FEL Hooks

[dmartin88]

Welded a couple of hooks to my BX 22 FEL today, tried them out by using a chain to drag a couple of large stumps down to a brush pile, worked great. Attached the hooks about 11" from the side of the bucket which has them just inside the main supports and the "bucket level indicator".

Hooks are 5/16", welded to a 2" square 3/16" steel tube which is in turn welded to the FEL. Also drilled a hole in the bucket and used a grade 8 bolt through the hook/tube/bucket for some extra holding power.

Should be handy!

 

[DavidJ]

Looks like a fine job. I welded a pair on my bucket and have found all sorts of use for them. I like the idea of using the square tubing as mounts for them.

 

[Turfman]

Nice install. You'll never believe how much you will use them until you have them on the tractor. I use mine all the time.

 

[Henro]

dmartin88,

Funny...I was just thinking that we have not seen a bucket hook post for a while... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

The reason I was thinking that was because I bought some hooks to weld on MY bucket a week or so ago...but have not got around to doing it yet.

Nice work. That bolt throught the bucket will certainly keep things together, no matter what!

 

[reedfish1954]

See what you think of my hooks? 1/4 x 1.5 inch angle is welded under that 1/4 plate extending into 3/8 plate that it part of the loader arm attachment. Grade 8 bolts go through the plate, loader steel and another 1/4 welded plate underneath bucket edge.

 

[reedfish1954]

Here is a pix of the hook I put on my backhoes bucket, same technique, 1/4 plate welded to 1/4 angle side bolted into the bucket bracket 1/2 inch steels with Grade8 bolts.

 

[R_squared]

Your welds look good - plenty of heat. Neat workmanship.

 

[Henro]

reedfish1954,

I like the way you did both, but especially the backhoe bucket. I have been trying to think of how I wanted to put hooks on my buckets, and I may just do it the way you did.

Looks real good.

Was there a reason you did not just weld the hook on the bucket? I had not thought of doing it otherwise until I saw your picture...

 

[Pks]

Welding on a backhoe bucket can be tricky business. I can't speak for our small buckets, but the buckets on construction machines contain special steels.

With those steels, you CAN'T just weld it. Usually a pre-heating, welding, followed by post-heating is required. I've seen cases where a weld was laid down on a bucket and before the bead was finished, it already had begun to crack back at the starting end. It opened up just like a zipper...all by itself too!

Don't get me wrong, any of us can do it. We must just keep in mind the type of parent metal were working with and work accordingly. I've only done a little work on these.

Maybe someone in our community has a lot of experience with welding these buckets and can create a detailed procedure for us to follow. Then again, if someone can tell us what steals these various buckets contain, then maybe we won't need to worry.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> Maybe someone in our community has a lot of experience with welding these buckets and can create a detailed procedure for us to follow </font>

Sounds like a job for WroughtnHarv. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[reedfish1954]

Yes there was a reason, LOL. side bolting into that 1/2 inch plate connected into the arms gave me alot better support than welding on buckets structure steel of lesser thickness.

 

[rozett]

and is there a reason that you used slip hooks instead of grab hooks? I would think the grab hooks would be more useful.

 

[reedfish1954]

6 of one half dozen of the other. sliphooks looked better than the grab hooks plus I couldn't find a grab hook that bolted with 2 bolts like the hook I used here.

 

[DieselD]

Heres my hook, I feel inferior, I only have one hook.
Also use the 1/4" plate method.
Danny