Forks New forks - What are your favorite uses?

[lhfarm]

I'm in the middle of a number of projects where I know forks will be handy for moving objects (see below). So I started searching dealers and Craig's list but found an e-bay dealer about an hour away. I was able to work with him to get a really good deal. Picked up the forks yesterday morning and started on the first project.

Unloading was easy. I dropped the bucket at the barn and just pulled up behind my small pickup. Just eased up to the quick attach and lifted it out of the truck. Took longer to cut the straps than to get it unloaded and attached. The first job I had for them was to move an old air conditioner and pad from the side of the garage. The powerline to the barn needs to go there so I could avoid an additional 90 degree bend (on advice of the electric company). I eased under the edge of the air conditioner and lift the edge so I could place a couple of blocks of wood under the sides. Pretty easy. Decided to use the pallet the forks come on as a resting place. Slide the unit off the forks and moved both off to the side.

I don't quite have the technique down, so when I was moving the pallet, the forks dug into the ground when I had them angled to much. That did give me the idea that I might be able to just tip them down and drive under the concrete pad. It didn't work. Partly because the pad was much thicker (6") than I thought. To make it easier, I used the backhoe to cut the sod in front of the pad, so I had a straighter angle. That worked. I'm not sure how much that pad weighs, but I'm guessing a few hundred pounds. Moved it very carefully and placed it on some wood to make it easier to pick up.

Did all the above in about an hour. I think they are going to be a handy addition. I know some of you pallet your firewood and I need to consider that. I also know some have built man-lifts. But what are your favorite uses for your forks?

Thanks,

 

[TTTTTT]

Hi , I made a pair last year out of an old pallet pump lift. I can use mine on the FEL quick attach or on the 3pt. They are definetly one of the more useful attachements. I as you mentioned about the firewood, I store many heavier items on pallets, so moving things around is easy. I move logs around. Its nice to get under things that a bucket can't quite get at.

Dave

 

[Runner]

I use mine all the time, one of my most used attachments after the mowers.

 

[LBrown59]

I'm in the middle of a number of projects where I know forks will be handy for moving objects

Did all the above in about an hour. I think they are going to be a handy addition. I know some of you pallet your firewood and I need to consider that. I also know some have built man-lifts. But what are your favorite uses for your forks?

Thanks,

One of the greats things about forks is they can extend both the width and or length of the reach of a FEL .
This is great for knocking down weeds out over ditchs and banks that you could not normally get to.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Surprisingly, I've found mine very useful for digging large rocks. I also use them for moving brush digging small trees, moving sections of downed trees, and even moving a pallet now, and then.

 

[voltage4974]

I had mine on for two months this summer. I would cut trees dwn haul them to where i trim them (to make one pile of brush) cut them to 10 to 12 foot then haul them up to the house cut split stack, also found a plastic produce box that our local pickle packing plant had and put my saws oil gas ax and chains in to haul down to my trees. i made a oversize pallet to haul hay into my old box car works good for stacking as the stack gets higher i just ask the kids to raise the loader so i dont have to come down off the stack. busted the beeds on my 4 wheeler tires to place new tires on instead if taking them to tire shop. built many things used them to lift & hold as i weld move things to mow under. that plastic box was the best though i used it to haul tools, firwood, my wife Christmas decs to storage. i have done this many times but dont recimend doing it because one of our consumers dropped the pole and killed a person. i worked for a power company and i set poles with a backhoe (as we had to couldnt get a truck in) so i have set 30 to 40' poles i used a safety chain so if it did come out of the forks it would go far. my neighbor set all of his poles(20) with my forks and tractor on his 40by50' lean too shed. unloadload things on trailers pkps. my forks have a d ring between the forks up high that i have used to tie too lifting things or fellin trees with my cable. i think they are handier than the bucket

 

[amigauser]

Surprisingly, I've found mine very useful for digging large rocks. I also use them for moving brush digging small trees, moving sections of downed trees, and even moving a pallet now, and then.

I have used mine similarly. I bet I have dug more rocks out then moved pallets

 

[e.myers]

Wish I wouldn't have read this thread. Now I need some pallet forks!

What about the kind that mount on the front of the bucket? Any reason not to get that type? I have some tin and some landscape timbers I was thinking about today and how I was going to move them with my new front end loader....

 

[Eaglebait Ranch]

I have a set of portable forks I screw on my FEL. Got them from Harbor Freight. I have found more uses for them. just this weekend, I was moving firewood to the shed. I have a pallet which I have put "sides" on and a chain to secure it to the FEL. I can load 4x more wood using that pallet and FEL so I am not making as many treks back and forth. I also took a pallet, put 4' high 4" hog paneling around it and use it when I clean out the feeding area and p/u llama poop and take it to the large compost pile. Again, I have chain securing the pallet to the FEL so I can just dump the stuff onto the pile. I have my tractor impliments on pallets, making for easy movement/storage using the forks. I love them, for what uses I find around here.

 

[Deadman]

I just bought a set of forks, and I already used them enough to consider them worth their money!
I now see that I need to build a sturdy pallet, and put a huge plywood box on it, for hauling tree leaves, grass mulch, etc.........! Projects!!!!