size chain for bucket hooks

[BOC]

Thank you very much for the informative reply Jeff, very helpful!!!!

 

[deere5105]

I have Ken's Bolt On Grab Hooks on my bucket. Great product.

Ken only offers 5/16" Grab Hooks because 5/16" hooks are a sort of universal size.

5/16" Grab Hooks will hold 3/16" (sort of), 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8" chain securely.

5/16" Grade 43 chain is likely what you want. With a compact tractor you will lose wheel traction before you can stress 5/16" chain.

3/8" chain gets awfully heavy working with it during a hot afternoon.

Both Lowe's and Home Depot offer a box with two lengths of 5/16" Grade 70 chain with 5/16" Grade 70 Grab Hooks attached to both ends at a very good price.

(Grade 70 chain = Transport chain)

Even adding in the cost of two clevis Slip Hooks to replace two of the Grab Hooks these kits are a bargain.

If you will use your bucket to "roll" saplings out of the ground, roots and all, you will want 6' of 1/4" chain with a 1/4" clevis Slip Hook on one end. The small chain will grip 1" - 2" trunks where larger chain will slip.

I agree. Went with three 5/16" hooks. One in middle and one in line with each lift arm. Use both 5/16" and 3/8" chain, but recently picked up another 5/16"from Lowes. Bought weld on hooks from AW Direct and talked dealer into welding them on for me when having loader installed.

 

[Ruark]

I use 3/8" hooks. They work fine with either 3/8 or 5/16 inch chain.

 

[kebo]

What size hooks do you have??

You have to match the chain to the hook:thumbsup:

3/8" hook.....get 3/8" chain

5/16 hook....get 5/16 chain

you get the idea, unless I am mis-reading your post??

What you posted is absolutely correct but I have 3/8" chain grabs on my bucket and often use smaller chains for various things. I have used 5/16" chains with the 3/8" grabs, and I have not had any problems with the smaller chain "slipping" or coming out of the 3/8" chain grabs. If you weld 5/16" chain grabs on your bucket, one day there will almost certainly come a time when you want/need to hook a 3/8" chain to it.

This is just what works for me, each person will just have to decide what they want to do, of course.

 

[LD1]

Correct, 5/16 chain will work with 3/8 hooks for what it will be used for. And yes, they hold and 99.9% of the time will be fine. It is when you are pushing the limits of the chains strength (pulling something and not lifting with a loader) that the size becomes more important.

 

[deere5105]

Was second guessing myself and made a trip to the shop to verify, but I have the weld on 5/16" grab hooks and they will accept both 5/16" and 3/8" chains without any problem. I bought one 20' 3/8" chain thinking I would use it for pulling logs and heavy loads. 95% of the time I am grabbing my 5/16" chain. Lugging the 3/8" chain can become more burden than is needed for what I do.