Forks Finally got my Bucket Forks

[Mark_in_NH]

Attachecd are some pictures of my recently aquired bucket forks. I found them at Bobcat of New Hampshire.
They were a set that they had reposesed, for I will assume non-payment. A few minutes of friendly chit chat and $400 later, they were loaded into the back of my pickup.
As handy as a set of these can and will be. I could never have justified $850 for new ones. Over a life time of ownership, I can live with having spent $400.
The forks are 48" and of course utilize the Bobcat Quick-Tach system. The have had some abuse and damage as you can see. Looking atr the front of the tractor, the fork tine on the left has had the tip slightly bent up and as you can clearly see, sombody dropped something pretty heavy on the top rail of the ? (back splash)
My local welder said with some heat, he can straighten the tine tip and the easiest / cleanest fix for the top rail is to cut it off, straighten the steel mesh and then weld on a new top rail of some kind.
I figure the repairs are mostly cosmetic and aren't required for me to be able to use the forks, so I think the repairs can wait until winter.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Does anybody know what the 2 cut outs are for on either side of the frame work ?
The upper cut out loopks kind of like an upside down hat and the lowere one looks kind of like an hour glass turned a little clockwise.
I am thinking they must be there to hook something into place. Maybe a chain or ???????

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Considering the shape of the cut outs, the end of a chain would have to have some special end on it to lock into the cut out.
I think that when my welder guy has the forks in his shop this winter, I will have him weld a grab hook on either side of the frame.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Just for the sake of definition, what you have there are not bucket forks and that's a good thing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Bucket forks attach to the bucket itself rather than replace the bucket on the loader. Your set or forks are the real thing. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I think $400 for a used set of bucket forks is a fair price. A used set of forks like yours for $400 is a real deal. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Gary,
You are 100% correct /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. It was a verbal Fo-Pa on my part. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I had the term / phrase "bucket forks" on my brain and unfortunatly that is just what I typed.
I will get to see how well my "Pallet Forks" /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif work Monday morning. Ross Express is delivering a Ping Pong table that was ordered by one of my clients. They can't / won't deliver it to his house, so he had it sent to me and then I will take it to his house.
I am unsure if the table will require the tractor and forks to get it unloaded, but I got em if I need em.

 

[bmac]

Regarding the cut-outs - it looks like whatever they are for, it gets inserted into the lower cutout then rotated counter-clockwise to "lock" in place. Maybe a locking thingy is inserted into the upper cutout.

Just shooting from the hip here, but do they mak a grapple attachment that could mount to the sides of the frame? Just wondering how many things could be mounted on pallet forks.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

bmac,
Were thinking along the same lines.
I am not aware of any grapple attachment that adapts to the forks.
I am thinking that I will call the dealer where I bought them. If anybody knows what there for, they should.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> "I am unsure if the table will require the tractor and forks to get it unloaded" </font>

Hmmm... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Brand new tractor toy... Commercial delivery... I'm thinking YES!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

And if the driver tries to just hand you the box just tell him, "Put it back on the pallet. It's a 'union thing'." /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif