Forks FEL bucket forks

[MadDog]

Last night the "light duty" bucket forks that I ordered for my B7800 FEL from Payne Tool were delivered. They are rated, according to Payne's website, for 800# but they are HEAVY and look and feel like they could handle more. I think that they will fit over the cutting edge of my FEL, including the toothbar and that the toothbar will thus give even more stability to the setup.

The clamps extend 5" on top of the bucket base and 13" underneath so that the stress on the FEL bucket from whatever is being carried on the forks should be spread out over a good portion of the bucket base.

The clamping mechanism is a thick (I didn't measure it last night, but from memory, at least a 1/2") bolt attached to a heavy steel clamping lever about about 5" long. It should be possible to clamp the forks down pretty securely.

At $290 including delivery, I think that these forks look like a quality product at a reasonable price. There are cheaper "carry-alls' available (from KK, for example), but these look much better made.

BTW, the forks arrived in a box that contained NO documentation whatsoever; not even a bill of lading. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif That's interesting to me, not only as a trial lawyer, but since every other piece of machinery that I have purchased in recent years (and ALL of my tractor attachments) has been accompanied by a manual most of which usually consists of warnings about how not to use it and how you can meet a gruesome end if you aren't careful. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

FEL bucket forks seem like a particularly appropriate product for warnings since the nature of the product is that you're using it to unload heavy pallets, often from a truck 3-4' or more above the ground. That, plus the ability to curl the bucket, makes for at least two major hazards; (1) loss of tractor stability and possible rollover (or roll forward) due to the suddenly much higher and farther forward center of gravity and (2) the possibility of curling the bucket backward too much so that the whole load falls over backwards on to the operator with likely fatal results (think of having something as heavy, or heavier, than a refrigerator fall on you from a height of several feet when you are sitting in your tractor). /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

In todays lawsuit climate (I don't apologize for it, because, without products liability law, we'd still be back in the 1890s, when manufacturers didn't give a cr*p how dangerous their machinery was and it was just tough sh*t for whoever got mangled by it) if I were selling this product I sure would want to include some written warnings about the potential hazards and simple principles of safe use, even if I thought (as I do) that most of it is common sense that anyone with enough brains to be allowed to use a tractor ought to have. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I plan to use the forks tomorrow or Friday to unload a pto-driven chipper that is being delivered. The chipper weighs about 1000# so it will be interesting to see how the forks handle it. Assuming that I survive, will report further. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ronjhall]

MadDog

<font color="blue"> plan to use the forks tomorrow or Friday to unload a pto-driven chipper that is being delivered. The chipper weighs about 1000# so it will be interesting to see how the forks handle it. Assuming that I survive, will report further. </font> /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

After reading your post I'm concerned that you would even consider unloading something that weighs 1000 lbs with a FEL that has a load capacity of 800 lbs.

Please use extreme care if you are unloading this from a truck. It could be one of those major pucker episodes. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Henro]

On top of what Ron said, please remember that the clamp on forks force the load to be out in front of the bucket. At that point the loader rating must be de-rated.

IF you do it, be sure to have the backhoe on the back!

You may not be able to lift !,000 lb with the palet forks, but if you can, be ready to lower it to the ground quickly if necessary.

I guess the pallet may act as a shock absorber of sorts /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Also, make sure you are on a flat surface...but I guess if that is a problem, as you try to lift the rear of your tractor will tell you.

Personally I don't think I would attemp to lift more than 600 lbs off a truck with my B2910 and pallet forks.

Good luck, hope it works flawlessly, and all that.

 

[MadDog]

Ron and Bill: I read you loud and clear; I'm gonna take it VERY cautiously. I've got loaded tires and a 500# attachment on at the moment, but I think I'll pull it and put the BH on instead. Thanks.

 

[tc35dforme]

Your thoughts about liability are interesting. Maybe you may want to send a note off to Paynes. They appear to have quite a following here and they may be very appreciative. Perhaps they can hire you to do a liability letter for them !! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You can get paid in Forks !!!

 

[MadDog]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I found many years ago that when I suggest that I can help someone who hasn't already come to me for advice, I generally wind up gettin' "forked." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If they monitor this forum, they'll get the idea.

 

[OkieG]

MadDog,

I saw your initial post this afternoon shortly after you posted it. Henro's comments were my exact thoughts. But, I figured if your tractor was big enough, your loader would have the power, and maybe the forks would do OK based on your good opinion of their construction. I know nothing about Kubota models, but found the B7800 is a 30hp tractor. I didn't check loader specs, like Ron did.

Just based on tractor hp, I figured it might be close, lifting 1000# with forks. One thing for sure, when you try, you'll know right away if your loader will do it or not. Usually, there's no "almost" or "just barely" with tractor hydraulics...either it does or it doesn't. Don't forget to load a ton of rear ballast. Good luck.

OkieG

 

[KiotiJohn]

I know you said the forks "look" stronger than the rating, but they are rated for a reason. I suppose they should have put some documentation in the box telling the user not to exceed the load limits stated, since you insist on going 200# over. Not to mention the forces exerted when you first attempt to lift the load from such a height as the back of a delivery truck. If those pins are only 1/2" (usually they are more like 3/4 to 1") with the extra weight, you may find that they will be deformed from the extra weight. Just a possibility. You have a larger tractor than I do, with a loader that prob. has more lift capacity than mine, but my forks have a load limit of 1000# and I've found that I can lift about 600 pounds without a major problem. Putting the backhoe on is a good idea. You will need all the ballast you can get to get the most lift capacity your loader offers. Good luck, and don't seek counsel if you have a disaster, because your actions are now documented! LOL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif John

 

[MadDog]

I'm happy to report that my machinery unloading was accomplished without difficulty or incident. Many thanks to those who offered helpful advice and warnings, most of which I heeded and which I am sure helped a lot.

First of all, I did pull the 3ph and attach my BH and subframe. In addition, I loaded the largest boulder that I could into the BH bucket for additional rear ballast. It was probably about a 150# boulder so with my 1300 plus of BH and subframe, I had close to 1500# behind my loaded rear wheels.

The rear of the truck that delivered the chipper/shredder was a standard tractor/trailer rig, its floor was probably about 4-4 1/2' high. The pallet was a standard 4x4' pallet and the machinery was about 6' high, but the great bulk of its weight was in the first 3-4'. My pallet forks have 36" reach and thus only went 3/4 of the way under. In order to guard against the pallet tipping forward on the forks, I ran some heavy chain around the crate from my FEL bucket hooks.

I then eased the pallet just a couple of inches off of the truck floor to make sure that the FEL could raise and hold the entire load and to check to make sure that the rig was reasonably stable and not tipping forward. Everything seemed OK so I VERY SLOWLY backed away from the truck until the load was 6" or so clear of the trailer bed. At that point, w/the breaks on and locked, I slowly lowered the load (being careful to make very gradual adjustments in the bucket's curl to keep the whole thing level) until it was about 1' off the ground (just high enough to clear ground level along the 60' route to where I am going to unpack and assemble the machine. At that point I proceeded, at a crawl, to my destination, where I lowered the rest of the way and backed the forks out from under the pallet.

The second machine and pallet, which only weighed about 175#, was of course a "piece of cake" in comparison.

No problems and the FEL and tractor hydraulics handled the load without difficulty, as did the bucket forks. Incidentally, the forks are 3x2" rectangular 1/4" steel. The top and bottom plates that fit over the FEL blade and toothbar are 3/4" thick and the threaded clamping pins are 3/4" diam.

I sum, I don't think that I would want to make a habit of unloading 1000# pallets from a tractor/trailer with my rig and these bucket forks, but they obviously can do it if you exercise extreme care, including making sure that you are on level ground at all times. Equally obviously, they can handle their rated load of 800# quite easily, and with a reasonable safety factor.

 

[MadDog]

As I looked over the posts in response to my original, it seems to me that there was perhaps some misunderstanding;

My FEL does not have a rated limit of 800#. On the contrary, at MAX height (6'8", which I was never anywhere near) my LA402 FEL is rated for 1060# lift capacity at the bucket pivot pin and 760# at bucket center. Breakout force is 1684#. It was the bucket forks that are rated for 800# and this presumably refers to weight evenly distributed across the entire length of the forks.

By chaining the crate to my bucket hooks I was able to carry most of its weight on the near end of the forks, just in front of my toothbar and there was minimal weight on the forward portions of the forks. It was in this configuration that I lifted the load just a couple of inches above the truck bed.

If the FEL had been unable to do so, that of course would have been the end of it. But it did so without difficulty, producing more than sufficient power to lift the crate off of the truck bed and curl the bucket very slightly, while running at about 2300 rpm (well below PTO speed). At this point, the load was only a couple of inches above the truck bed and it was at this point that I had the driver put a little more weight on the crate to see if my stability was just marginal or there was any tendency to lift the rear wheels/tip the tractor forward.

There wasn't, but if there had been, THAT would have been the end of it. I would not have backed the load off of the truck bed but would instead have lowered it back to the truck bed. As it was, there was no difficulty in backing the load off of the truck and gently lowering it to a safe carrying height as indicated in my previous post describing the operation.

All in all, I think that I conducted this operation in a reasonable and cautious manner. The ability of the FEL to lift the load was carefully tested and established, as was tractor stability before there was any risk of losing control of the load or tipping the tractor. Unloading could have been safely abandoned with the crate fully on the trailer bed had any problem been encountered.

Once the ability of the tractor, FEL and forks to handle the load was established, the operation was conducted slowly and smoothly and took some 10-15 minutes to complete from start to finish. Indeed, I think that practicing the lift, curl and lower operations with no load, before the truck arrived, served to increase my FEL skills and, particularly, my ability to execute very slow and smooth raising, lowering and curling operations. Actually, it's a little bit like playing a pianissimo (very quiet) passage on a piano; the slightest pressure on the joystick, gradually applied and evenly maintained, produces controlled movements. There are other analogies that also occur to me, but I don't want to offend. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I should add that I was impressed, not only by the robustness and quality of the bucket forks, but with the power and stability of my B7800 and FEL. The B7800/2710/2910 machines may be just medium sized CUTs but they have impressive power and the ability to do some serious work, so long as their limits are approached cautiously and and the operation is carefully planned and executed.

Again, many thanks to Ron, Bill, tc35, OkieG and KiotiJohn for your very helpful posts; it's what makes this site so useful and so enjoyable to be a part of.