I started out with the clamp on style forks.
They're "are what they are". They're not the best, but work. It depends on how rough you are with them and what used for.
Pros:
- Cheap.
- Easy to mount/dismount (until they're not, see "cons").
- Probably most useful for moving actual pallets
Cons:
- Depending on strength of your bucket, loader lift capacity, and your tendency to push the load limit, a heavy load could (and did) give bucket edge a bend ("perma-smile").
- Extends load farther out in front of bucket, reduces/limits lift capacity, and/or need more rear ballast.
- May be hard to see end of fork if its hidden by bucket.
- Rough usage will bend either, or both, the top of the clamp bolt (or handle), or it will bend the bolt at the bucket. This makes it very difficult to unscrew them to remove. You will need a big cheater pipe to unscrew.
- When using them to "dig" under non-pallet items, like root balls, logs, rocks, etc.., and you hit something, they have a tendency for one fork to get knocked "cock-eyed" and no longer be perpendicular to the bucket until you get off and readjust/retighten them.
- - - - For that reason I purchased an "adjustable pallet fork stabilizer" (adjustable spreader bar) that is suppose keep forks parallel with each other. The problem with this is: After a few rough uses the "adjustable" spreader bar gets bent so it is no longer adjustable, but not a problem if you don't need to reset width of forks. Also it's very hard to clamp the metal adjustment bolts of the spreader bar to metal forks. Things shift and the bar comes sliding off the forks into the burn pile (or bon-fire) when you dump the forks vertically (ask me how I know). The solution was to put little shims of wood (branches, whatever I could find) between the metal bolt and fork.
- If moving logs, (IMHO) there's a greater danger of logs rolling down loader arms and taking driver out, as clamp on forks rely on a "backstop" that owner rigs up (usually just flimsy 2"x4"s in stake pockets).
They have their uses, but I eventually sold them and got pallets forks with a frame that swaps out with bucket. I like those a whole lot better.