Forks Thoughts on bucket fork maneuverability

[mroberts5]

I have a set of bucket forks for my NH 1920. Super useful, but man are they tough to maneuver in a tight space. I'm mainly trying to move pallets of firewood into my woodshed. I swear im going to knock the whole thing over if I don't change how Im doing something.

What do you guys do? Will the a QA bring the forks in enough to make a difference? Will a 3pt set of forks actually be usable with only up/down? Or is this as good as it gets trying to use a tractor as a forklift?

 

[4570Man]

No offense but I'd say that's more your operating ability than anything else. QA forks are way better though. QA forks are going to lift more and have better visibility. Your maneuverability will be better because the overall length is less but the precision of load placement isn't much different.

 

[mroberts5]

I'm sure I'd get better with more seat time, but there's a reason fork lifts have the turning wheels in the back.

I picked up a set of 3point forks from titan attachments and th theyre great. Can't get the same lift, but for moving pallets around the yard, theyre perfect.

 

[4570Man]

I must be missing something here about the forklift. I'm pretty sure the forklift has the solid axle at the front because it's stronger and more stable. Sorry if I offended you earlier.

 

[shaeff]

I must be missing something here about the forklift. I'm pretty sure the forklift has the solid axle at the front because it's stronger and more stable. Sorry if I offended you earlier.

True, however the rear steer on a proper forklift allows the machine to "pivot" around the load, rather than the load "pivoting" around the rear axle.

 

[Piston]

It's simple geometry that the rear forks would be WAY more maneuverable than a set of forks on the FEL. It doesn't have to do with your ability.

Think of where the pivot point is located, at the rear wheels. The further away an object is from the pivot point, the larger the radius of swing at the object when turning.

This is the reason forklifts have rear wheel steer.

It's the same reason a rear mount snowblower is considerably more maneuverable than a front mount.

I have both front and rear forks. With the hydraulic top link the rear forks are more useful as they are more maneuverable, can lift so much more, and are more easily seen.
The only downside of course is the height limit.

 

[Fallon]

I picked up a 3pt forklift for my L3200. Was hoping for more lift than my loader. Unfortunately due to the forklift weighing 800lbs or so & being mounted 6" further back due to my quick hitch. The forklift would easily lift the loads when the 3pt would stop lifting. The loads the 3pt would stall on we're about the same as my loader. So I sold it as it offered no benefit over the loader really.

A caryall type set of forks would have been a LOT lighter & not using a quick hitch would have helped. But I wasn't gonna give up my QH or lift height.

 

[DieselBound]

Fallon's experience is like mine was in that I thought I would be able to pick up some large feed bags (on a pallet) with a 3pt mounted set of pallet forks. My B7800 did it, ONCE! Reverted back to tossing around 50lb bags :

I got a set of SSQA pallet forks for the new, NX5510, tractor. No problems lifting things now! Except, yes, like others state, precision just ain't there. Little way that your pallet rodeo is going to look like anything other than a bull in a China shop! I had this big "plan" to stack three pallet crates of firewood. Place I was going to do this was not paved, loose gravel. Before even attempting to work with that environment (still have to build my "firewood shed") It became clear that even stacking TWO of these crates out in the open took the skills of a neurosurgeon! Pretty hard to translate a 1/2" maneuver on the fork end (and past) to the needed motions on the tractor's steering wheel. Oh, and make the surface that you're working off of uneven. Why, one could spend countless minutes entertaining themselves with this! and meanwhile the desired result just ain't happening. I'll come up with "some" compromise, but, tractors really aren't very good at doing precision pallet work.

All said, however, I will still use pallet forks off the front of my tractor to place a pallet of firewood on my deck. The approach to that area is a bit smoother and harder, not to mention the surface that the pallet goes on is level. Here too, I would soon get frustrated if I were to try and double-stack.

And, for sure, for front-end lifting operations have ample rear ballast!

 

[Piston]

I was surprised how little I could lift with my FEL forks, vs the 3 point.

 

[LouNY]

If you are using the clamp on forks on your bucket I believe that you will find the SSQD will be easier to see and work with
as your visibility should be greatly improved. That being said with the forks being out so far I have always found it much nicer to have someone
watching my forks and giving the correct hand signals for up down curl and uncurl as well as forward and whoops:confused2:
I use a set of front mounted often I also have a rear set that sometimes are nicer but not always.
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