What else do you do with forks besides lift pallets?

[dragoneggs]

I also easily move and store my other BX implements.

 

[FTG-05]

I may have already posted this. If so, sorry.

My Chicken Coop:

And my pole barn deer shooting house, it's nominally 6'x8':

Getting ready to set it. You can see I already have the Elevators (4x4 post attachments) on the shooting house and the 4x4x10' posts ready to go:

And it's up:

 

[dragoneggs]

Used my forks twice today... loading garbage cans in my pick up and blackberries on the burn pile. Seems I am better off leaving them on and swapping to my bucket when needed.

 

[aczlan]

Which length forks do most people prefer, 42" or 48"? This would be for a variety of uses on a 70HP utility tractor that would range from picking up rocks to occasionally using on a 2000 lb pallet. The fork frame I have is rated at 3800 lbs.

This question comes up because it's hard to keep my 48" forks straight when picking up a pallet of fertilizer and I rip some bags. I only do it a few times a year and the rest of the time is rocks, trees, etc. No pallets.

Would 42" forks make life easier or should I just learn the 48" forks?

I would say 42" forks as they will not stick out past the pallet...

Aaron Z

 

[dragoneggs]

I would say 42" forks as they will not stick out past the pallet...

Aaron Z

I would agree. Unless you you have applications that require 48in I would not go that long. I work in tight quarters and total tractor length is a factor.

 

[Creamer]

I would say 42" forks as they will not stick out past the pallet...

Aaron Z

I will be getting 48" because I want the longer ones for brush piles, logs, and the like. The negative is that they will go through a pallet and into the next if you are not careful but I do very little pallet work so it isn't a big deal for me.

 

[RjCorazza]

What an interesting thread to read through! Clearly my forks are under utilized.
I mostly use mine for brush and trees, but have moved a refrigerator to a neighbor's garage and set out a manger scene for another neighbor. I need (want) to load a 55g drum onto and off my truck for gasoline filling. I have one of those barrel grabbers that use the weight of the barrel to keep pressure on the top lip, but I just don't trust them. I may just tie the barrel onto a pallet for lifting.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Raise up the front of the tractor to look for a hydraulic leak.

 

[sixdogs]

Hauled an old mattress away that would have been a hassle to carry by hand.

 

[Vaquero]

Now I've got to go read the whole thread.

 

[stuckmotor]

Sometimes either of my forks makes a handy anvil.

 

[PILOON]

I made a dedicated pallet to handle oddball items.
Another use is to gather collected piles of branches created by wind storms.
A 'basket like affair to haul split firewood back to the shed. (could have added removable sides to that 'dedicated pallet as well.)

LOL, even tho I have forks I have never actually handled an actual pallet but still would not be without them, just too handy.
(mine are DIY 3" channel clamp ons, works for me but then my FEL is maxed out at 1000 lbs +/- so DIY is even overkill)

 

[calpalmer]

Pruning the orchard, trail and low hangers maintenance, house painting

 

[Freep]

Others have surely mentioned some of these, but:

I move my kids' playset around when they decide the want it elsewhere.
I transport about 200 gallons of water in an IBC tote about 1000 feet semi-routinely.
I moved about 30 red alder trunks today.
In making a little makeshift driveway to get at the aforementioned alders, I encountered something my bpx blade kept scraping over, which turned out to be a curved piece of metal sticking out of the ground. I got a fork under it and pulled up a six foot section of 10x10 concrete with that bit of metal sticking out of it. I don't know what it was, but it's future is as a drag harrow to level land a bit. Happy coincidence! I essentially dug up buried treasure with my forks.

 

[sixdogs]

I have not done this but I'll bet you could move a huge pile of brush by just spearing into the lower part of it. Probably improved results if the pile has sat for a while.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have not done this but I'll bet you could move a huge pile of brush by just spearing into the lower part of it. Probably improved results if the pile has sat for a while.

They work even better with a grapple attached!

 

[two_bit_score]

They work even better with a grapple attached!

But a grapple is only seldom needed.

 

[fruitcakesa]

But a grapple is only seldom needed.

I just lift it out of the way when I need the forks alone.

 

[Little General]

I didn't read the whole thread so sorry if this is a repete, but my dad uses his forks to turn the garden in his raised beds

 

[Freep]

Forgot to mention I use forks to transplant big balled and burlapped trees. I dig the hole with the backhoe and can position the tree perfectly with the forks and not damage the tree. There is no better implement to move balled trees. It's like forks were intended for it.

How do you hold the balled trees? Just sort of balanced on the forks?