How to Connect Stuff to a Boom Pole?

[Gem99ultra]

Having driven tractors for over 45 years and owning 6 at the present time I have never found any job for a boom pole that a front end loader cannot do better, more efficiently or safer.......

So true, Tex. I have a nice brand new one that I hooked up ONCE. Never even picked up a thing with it. My immediate education was that a boom pole is totally useless if you have a FEL. I only paid $150 for mine; a waste of $150 in my case. And yes, its available for cheap, pickup only.

 

[LD48750]

All the boom poles I have seen already have a ring or hook of some kind attached.
Yes, from there, you just add chain, rope, cable, or whatever and go to it.

 

[downsizingnow48]

It sounds like I need a hook on the end of the pole, and after that, I can attach straps or ropes or chains or whatever.

For lifting with chains a common grab hook works good. For lifting with straps (without damaging them) the setup is different. I use a large foundry hook on the lift. Then attach the straps to the hook using large D-ring shackles. Harbor Freight has excellent shackles for less money than other places. The foundry hook is going to be pricey.

 

[Carl_NH]

Instead of a traditional boom pole, I put my old HF engine hoist on a FEL plate. Very versatile. And a wide range of movement. For lifting stuff I put a hook on the hoist, then use straps or chains as needed. Someone made a very important point, the lift is for lifting. Not transporting. For more than a few feet, find a trailer or something rather than the tractor which will easily get too wobbly.

HI Pat,

Where did you source your QA FEL setup? I've only seen one on Ebay about 15 yrs ago - can't seem to find them anymore tho.

Thanks
Carl

 

[Eric102]

So true, Tex. I have a nice brand new one that I hooked up ONCE. Never even picked up a thing with it. My immediate education was that a boom pole is totally useless if you have a FEL. I only paid $150 for mine; a waste of $150 in my case. And yes, its available for cheap, pickup only.

As I get older I find more uses a boom pole, the forks just don't have the reach sometimes.

 

[downsizingnow48]

HI Pat,

Where did you source your QA FEL setup? I've only seen one on Ebay about 15 yrs ago - can't seem to find them anymore tho.

Thanks
Carl

When I decided to do it, some years ago, there was nothing on the market for the B21 so I made it from scratch. It was a lot of work. There is a build thread here somewhere.

But! In the meantime this outfit apparently started making them to fit just about everything, including the B21.

Tach-All Quick Attach, Loader Attachments, ATI Corporation

 

[CalG]

A couple of tag lines back to the tractor really can tame the swing of any load front or back.

When using the FEL to move stuff suspended by chain, I like to make a triangle of the lifting chain to the grab hooks welded to the bucket top rail. The load won't swing left to right, and with a tag line or two, the load won't swing fore and aft. Tag lines are useful for spotting the load as well. Thinking of things like snow blowers, trees, blades etc.

 

[Baby Grand]

A couple of tag lines back to the tractor really can tame the swing of any load front or back.

When using the FEL to move stuff suspended by chain, I like to make a triangle of the lifting chain to the grab hooks welded to the bucket top rail. The load won't swing left to right, and with a tag line or two, the load won't swing fore and aft. Tag lines are useful for spotting the load as well. Thinking of things like snow blowers, trees, blades etc.

CalG has got the right idea. I have had a boom pole for over 10 years and it gets a lot of use on the L3240, which has plenty of weight with the FEL attached to lift heavy loads. I attach a grab link to one of the 2 loops on the BP. This allows me to adjust the length of chain quickly. 2 rope tag lines, going from the chain near the load & back to the left & right 3 point pins help reduce swinging.



Remember, a boom pole is really meant for lifting, not pulling. If the load is heavy or runs any risk of snagging, I also hitch a chain directly between the load and the transmission mounted draw bar - not the 3pt draw bar. This isolates the 2 components of the load. All the lifting load goes through the boom pole, but all the pulling load goes through the transmission mounted drawer, below the rear axle. This is done to reduce the risk of the tractor back flipping if the load gets hung up on a rock or stump.



I also use an 18' long 5/8" polyester rope to move slash - brush. One end of the rope has an eye splice. When I drop a tree, I lay the rope out on the ground. As I limb the tree I lay the butt end of the branches over the rope, with about 2 feet overhanging. Then I run the end of the rope through the eye, cinch it and tie the end off on the loop on the BP with the hitch lowered on top of the pile. Lift the hitch & the rope closes like a noose around the limbs & lifts the butt ends off the ground and then I can drag that pile through any kind of terrain to my CBP (Central Brush Pile) for disposal. A poor man's grapple, of sorts.

 

[goeduck]

When I decided to do it, some years ago, there was nothing on the market for the B21 so I made it from scratch. It was a lot of work. There is a build thread here somewhere.

But! In the meantime this outfit apparently started making them to fit just about everything, including the B21.

Tach-All Quick Attach, Loader Attachments, ATI Corporation

That is what I put on my B21. Expensive, but it took a whole 15 minutes and fit perfect. If I had the time I would have built one like you did.

 

[chim]

I made a boom pole for the old Ford (doesn't have FEL). I kept it and about the only time I used it was for the I-beam drag with the first Kubota. A few years ago I revamped the drag and haven't used the BP since.