Request Advise In Selecting Pallet Forks

[MIKE7639]

I'd appreciate some help in determining what size pallet forks to buy for general small hobby farm use. I want to buy a set of quick attach pallet forks for use on a Mahindra 4035 HST tractor. I occasionally receive products on "standard" pallets. I've been having the pallets placed in the pasture and removing the products by hand. Additionally I'd like to use forks to move lightweight brush piles to the burn site, carry fence posts, move bundles of shingles, move the occasional round bale, etc. At first blush after looking at the palletforks.com website and not knowing any better I'd think that the 42" forks would be fine but the price difference to upgrade to 48" or even the 60" forks is within my budget if there is a significant advantage to having longer forks. Pros or Cons? Thanks.

 

[poolguy]

I bought the 42" from Everything Attachments about 3 months ago. I couldn't be happier. You won't believe how many things you can do with them. I have yet to lift a pallet, but I have picked up and carried just about everything you could imagine. Good luck.

 

[Deere Dude]

I just got a set of 48s and they really work well. Every-bodies needs are different you will find out here, but from my point of view 60s would be to long and cumbersome for a big majority of the jobs that I have ever seen, in a factory and at home in a private setting. I never thought of 48s of being to long on any occasion, but there are occasions where 42s would have been to short for my jobs.

 

[k0ua]

I have the 42 inchers from EA.. they seem about right, but your tractor is a bit bigger, so maybe the 48 would be right for you. Of course the longer they are, the more careful you have to be to keep from "hooking" on things.

James K0UA

 

[gwdixon]

60" would be great for brush piles but not much else. The ballast requirement is tremendous for a large load of heavy stuff like logs, bricks, and the like.
48" are a bit long if you are ever in close quarters, like a barn, forest, parking lot, around the house or buildings, etc.
42" (my set) are long enough for pallets but short enough for good maneuverability. Moving brush piles may take one or two extra trips compared to a 60" but it is not a big negative.

You mentioned they will be QA forks. Do you mean skid steer type or bucket attach type? If it is the bucket type then definitely go for 42". The bucket adds another 18" to 24" to the length off of the front end.

 

[txdon]

I have 48s never needed longer and could probably do with 42s. I would definitely rule out 60s. They would make the tractor too tipsy.

 

[Beltzington]

I bought a set of these and they have worked very well, never wished for longer forks.

COMPACT X-TREME DUTY Shaft Mounted Pallet Fork

 

[jerrybob]

42" would most likely work fine for you. I have a small set of 32" clamp on forks for my small tractor. They come in real handy for a variety of jobs. Just be careful to not lift that load too high. A few years ago....I was moving some 15 ft. log poles. Went up a little too high...lost the load....almost tipped the tractor and needed to change my shorts. Forks are handy....be careful!:thumbsup:

 

[case245]

i say 42'' are fine why have 48'' thats less you can lift

 

[94BULLITT]

I have 48" forks. I move pallets all the time with mine. I probably could have got buy with 42" forks. I doubt you would need 60" forks unless you plan on moving big pallets. The average pallet is 42''x48". The longer the forks you have the farther they will stick out and the harder it will be to maneuver around with them. I would get a good set of forks. I think a lot of the name brand pallet forks use Cascade tines so there is not much difference other than what framework you like the looks of.

 

[redsox1]

For general purpose use 42" is the way to go, better lifting and more manueverable.

 

[Tompet]

I bought a set of these and they have worked very well, never wished for longer forks.

COMPACT X-TREME DUTY Shaft Mounted Pallet Fork

Thumbs up on these forks and manufacturer. What else is nice on them is that even though they are shaft mounted the forks do not "fall forward" when pointed down. No matter what forks you get they are very handy implement.

 

[xring100]

48" is a good compromise 60" make navigating difficult. I have 48" 5500 lb construction attachments forks. I would also like a set of 60" or 72" but this would only be about 5% of the time

Dave

 

[MIKE7639]

Thanks to everyone for the advise. Having read all of the above I've decided on the 42" Compact X-Treme Duty Shaft Mounted Pallet Forks from Construction Attachments. They are available from the dealership where I bought my tractor so it will be convenient and easy to make this happen. I certainly appreciate all of the thoughtful comments.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

We have the CA 42" compact forks in stock and ready to ship. Construction Attachments is just down the road a bit from us and Ted's brother is the owner. Those forks ship free to a business or supporting freight terminal within 1,000 miles of Newton, NC. I know you said your dealer has them but i thought I would let everyone else know. If you need anything else Mike, you are a little out of our free shipping zone but close enough to overlook!!
Here is our video featuring those forks. It's good info if you haven't already seen it.
Travis

 

[kiotiken]

I have a set of 48" that I started using on my Kioti CK30 and now use on my Kioti DK45. I don't think the size of the forks matters very much, but they were too heavy for the CK30 to handle, it robbed too much of my lifting cap. They are perfect for my DK45, it handles them with ease.

I lift pallets full of firewood in special bags. Each bag is almost a face cord and weighs 1500+ lbs once dry. That weight is out a long way at the end of the loader. For that reason, I'm happy to have the forks extend right to end of the pallet. I think the longer forks also make it easier to see the tips of the forks which makes things a lot easier on uneven terain.

My advice, fairly heavy duty 48" forks. 60" will be clumsy and you won't lift much if it's that far from the loader anyway. Mine are Versatech.

Sorry, this is the only pic I have of them right now.

 

[slane01]

I have 48" standard duty forks for my JD420 loader. I looked at the 42's & the 48's and am glad I went with the 48's as I do use the extra length, especially when moving my dumpster. I also looked at the heavy duty forks, which were definitely a whole lot heavier, but it would rob from the amount I could lift so I saw no need for that.

I have owned my forks for 2 or 3 years now and all I can say is Dang, I wish I would have bought those at the same time I bought my tractor 10+ years ago. I think I use the forks more than the bucket. They sure do come in handy. I have a couple of big oversized 4 x 8 pallets I made out of scrap 2x6's & I can pile stuff on that and move it from the house to barn, barn to house etc. I am really amazed at how much I use the things. I would add this as a definite must have to any FEL.

 

[MIKE7639]

My local dealer did not have the Construction Attachments compact forks in stock. I just placed my order with Travis at Everything Attachments for the forks shown in the video above. Travis is easy to deal with and made the ordering process about as simple as it gets. Thanks again for all the advice provided. It sure helped me make the right choice for my application.

 

[bigtiller]

Thanks to everyone for the advise. Having read all of the above I've decided on the 42" Compact X-Treme Duty Shaft Mounted Pallet Forks from Construction Attachments. They are available from the dealership where I bought my tractor so it will be convenient and easy to make this happen. I certainly appreciate all of the thoughtful comments.

I think you are going to like your 42's. I have a pair of them also. Sometimes I wish they were shorter or longer but 42's are a nice fit for my 2720.

 

[mvwicker]

42" on my 35hp tractor is about perfect.