What else do you do with forks besides lift pallets?

frj777 · Aug 9, 2021

Kubota, L3130 with woods Pallet forks. 800# ballets box plus 300# wheel weights….LOOK at front tires. This is a HEAVY LOG. LOVE THE FORKS. GET 48 INCHERS.

Regards, Fred

PS. My son is on tractor. My beard is gray.

sixdogs · Aug 9, 2021

frj777 said:
View attachment 709031Kubota, L3130 with woods Pallet forks. 800# ballets box plus 300# wheel weights….LOOK at front tires. This is a HEAVY LOG. LOVE THE FORKS. GET 48 INCHERS.

Regards, Fred

PS. My son is on tractor. My beard is gray.

I'm the OP and the forks tuned out to be 48" and not the 42" originally mentioned. I use the forks all the time now and only rarely lift a pallet.

ROUSTABOUT · Aug 9, 2021

sixdogs said:
Is it worth it to buy a set of skid steer forks that I might be able to get on the cheap? They will fit the skid steer loader adaptor I had built for my Deere 5520--85 hp-- . The forks are the HD version and I think either 3000# or more and 48" long.

Problem is, I only lift a few pallets a year and after that am stumped for it's usefulness. I think I could move big rocks or other things but never paid attention to forks that much. The forks will QT fit my skid steer attachment, are new and I think I can pay $300. Seem like that's worth it? What else do you guys do with forks besides li

sixdogs said:
Is it worth it to buy a set of skid steer forks that I might be able to get on the cheap? They will fit the skid steer loader adaptor I had built for my Deere 5520--85 hp-- . The forks are the HD version and I think either 3000# or more and 48" long.

Problem is, I only lift a few pallets a year and after that am stumped for it's usefulness. I think I could move big rocks or other things but never paid attention to forks that much. The forks will QT fit my skid steer attachment, are new and I think I can pay $300. Seem like that's worth it? What else do you guys do with forks besides lift pallets?

Forks are on our tractor year round and we dont have any pallets. Pick up two round bales at once though. Sit freshly baled hay in clumps so will be easier to load with skid steer. I have dug multiplied thousands of trees with them. Moved lots of implements with them. Easier to move things hanging from chains. We have a basket we fork and use to get on our feed silos. Use the same basket decking and roofing houses. Yep the forks is most always on the tractor. Really I'd have to hunt for the bucket because I dont know where it is. And you may not have a back hoe but you can have a loose hole in a jiffy with them forks next to each other. We load logs...

civilian · Aug 9, 2021

Kschwennsen said:
I have the John Deere style quick attach on the FEL which I actually like better than the skid steer attach (less moving parts)

They are standard forks (50" +/-) built the mask myself.

I was thinking just some bent straps along the top supports of the plane but I could just use wide rectangular tubing and weld it along the horizontal supports. I figured a chain with binder would hold the plane onto the forks for back dragging.

I would also price out a channel wide enough to fit your forks. It maybe be cheaper than the rectangular tubing. Jon

Kschwennsen · Aug 10, 2021

civilian said:
I would also price out a channel wide enough to fit your forks. It maybe be cheaper than the rectangular tubing. Jon

I thought about channel but it would be good to get some more weld contact.

sixdogs · Aug 10, 2021

There are two things I plan to do with forks that I have not done yet.

One is to make my own extended forks that go out maybe eight feet and will hold brush I cut deep in a shelter belt and have to haul out. The weight isn't much but they are bulky and I know this would hold a lot of brush. I could make these out of scrap metal or I even think 2x4's on edge would be sufficient for the lighter weight.

Second is kind of foolish but I do not have a way to roll up my 600 ft of garden hose every fall for storage. It winds up being a spaghetti mess of hose that I trip over till spring. One year my forks were almost together and I wound up a 100' hose length on them and tied it into a near and practical package. It took 1/4 of the space and stayed trip free over the winter.

Kschwennsen · Aug 10, 2021

I pull stumps, dig trenches, move boulders, debris and my ballast weight with my forks. I put a receiver tube on the mask too so I can hook up trailers as well.

My forks spend more time with the dirt than any pallets.

Xfaxman · Aug 10, 2021

Move a 4'x5' rubber stall mat from the dog pen:

To the stack at the horse barn:

Frankenkubota · Aug 11, 2021

sixdogs said:
There are two things I plan to do with forks that I have not done yet.

One is to make my own extended forks that go out maybe eight feet and will hold brush I cut deep in a shelter belt and have to haul out. The weight isn't much but they are bulky and I know this would hold a lot of brush. I could make these out of scrap metal or I even think 2x4's on edge would be sufficient for the lighter weight.

Second is kind of foolish but I do not have a way to roll up my 600 ft of garden hose every fall for storage. It winds up being a spaghetti mess of hose that I trip over till spring. One year my forks were almost together and I wound up a 100' hose length on them and tied it into a near and practical package. It took 1/4 of the space and stayed trip free over the winter.

hoses and extension cords, always in the way.