Question on Pallet Forks

tomplum · Feb 14, 2019

cat fever said:
Yes the tractor was running. Most of the time my wife was in control moving the tractor, lifting/lowering me. (I know, very scary) I built that whole barn using the tractor every day. It was a life/time saver. Here is another platform I built for setting post.

This is the main reason I suggest getting pallet forks for the OP they are just to handy not to have.

View attachment 591615 View attachment 591616

That's a pretty slick platform for getting a post in place. I'd not seen that before. I could see other purposes for it too.

JNA · Feb 14, 2019

Safety only goes as far as the person practicing it.

Diggin It · Feb 19, 2019

Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

iflywhatevr · Feb 19, 2019

Just bought mine finally the other day 2000 pound HLA 48 inch. Love them.

tomplum · Feb 19, 2019

Diggin It said:
Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

Interesting. You would be relying on the sides and a thinner top than bottom to help support. If your bucket is like mine, the bottom is quite sturdy. I've also added a Piranha ish bar to mine which gives added support. So if you liked the design of the top mount, and it was only light duty- you could. You still are getting pretty far forward there to have much lift capacity. Those style bars -even in light duty would be heavier for the guy installing them than the clamp ons.
set that up with light duty forks.

MRollins10 · Feb 19, 2019

I just purchased a Titan quick attach pallet fork for my Branson 3015 and absolutely love them. Used them immediately to lift my new deer blind onto its platform. They are extremely high quality for just $349 bucks and you dont have to worry with bending your FEL bucket. Spend the extra $200 bucks and get these vs the clamp-ons.

Xfaxman · Feb 19, 2019

Diggin It said:
Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

I have those pin top forks on a SSQA frame. The steel bar is a hydraulic cylinder rod that got bent. I straightened it in the press and it works great:

Xfaxman · Feb 19, 2019

Diggin It, you might be able to rig it like the wheel loader buckets and be able to hook and unhook from the tractor seat:

PILOON · Feb 19, 2019

What U are missing is that most CUT's are rather limited to weight capacity hence heavy duty forks are rather overkill.
IMHO most clamp on forks offered on the net suffice for 95% of your needs.

Forged 'real forks' rated at perhaps 5000 lbs are rather useless when your CUT maximum bucket capacity is 1000 lbs and that not ahead of the bucket but probably back at the heel.
Probably on a 1000 bucket using forks the maximum safe load might be 6-700 lbs hence clamp ons would be just fine. (and very 'cost effective')

4570Man · Feb 19, 2019

Diggin It said:
Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

Those big heavy forks probably weigh 200 pounds each. Your tractor is probably good for 600 pounds on the front of the bucket. That would be a nearly useless setup. You should look into SSQA forks or some other method of fast removal forks that don’t rely on the bucket. Aside from significantly reduced lifting ability you get significantly reduced visibility and run a good chance of bending the bucket.