Welding on hooks vs FEL warranty

[DougM]

I just cut a pce of 2 3/4 square tubing the lenght of the
bucket and drilled 4 holes in it and welded the hocks to the
tubing 5/16 and 3/8 chain hocks and a strap hook in the center..

Doug

And I just came back in from using it and I have un bolted
the pce from the top of the bucket I did not like it.

So now it is in the corner of tthe garge if it is ever needed

/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[California]

I don't see how hooks welded on top at the corners can overstress anything.

My sig photo below shows a lightweight bucket after 20 years of abuse. The top edge of the bucket was as dented and beat up as an old truck's bumper, probably caused by pushing material or even ramming objects with the loader curled forward. Subsequent to that photo I straightened it like Rat straightened his using a 6" diameter bottle jack on doubled 2 x10 planks (to avoid distorting the cutting edge), and pushed upward against a piece of scrap (so I wouldn't push up a dimple).

Also there is a trailer ball on top of the bucket. The top edge flexes a little, perhaps 3/4 inch, with 700 lbs hanging from the ball. I think the disk shown in my Yanmar photos has been lifted around by that tractor using the ball as the attachment point for many years. This must be more stress than carrying a load from two corner hooks.

None of this abuse seems to have harmed the loader mechanism. The loader is a heavy duty unit, a Great Bend GB-20 that adds 1200 lbs to a 1800 lb tractor (before ballast). The loader, except the bucket, looks true and square and works properly.

I hope you all take better care of your tractors than what mine has seen! I don't think you have anything to worry about as yours age.

 

[bebster]

I would think that warranty issues are first handled by the dealer. If he is ok with the hooks (or better puts them on), then you'd expect him to process the FEL warranty regardless of what's on it. If it were me, and I welded my own hooks, and there was a FEL problem, I might put on my pallet forks before I took it in. It's ridiculous to think that someone would try to slip out of the warranty obligation because I lifted something with the forks. The best defense against it is a reputable dealer who is service-oriented.

 

[jinman]

Brent, I wouldn't worry about it any longer than it takes to say,"Let's do it." If you lift something with a hook and it bends the top of the bucket down until it touches the bottom, they ain't gonna replace it and I don't think you or I would expect them to do it. On the other hand, if I have a cylinder seal fail while I'm lifting something with a hook, I'm gonna take the tractor into the dealer and tell him the cylinder failed while lifting a load and expect to get it fixed. I guess my point is that the chance of me doing some really handy things with bucket hooks is a whole lot more likely than ever being denied a warranty claim. The value of the hooks is more than the value of the warranty on the bucket. ...and for accidents, insurance can help pay for damages also.

 

[Inspector507]

My dealer would NOT weld hooks on, said it would void the warranty........I did it anyway when it got home /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[frank_f15]

i guess there a lot of things that MIGHT void the warrenty, but i don't think bucket hooks would, not much difference etween pulling or lifting with the hooks as compared to just wrapping a chain or strap around the bucket and attempting the same task.

 

[Y2KF250PSD]

Welding hooks on was the first thing I did when I got it home. After I welded on 1/4" angle iron to strengthen the top lip of the bucket. Here's a pic........

Chuck

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

My dealer routinely welds two hooks on all of their loader buckets...if the customer wants them /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BRUSHTAMERS]

I went down and bought a double handful of 3/8 in. grab hooks, and a couple of open hooks, and handed them off to my welder friend within two weeks of buying my tractor. My dealer wasn't terribly concerned about me installing hooks, but did suggest the strongest points on the loader bucket, 4 in 1, and pallet forks to attach them to. He does however, refuse to install them on his rental equipment. The reason is the same as an outfit I used to work for.....liability. It seems to be not such an issue of hook or implement failure, but the weld or bolt mount itself. Manufactorer blaming welder, hook maker...Hook welder blaming poor steel, blah, blah. If I've got a hard pull or lift, I use my 3 way lift I built it when I was using a gravity system for fuel tank using a 55 gallon barrel on a stand. 2 open end chains to the ends of the bucket, into the grab hooks on the bucket, slip hook on the load lifting end. Make it any length you need, just use a big cold shut where they all come together. Basicilly a Y with the lifting hook doing the pulling, but the weight is supported from both lifting arms, and tends to pull and lift better than from one side only

 

[narcnh]

When my B7800 was delivered last fall it had three hooks welded to the bucket. I didn't ask for them, the option wasn't discussed, the tractor just showed up with them. I never looked at any brochure pics closely enough to know that they weren't standard. My first tractor, from the same dealer, a used B1750, had a single, center hook. I guess my dealer just puts them on as a matter of course, figuring everyone needs 'em. Not being the brightest bulb in the marquee, I assumed all buckets came with hooks.

Since he put them on without my even asking, I'm assuming (always dangerous) that he will take care of any problems that might possibly arise from using them. The only problem I can think of would be somehow unbalancing or warping the alignment of the FEL by lifting something seriously overweight to one side or the other.

Regardless, those hooks sure are useful.