just bought bucket forks for bx

pjwbx2230 · Jan 18, 2007

Finally pulled the trigger. After inquiring on the Board, purchased light duty forks from Payne and Sons Mfg. Great website and lots of nifty items (if a little pricy). Also bought the fork stabilizer and a set of clamp on mirrors for when I am taking the bota down the road on petrol runs. Thanks for your advice- those of you who have Payne bucket forks, please chime in with positives or negatives.

BrianW · Jan 19, 2007

I have the light duty forks and I use them on a B3030. I am going to add more metal to the underside pad on the fork so that it has a greater contact area on the bottom of the bucket. I have an ATI toothbar and it works great with the forks. The screw on the fork rests on the toothbar so it stiffens the bucket. Only downside to forks in the bucket is you can't see the forks well. I have trouble lifting a pallet out of the back of my pickup because I can't see the forks going in. I thought a little portable mag mount wireless camera would be usefull to put in the bucket when using the forks. I am looking around to see if I can cobble something together. I could also use something like this when I am hooking up a trailer. Stick the camera on the tailgate of the pickup and see the trailer ball.

Sully2 · Jan 19, 2007

BrianW said:
I have the light duty forks and I use them on a B3030. I am going to add more metal to the underside pad on the fork so that it has a greater contact area on the bottom of the bucket. I have an ATI toothbar and it works great with the forks. The screw on the fork rests on the toothbar so it stiffens the bucket. Only downside to forks in the bucket is you can't see the forks well. I have trouble lifting a pallet out of the back of my pickup because I can't see the forks going in. I thought a little portable mag mount wireless camera would be usefull to put in the bucket when using the forks. I am looking around to see if I can cobble something together. I could also use something like this when I am hooking up a trailer. Stick the camera on the tailgate of the pickup and see the trailer ball.

I have a set coming soon...ordered from Northern Tool ( and they told me that "PAYNE" woud ship directly to me..lol) I wondered about the "pressure point" on the bucket itself from that clamp.. "Thought" I might weld a "plate" ( actually 2 plates) onto the bottom side of the bucket for added strength???
Maybe even weld a 3 x 3 pad on the bottom of the "screw" on the clamp for added stiffness where it contacts the inner surf of the bucket??

No "toothbar" here so I dont have that potiential problem..

Never thought about the "blindness" factor..( because I havent gotten them yet...

..) but maybe a wide angle mirror on the edge / corner of the bucket???

Sully2 · Jan 19, 2007

pjwbx2230 said:
Finally pulled the trigger. After inquiring on the Board, purchased light duty forks from Payne and Sons Mfg. Great website and lots of nifty items (if a little pricy). Also bought the fork stabilizer and a set of clamp on mirrors for when I am taking the bota down the road on petrol runs. Thanks for your advice- those of you who have Payne bucket forks, please chime in with positives or negatives.

Speaking of mirrors...

My FIRST trip down the road..I had a car "sneak" up behind me ( and I had constantly been watching behind...scared the living CR*P right out of me...lol. I went right out and bought a "wide angle" stick on mirror and put it on the top of the left hand FEL mount..and it does a great job...BUT..Im still not totally satisified!!

One can buy rear view mirrors for motorcycles that have a thread base ( lord knows what metric size it is??) and it runs into a gimbel ball mount..that you adjust and then tighten down tight. Some have short stems ( about 5 inches..) some have stems as long as about 10 inches. Im going to drill and tap a single hole on the outside of the left hand FEL frame member and mount one of these ALSO. ( dont need it on the right side...if someone is passing me in the ditch..we are both in a heap of trouble...lol)

LBrown59 · Jan 19, 2007

Sully2 said:
I have a set coming soon...ordered from Northern Tool ( and they told me that "PAYNE" woud ship directly to me..lol) I wondered about the "pressure point" on the bucket itself from that clamp.. "Thought" I might weld a "plate" ( actually 2 plates) onto the bottom side of the bucket for added strength???
Maybe even weld a 3 x 3 pad on the bottom of the "screw" on the clamp for added stiffness where it contacts the inner surf of the bucket??

No "toothbar" here so I dont have that potiential problem..

1*Never thought about the "blindness" factor..( because I havent gotten them yet.....) but maybe a wide angle mirror on the edge / corner of the bucket???

1*After you get used to them you kinda get used to that and learn how to work around it.
Some times I just stand up till i get them lined up then set down and drive forward.

LBrown59 · Jan 19, 2007

BrianW said:
I have the light duty forks and I use them on a B3030. I am going to add more metal to the underside pad on the fork so that it has a greater contact area on the bottom of the bucket. I have an ATI toothbar and it works great with the forks. The screw on the fork rests on the toothbar so it stiffens the bucket.
1*Only downside to forks in the bucket is you can't see the forks well. I have trouble lifting a pallet out of the back of my pickup because I can't see the forks going in. I thought a little portable mag mount wireless camera would be usefull to put in the bucket when using the forks. I am looking around to see if I can cobble something together. I could also use something like this when I am hooking up a trailer. Stick the camera on the tailgate of the pickup and see the trailer ball.

1*With practice you learn ways to overcome that.

LBrown59 · Jan 19, 2007

pjwbx2230 said:
Finally pulled the trigger. After inquiring on the Board, purchased light duty forks from Payne and Sons Mfg. Great website and lots of nifty items (if a little pricy). Also bought the fork stabilizer and a set of clamp on mirrors for when I am taking the bota down the road on petrol runs. Thanks for your advice- those of you who have Payne bucket forks, please chime in with positives or negatives.

What is that and what does it do ???

Timber · Jan 19, 2007

I love my bucket forks, I use a regular for lift all the time and the tractor is very different. You do get very use to working around the bucket. I look under the bucket a lot working in my pickup