LOADER FORKS

[gordon]

Yes it does answer a question I had but now I've got a question to ask. Nice setup easy-off-on. But here is my question would that style of fork still work with a bolt on tooth bar???
Gordon

 

[Harv]

Gordon -

Good question.

It seems pretty clear that the clamp-on forks I'm using would not work with a tooth bar.

Too bad 'cuz I've been casually thinking about a tooth bar myself.

 

[dmccarty]

Ah HA!

Thanks for the picture! I think us TractorByNetites need to pay for Harv's digital camera. Its far to valuable for us!

I could not tell from the ssb site how to put the thangs on. I have ALOT of piled brush to pick up and the 4n1 is not optimal for this job. I think the forks would work better....

Thanks for the picture.
Dan

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Gordon, I asked the same question to Carver Equip. They show a drawing depicting the same forks on the their website. I was told they wouldn't work together, but to remove the toothbar. Not a big deal if you have a slip over type that bolts to the bucket sides. More work than I would want to do if it was bolted on across the cutting edge.

 

[glennmac]

I was at a dealer today whom I had never before visited and asked him about bucket forks. He showed me a picture of some locally made clamp-ons that look essentially similar to Harv's Gearmore and the ones shown on DFB's ssbtractor website. They cost in the 350-400 range.

The dealer then cautioned me about their construction. He said he had seen many examples of them bending and/or breaking. The problem comes if you put downpressure on the forks. This stresses the welded joint that is right near the lip of the bucket. The weld fails.

He then showed me a different product from an outfit called Zimmerman somewhere in Pennsylvania. They are a solid shaft of metal so have no weld to fail. The trade off is that they attach with chains and chain binders around the bucket instead of being clamp on. I suppose this could be slightly klutzier.

I seem to remember someone here discussing these kind of forks but I can't retrieve it with my incompetent searches.

Glenn

 

[Harv]

Glenn -

Thanks for the caution about down-forcing the clamp-on forks. That's pretty easy to do if you're not thinking about it.

I'm sure the manual mentioned it, but I didn't get a manual with them. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[glennmac]

Forgot to mention that the price he quoted for the Zimmerman PLF-4000 Front End Loader Forks was $215 plus shipping.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Manual? What manual?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I saw a clamp-on set made from one piece tempered steel such as true forklifts have. They were $900.00 a pair for the smallest size.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Since JD makes quick tach loader forks for the 430 loader (pull two pins and disconnect the bucket, connect to the forks and replace the two pins) for about $850-900. I would assume that JD makes them for the other loaders. The JD forks for the 430 loader are heavy duty and adjustable. Mike S.

 

[Branch]

A safety note on forks.

I was shocked when my dealer told me $900 for the JD forks. According to him the actual fork part of the setup is made in Canada and certified as to it's load capability. They were behind in manufaturing because of the certification process causing my forks to be a couple of weeks late in delivery. He also said that he'd seen failures of forks in the industry and that JD takes the safety of the forks very seriously. Fact or fiction, you decide.
I've had pallets close to the load limit that need to go up 8'. It's worth the money for a little peice of mind for me.