on the internet and eBay for around 175 including the chain and binders. They have a pocket for 2x4 back stops. I only have a need for occasional use which might be unloading a 500-1000# pallet or moving a log.

There is a clamp on listed on eBay that has provision for both clamp and chain which is a good idea. The clamp type puts a good deal of stress on the bucket edge.

Edited: Must have missed my second page of posts as Delaware Devil - didn't see your post above. Is it the weight or the design? They aren't the type like this as these look like boxed channel steel. Says it is 1/4". http://www.yankeewarehouse.net/forks4.jpg

 

[chopped]

Lets not forget the guy on here who made some 'light' duty ones for brush out of 2x4 s

 

[CowwFace]

Loader Forks Bucket Skid Tractor Pallet Fork Deere - eBay (item 230532758616 end time Oct-07-10 20:33:32 PDT)

Clamp on Loader Bucket Skid Tractor Pallet Fork chain - eBay (item 300474179347 end time Oct-05-10 14:29:07 PDT)


These are just a couple that I found on E-bay , 1 is clamp on , other is chain around bucket I guess ? Half the price that you quoted in your first post with free shipping .

I have a set of clamp on forks although I also have a adjustable bar that slides over both forks all the way back to the bucket , thus stabilizes or ties together both forks . I have used them exactly as you described with great success . Pile brush in fields , then simply drive up to pile with forks on bucket like a forklift , scoop and run . While you may not get every twig , you do get majority if you think about how you stack your piles of debris .

Start with big items on bottom , ( So you don't have to lift them later onto top of pile ) . Stack your pile all in 1 direction , say north / south . When finished , drive up to pile from east / west , scoop and go . I have moved piles of Oak limbs , although not as heavy as my TC30 , they were nearly as large , without any problems , other than fitting between trees as I snake my way through the field . You don't need to raise it over your head , just high enough to clear ground and shove .

Fred H.

Hey Gio,

I have the chain on forks that Fred H has posted above. They are OK, but I did manage to bend one of mine when putting Stumps into a dump truck for a friend. The chain's that they come with are pretty weak as well, but I think it may be by design.. the chains were breaking, so I welded the links to make them stronger, and that is when I managed to bend the fork tube itself. If you are going to use the only occasionaly I think they are ok.. but if I had it to do over again I would save the $130 and put it towards a set from SkidSteerExpress.com As low as $485 for 36" forks, and only $580'ish for 48" forks I think.

IMHO

Carry on,

 

[charlz]

Late on the thread but.... I have clamp on pallet forks and they work OK for moving limbs and stuff without a grapple. Things fall off, you can't see very well etc. but sure beats moving it by hand. I think without a grapple on your bucket the pallet forks beat the debris fork. For limbs, brush etc. that don't fit in the bucket 18" is just too short to pile up much in front of the bucket without it all falling off.

I built a quick attach for my tractor and will build a grapple bucket at some point so I can move limbs and brush around without having to worry about it falling off every time I go through a gate, too close to another bush or tree etc. etc. Downside is $$$ to plumb hydraulic valve(s) and lines to power it.

 

[Pushing_Tin]

Has anybody actually purchased these? They seem like a good compromise between the full price, heavy duty QA kind, and the cheap E-bay variety.

Medium Duty Tractor Forks, Bucket Forks, Loader Forks

YouTube - Our Tractor Products at Work by BucketSolutions.com

 

[jeff9366]

I am going to be CONTRARIAN and vote for purpose built Debris Forks and a Ratchet Rake for cleanup. This combination, alternating, works great for brush and vine cleanup. Usually have one or the other of these tools on the bucket. The combination is still MUCH less than a grapple and observes the KISS Principle.

The clamp-on, aluminum, 2,000 pound capacity Debris Forks from Payne's Forks were $800 in Kubota orange. They have 14" of support under the bucket; stick out 26" in front for good pickup. Steel Debris Forks are less $$ but, being twice as heavy, you lose lift capacity. I have a LA504 loader on the B3300SU, so theoretically I can lift 504 Kilograms = 1,100 pounds under ideal conditions. Not close to 2,000 fork capacity. After 18 months of heavy use, aside from a few paint scuffs in the bucket where the screw pads contact, Payne's Debris Forks have given excellent service.

Well worth it for me, a heavy user.

LINK:

ALDF52

 

[sd455dan]

Any experience with the type where the forks are secured against the front edge of bucket and with chains and chain binders? I've seen them on the internet and eBay for around 175 including the chain and binders. They have a pocket for 2x4 back stops. I only have a need for occasional use which might be unloading a 500-1000# pallet or moving a log.

There is a clamp on listed on eBay that has provision for both clamp and chain which is a good idea. The clamp type puts a good deal of stress on the bucket edge.

Edited: Must have missed my second page of posts as Delaware Devil - didn't see your post above. Is it the weight or the design? They aren't the type like this as these look like boxed channel steel. Says it is 1/4". http://www.yankeewarehouse.net/forks4.jpg

I bought the round ,chain on ones from GC manufacturing

and they are a little tight diameter wise when picking up pallets, but they are rated at 3000lbs. and i have used one to load and carry 1100lbs. round hay bales.. also carried lots of brush and even lifted the front of the tractor when the front end got stuck in mud also carried some very large logs... (until i got a grapple) so for the price of $250 with binders -been very happy
Also built a plate that mounts between them for carrying larger items and other uses These maybe heavy but at least they don't pretzel like some ... and the price was right