Pallet Fork / Trailer Mover

[woody]

this is what I use and I prefer the second picture

 

[ruffdog]

They would bend far too easily if they were regular low carbon steel.

I have used old fork stock to make tooling that needed to be very tough. It sounds like the forks are made out of annealed 4140 or 4340.

What is the steel used for forklift truck forks?.

 

[scootr]

I bought a SSQA receiver hitch. Very strong and safe. When using a single fork for any job you risk bending that fork, even if just a little you will kick yourself every time you use it later.
There are single and double clamp on ball hitches for forklifts that require no drilling too.

 

[dlctcg]

Instead of finding a spare set of forks you might look at mocking-up / building one of the many designs out there... (or just purchase one).

I think I like the ones that slide on both forks the best... but there are a bunch of different versions out there

 

[BlueKnife]

I bought a SSQA receiver hitch. Very strong and safe. When using a single fork for any job you risk bending that fork, even if just a little you will kick yourself every time you use it later.
There are single and double clamp on ball hitches for forklifts that require no drilling too.

When I built the frame for my forks, I incorporated a 2" receiver into it. Just have to slide the forks off, slide a hitch in and it works great. I've since seen a couple of commercially available fork frames that have that feature.

 

[scootr]

When I built the frame for my forks, I incorporated a 2" receiver into it. Just have to slide the forks off, slide a hitch in and it works great. I've since seen a couple of commercially available fork frames that have that feature.

That sounds well planned but at my age sliding forks off the lift is too much for my back. Fortunately I have a SS which is almost ideal for moving a trailer.

 

[BlueKnife]

That sounds well planned but at my age sliding forks off the lift is too much for my back. Fortunately I have a SS which is almost ideal for moving a trailer.

Makes sense.

 

[KennyG]

The used forks I bought for my tractor already had a hole in one but I didn't want to go that route. It may not work for everyone but I adapted a HF quick hitch to my JD loader attachment system and it works well not only for trailer moving but also moving attachments and using the boom pole. This would probably be pretty easy for the skid steer guys also.

 

[5030]

They would bend far too easily if they were regular low carbon steel.

Most of them are LC steel but the forks themselves are heat treated and tempered. Steel is expensive today and proper heat treating can make a 'silk purse' out of a 'sows ear' and it's much less expensive to heat treat after fabrication anyway.

The automakers do that all the time when it comes to items like rocker arms and cam and crank shafts. They buy the least expensive steel they can and then have it heat treated so it conforms to their specific needs. Besides, cheap low carbon steel machines much easier versus high alloy steel.

 

[nyone]

Yeah, I am going to look for a set of used forks and one of them I will drill a hole in.

Here a used set cost just as much as a new set from express steel.