FEL Bucket Hook Questions...

jmc · May 3, 2005

The reason that weld on slip hooks aren't as common as weld on grab hooks may be that their extra height requires extra base width. Any side load** attached higher on the slip hook will put a lot more stress on the weld. I had a cheap bolt on slip hook on both sides of my bucket and somewhere along the line I must have hooked up a central load with a "Y". It bent the bucket under both hooks. You'd think an engineer would know better.

**Not the side of the bucket but off axis from the hook

Jojhn

moeh1 · May 3, 2005

As long as you are going to reinforce the bucket, you may want to eliminate the need for hooks at all. I borrowed this idea - reinforce with angle iron and cut slots in the angle for chain to drop into. Attached if it fits is a picture in action. I used 2"x3" angle to get better clearance for the chain slots, cut 6 slots across the width and put both horizontal and vertical bolts thru the bucket. Working great so far and I have picked up stumps that I had to curl to lift. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

tawilson · May 3, 2005

I probably sound like a broken record, but I usually chime in with the angle iron suggestion when bucket hooks are brought up. Another reason, I just made a crude fork attachment that you can pick up with the bucket angle iron by rolling the bucket forward. Having an attachment that I can attach without gettting off the tractors means I use it a lot more.

frank_f15 · May 3, 2005

NOW that is a pretty slick idea /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

plaindave · May 3, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Since you've decided anyway to reinforce your bucket, you might want to consider what I did. I welded my hooks to the top of a piece of 2 1/2" angle iron (1/4" thick). Then I drilled the angle iron and bucket lip and bolted this to the top of the bucket, using 1/4" flat stock on the underside of the bucket lip for a backing plate. My bucket lip was greatly reinforced, the angle iron and hooks would be easy to take to the welding shop ( for those who don't weld), and you could easily remove the hooks if you wanted to. Also, if your welding job goes bad, then you just ruined a piece of angle iron, not your expensive bucket. )</font>

Do you have some pics of how you attached this to the bucket? It's late (and cold here tonight) so I don't want to head out to the shed with a flashlight to figure this out, but I like the idea - just don't know how to apply it yet.

harley53red · May 5, 2005

Marty,
Great idea!!! Not only gives you several options for where to attach chains....it also serves to reinforce the top edge of the bucket. One question...did you bolt or weld the angle iron on?

harley53red · May 5, 2005

OK...so I didn't read Marty's post THAT closely......he DID bolt it on! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

moeh1 · May 5, 2005

If you look real close at the picture, you will see several bolts coming thru the front of the angle iron (6 in all - one is behind the chain). What you don't see are 5 more which are behind the bucket lip in a vertical direction. They are spaced out in between the horizontal bolts. I drilled all these ahead of time in the angle on a drill press, using a smalll pilot bit, clamped the angle iron on the bucket, drill thru the bucket, removed the angle iron and made claerance holes in the bucket and drilled the angle iron large enough to tap the holes for threads. I used the automotive style bolts with the built-in flanged head for strentgh. No matter which way you pull on this, you have several bolts in shear and several in strip, no way my loader's lift is going to give this problems. I am looking at PineRidge's grapple, thinking about building one and typing into this angle as a means of support and attachment. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Too many ideas for the few hours I have to play /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

jyoutz · May 6, 2005

I could get you some. But it's really simple -just weld the bucket hooks to one side of a piece of angle iron. The put the angle iron over the lip of the bucket. Clamp a piece of flat steel under the bucket lip, then drill through the angle iron, bucket and flat stock. Then bolt all 3 together (use grade 8 bolts). That's it.

harley53red · May 6, 2005

Marty,
Thanks for the clarification! I was able to pick up several pieces of angle iron by the dumpster at a construction site for a new 4 story building I just happened to be parked next to. I got the perfect piece for this. Nothing like using recycled materials!