What else do you do with forks besides lift pallets?

[California]

I ordered a nice plastic pallet, the most common pallet size and 6000 pound capacity ... also plan to use it as a work platform ... relying on it not to fall. (Yes, FELs aren't supposed to be counted on for safety, but I think a fall from 4 or 6 feet is a small enough risk.)

I had a scare back when I was a carpenter. First day on a job I was assigned a forklift with a non-code platform with a railing, to work on a second story window. Then I drove the rig to the next window ... and when I went over a bump the platform fell to the ground.

I found a fresh - and broken - weld where the lift chain had been attached to the platform.

 

[California]

Shop loaded my little Yanmar into my trailer ...

 

[sixdogs]

Shop loaded my little Yanmar into my trailer ...

Great tractor and trailer. Both classics.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Didn't stop for pics, but I used mine to load up an old washer and dryer into the back of my truck to haul them to the dump.

Love them forks, sure are a back saver.

 

[scaredychicken]

i think they would be useful as an engine hoist, but I have one of those already

holding lumber at a build site (chicken coop)

 

[civilian]

How about packing the Afton stone (crushed limestone) I just spread. Rear tires are loaded on the BX2230, loader bucket full of dirt, IBC totes filled with 125 gallons of water on the rear forks. I added water to tote with the 3pt arms in the up position. After a while, it had settled a bit and had to use the B26TLB bucket to raise it up. Jon

 

[California]

How about packing the Afton stone (crushed limestone) I just spread.

Similar here, forks as part of a grading project.

Most land planes are simply towed. But I need the ability to lift this one, using the forks, for tight U-turns when smoothing my narrow lane. The cross-chain in the photo allows this lift.

I took this photo when I was improving it with a permanent chain on each front corner, with hooks to pull it from the front of the forks assembly.

Also, setting the weight of the forks on the land plane makes a crude blade for levelling gopher mounds in the orchard.

 

[SmallChange]

Holding a workpiece up where you can get at it, and moving it around for the best angle!

I did this with my bucket (before I had the forks) with a short set of pressure treated lumber stairs I was fixing for the front walk. I held them up where I could work on them easily to drive a bunch more screws and hose all the detritus out of the way. It was helpful but would have been even better with the forks.

I may use them when I treat a plywood slab with linseed oil later this week.

We plan to build a set of planters for a border to the driveway. I figure not only will I use the forks for whatever is easier when held up high, but I will also actually design the planters to fit the forks, so I can reposition them easily. For example, the planters will block cars from rolling off a high bank, but I may relocate one planter to make room for dumping snow down that bank in the winter.

 

[California]

My photo above in post #447 also shows the unique 3-point forks assembly that I built from scrap materials, for use with the Quick Hitch. Recommended!

Here's a photo using the forks. The platform has a bedframe angle iron perimeter, over a pallet.

And another use of the forks to carry something. This photo most clearly shows how the forks are made.
I built the forks as a temporary solution for some project, intending to buy 'real' forks later, but these have held up for 15 years without damage. So no need to upgrade.

 

[steelhauler34]

Eat dinner.

 

[SmallChange]

Eat dinner.

Jeez, you must be mighty hungry.

 

[sixdogs]

Something that I had forgotten about is that I used forks to lift, move and transplant some 15' high balled and burlapped trees awhile back. In the old days I would use my bucket but always tore the bark or did some other damage to the tree. With the forks. I could hold the tree over the hold to gauge approximate fit, and if correct, just back up with the tractor and slide the tree into the hole. Worked slick and way faster than the bucket.

For the bigger trees of maybe 400+ lbs, I would usually have to adjust the tree in the hole and by tipping the forks forward and sliding into the hole could wiggle the tree close enough to straight. Forks are the only way to transplant b&b trees.

 

[sheamus]

After reading this thread I think I could save a lot of money by getting a set of forks rather than a Root grapple.

Anyone have both?

 

[BackRoad]

After reading this thread I think I could save a lot of money by getting a set of forks rather than a Root grapple.

Anyone have both?

Forks can be handy...I put them on as needed...

But the grapple is on the other 98% of the time...

 

[Xfaxman]

After reading this thread I think I could save a lot of money by getting a set of forks rather than a Root grapple.

Anyone have both?

Eighteen years ago I was clearing cedar trees with a tree shear and taking them to the burn pile on the forks.

But on the way, the wind would blow them off of the forks, so I bought a grapple.

Now I have two grapples and several sizes of forks.
44" wide Gorilla Grapple:

72" wide Monster Grapple:

42" pin top forks:

48" pin top block forks:

72" pin top forks:

 

[kenmbz]

Bar transport:

 

[DieselBound]

Fork'n my shed:

Lifting to reposition moving rollers and planks. Kubota's non-fly-by-wire provides for a lot better feathering control: any minor jerking will cause the [Hillman] rollers to jump and bolt from underneath.

Pay no attention to that pallet on the right side of the picture! It was NOT involved in any of this operation!

I wish that I had a really short fork that I could use to just cup the beam underneath. I'm going to need to use something like that when I set the shed down on my blocks: yup, I'm literally landing this thing on some pre-set blocks (full perimeter blocks to seal up against critter incursions). The blocks are only 4" high; my floor jacks won't have enough clearance and the long forks aren't very subtle to operate with a lot of weight on them (Kioti can, most of the time, barely lift the shed).

 

[Diggin It]

Fork'n my shed:


Pay no attention to that pallet on the right side of the picture! It was NOT involved in any of this operation!

It's watching. They're always watching.

I wish that I had a really short fork that I could use to just cup the beam underneath.

You need a sky hook. Left handed work better.

 

[DieselBound]

It's watching. They're always watching.

You need a sky hook. Left handed work better.

I'm telling ya, this is one of those projects that I really didn't want to undertake. For sure, a sky hook would have been best!

 

[BackRoad]

So you're saying pallets have started moving from fields into backyards???

They're getting closer...