What do you do with your forks?

[Xfaxman]

FYI, here is the Speeco UltraFork that attaches to the front or rear. A pallet fork frame can be made the same way.

On the SSQA.

On the three point hitch.

Click for Speeco: Content Page

 

[gwdixon]

If you have the means to weld then you can make your own heavy-duty clamp on forks. Go to a forklift repair business and see if they have any used Class II forks that they will sell you. Most of the time they just sell them for scrap when they part out a forklift.

Then design a clamp and strike up the welder. The HD ones I made are in the photo below (clamps shown).

Then there are light duty ones that can be made from channel iron. Three photos are below for the ones I use on the BX2200. Four forks were made so the two extra could be added and then the bucket is used as brush forks. Even my wife can use them.

 

[David P]

Had Christmas dinner (lunch) at our home today and my 99 year-old grandmother attended. She has great difficulty walking even with her walker and unfortunately, our home has steps up at every entrance. So I screwed some osb onto the top of a pallet and loaded "Oma" onto the pallet and up to the porch. It felt really good to be able to ease her pain for a day...

Forks are most definitely one of the most useful attachments you can own.

 

[rbtjr]

I have a Kubota L3800. I have been considering buying some forks. I have a 4-n-1 bucket and also a grapple, so I wasn't convinced that the forks would be worth the cost in terms of what I could do with them that I can't already do. This thread and others have about convinced me otherwise. If I were to buy some forks, what length forks tines would you guys recommend--42" or 48"? Thanks.

 

[/pine]

Had Christmas dinner (lunch) at our home today and my 99 year-old grandmother attended. She has great difficulty walking even with her walker and unfortunately, our home has steps up at every entrance. So I screwed some osb onto the top of a pallet and loaded "Oma" onto the pallet and up to the porch. It felt really good to be able to ease her pain for a day...

Forks are most definitely one of the most useful attachments you can own.

FWIW...
A lot of times I will take a pallet up to where a fallen tree has been cut to load firewood on and a friend or neighbor often rides on the pallet...Just as I am moving the 3ph lever to raise the pallet I say "third floor, lingerie"...usually gets a chuckle...

 

[gwdixon]

I have a Kubota L3800. I have been considering buying some forks. I have a 4-n-1 bucket and also a grapple, so I wasn't convinced that the forks would be worth the cost in terms of what I could do with them that I can't already do. This thread and others have about convinced me otherwise. If I were to buy some forks, what length forks tines would you guys recommend--42" or 48"? Thanks.

This is one case where bigger isn't necessarily better. 48" is just too long on the front of a tractor, especially if they are the kind that attach to the bucket. It is amazing how that little extra length causes one to spear anything in sight.

Lifting capacity is not increased by longer forks. The only reason for longer forks might be to increase brush hauling capacity.

 

[Xfaxman]

I made some 48" brush forks 5 years ago for the TORO+Loader.

They work on pallets also.

Here is a pile of trees pulled with the Versahandler.

Slid the forks under it and took it to the burn pile.

 

[AHNC]

I've recently built a set of 42" forks that will mount on either of my BX's. In order to not damage the FEL I welded a 1x6" black pipe nipple onto the forks. I hook the nipple under the top bucket lip and rotate it down to the FEL. Increasing the bearing surface on the lip has, so far, eliminated any deformity of the bucket. If you can weld they are pretty simple to build.

 

[TomSeller]

I like the 48" on my SSQA setup on the loader. If they were the clamp on style, shorter is better. Longer let's you set loads farther onto a truck, or drag loads to you from farther back on a truck if they were loaded deep.

 

[rbtjr]

Thanks for the feedback. If I do get some forks, they will be the SSQA style.