Welding bucket hooks - support plate warpage??

[flusher]

It's pretty much a standard practice to weld bucket hooks onto a piece of 1/4" plate, then weld the plate onto the top of the FEL. I'm wondering, though: when you weld the hook to the piece of plate, doesn't it make the plate bend up from the heat distortion, so you can't lay it down flat on the FEL? Seems like it would...

Here's the way the chain hooks are installed on my Mahindra 5525 bucket.



Had this done by my dealer when I bought the tractor new in 2008. He cut a piece of 2x3x1/4 inch angle to size and skip welded it to the top of the bucket along both edges of the angle. Then welded the chain hooks onto the angle. Skip welding is one way to control warpage.

I added the 3/4" dia bolts to hold a 2" receiver for a ball hitch.

The burnt paint on the rear of the bucket happened when I had the skid steer quick attach option added to the FEL.

 

[moored4]

3 hooks are not bad! If you pick with 1, thats ONE chain then always do it from the center hook! If you’re going to pick with 2 hooks then you use the outside hooks, one chain, of the same length, on each hook, hooked to the same load. As for draging it needs to be in a straight line, FELs were not designed to be side loaded.

 

[Shield Arc]

Everything has a weight limit, it's called "Safe Working Load".

 

[weldermike]

Plates will straighten out when you bolt it down, just did it the other day and my hooks where welded to 3/8 plate. Acts like a lock washer now! LOL, but serious!

 

[Sandlot]

I stitch welded the plate first, and then added the hooks. No warping problem.
:thumbsup:

 

[gwdixon]

I stitch welded the plate first, and then added the hooks. No warping problem.
:thumbsup:

All light duty, or at least "non-heavy duty", buckets should be strengthened like you did. The rolled forward edge of those buckets are just too flimsy to support a heavily loaded chain and will crush.

If I used mine more I'd cut off the chain hooks and re-do it like Sandlot did. Nice job. Too bad my welds don't always end up as pretty as his.

 

[Sandlot]

Thanks for the complement. I really love using that little Lincoln Weld-Pak, as easy as using a glue gun. Those hooks have proven themselves and will lift the full capacity of the tractor. And yes, it is very important to balance the load between hooks!