Help with Fork-Lift Attachment?

skysummit · Jan 28, 2005

I have a J.D. 4700 with a 460 loader. Been doing a little shopping around and have seen many types of fork lift attachments, both 3-point and loader types.
Anyone care to offer suggestions for a decent brand & model for my tractor that is well made and competitive pricing?

Thank you

beenthere · Jan 28, 2005

I gather you are not considering the Deere fork attachment?
That is (and was) my choice, and I don't regret it one little bit. Strong. Can dig out rocks, roots, holes, etc. Quick to change between fork and bucket. Also, welded it to go on the Deere iMatch. Works great. Many uses I didn't dream about before having one.

skysummit · Jan 29, 2005

Did not know Deere had one. I could not find one on their web site, but then again, I did not look very hard.
I would prefer some type of forks that I would not have to remove my bucket. I would rarely use the forks and only for a short time when I do use them.
Are the kind that clamp right on to the bucket not very strong? How much can I lift with them?
I tried to look in my loader manual to see what the capacity was. I could not find it.
Anyone know what the lift capacity is for a 460 loader on a JD 4700?

Thanks

MadDog · Jan 29, 2005

I have Payne's "light duty" clamp-on bucket forks. Very well made and capable of lifting as much as my FEL can handle. If you're lifting a heavy load and want to be extra careful about not bending the front lip of your fel, they can be clamped on over a toothbar, which will provide added strength and stability.

I prefer FEL forks over 3ph because you can use them to pluck a pallet off of an 18wheeler w/out difficulty. True, you want to have something heavy on your 3ph for ballast and work slowly and carefully. Also, a good idea to get the load down as close to the ground as practical while moving it.

With those precautions, my pallet forks are one of the most useful attachments that I have. They also greatly increase the utility of the FEL for carrying brush, logs, etc.

GoodGuy · Jan 30, 2005

When at my Deere Dealer picking up some parts, I saw these in the yard & took a pic. There are 2 styles, one that the fork slides sideways on a round tube & the other that the fork slides sideways & locks into notches. I can probably get you some part numbers if you need.

wisker · Feb 1, 2005

I have a set of JD forks for my 4710 (460FEL). Takes maybe 2 minutes to swap the bucket for the forks. I think the lift capacity for me is around 2200 lbs. I picked up some pretty big stumps the other day with no problem. Hauled some pine logs that were about 30 inches round and 15 feet long. Biggest thing I found when swapping it out was to make sure you leave it on level ground, make it easier to get hooked back up again. I'll try and get some pics of the stuff I moved tonight.