Looking to build forks.....

[whitedogone]

I have found a new set of tines that includes top and bottom rails for a good price. They are rated for #2300 and are 36" long. Would these be a good match for my 400x loader? They seem kind of short, but I can't find longer ones that aren't $$$$ .

 

[joes_427_vette]

Why would you need longer forks ? With the limited lifting capacity of the 400x I think they will be just fine.

 

[whitedogone]

Why would you need longer forks ? With the limited lifting capacity of the 400x I think they will be just fine.

Because bigger is better. The JD forks are all 42" or 48".

 

[whitedogone]

Anybody have any opinions?

 

[J_J]

Anybody have any opinions?

You could add light weight extensions if needed. Just slide them into some 4.5 x 2 in tubing, or U channel and make them as long as you want. Theses would be for stability, not lifting something out 6 feet.

 

[whitedogone]

Good point. My main use will be moving bundles of framing lumber. 2x4's, 2x6's, etc.

 

[jimgerken]

Whitedog: I found some excellent forks at a forklift junkyard/repair center. I drove to Racine Wisconsin, a couple hundred miles away, to find this place, but you may find a closer one to wherever you are living. It seems that there are safety rules for how thin the forks are allowed to wear before being discarded (recycled). I actually bought block tines, which are about 2 by 2 inches, instead of the usual forks which are about 2 by 4 inches. The block tines weigh half as much as standard tines, but are just about as strong. They are absolutely unbendable, made of heat treated 4140 steel. I use them on a 300 CX, adapted thru a base frame of my own making. If you find a forklift junkyard/repair center, you will have many forks to choose from. I paid $150 for two. Later I wished I had bought 3 forks, cause when handling brushy stuff it would be great to have another one in the middle ( two foot spacing instead of four). I guess you could also adapt them to your bucket, but that would be unneeded weight and reduced visibility. Hopefully this helps...

 

[scarlo101]

I built some forks for my FEL. Check pics - follow link below.

 

[GE222]

Longer forks can be nice, but may also get you into trouble. As J J mentioned, when you need longer forks, some rectangular tubing will work just fine. since a normal pallet is around 48", a 36" fork is a fair amount past the center.

If a pallet has all the weight on one side, simply lift from that end, assuming you will have access to it.

For an idea of the extension details, check out a material handling supply house catalog listing.

The reason used forks are so $$$ is to be sure there are no issues with breakage. Most scrap yards torch them for that reason.

 

[Skyco]

I made mine out of 2x4 box tubing. They are stronger than the FEL on my BX24 will lift and much lighter than the solid steel real forklift forks. Another plus to the 2x4 tubing is a 2x4 lumber piece (real dimension 1.5x3.5) will slide inside them to extend the length to handle bulky lightweight items.