What to use for a level indicator for forks?

[Richard]

Why not just smash the pallets and their cargo... now you can use the backhoe to scoop it up.

Instant excuse to buy a backhoe.

I'm sticking with the idea.

Otherwise, I'd go with the remote camera idea. I personally always have issues trying to get parallel to the ground. My machine (JCB) has a mark on the rod but that only suggests when I'm parallel to flat ground so it's only helpful part of the time.

(maybe you get the idea now of why I smash things and then use the backhoe to pick them up!)

 

[Sysop]

I致e never had a problem with my eyes. The fork tips are easily visible on both of my tractors.

+1 and to distinguish my old dirty forks with all the other old dirty stuff I lift, I used a blaze orange colored inverted marker spray paint to paint the tips of my forks. Just did about 4 to 6 inches at the tips. It made the visibility remarkably better. So good I raised the forks up and did the sides and bottoms of the tips as well so they're easy to see from all angles, not just looking from above.

 

[jmc]

Not sure what brand my forks are but, the SSQA design makes my forks level when my indicator shows level.

Still a pain if on uneven terrain. If I tip my forks up a bit I can see the ends. Soon as I level them they are gone...

I wonder if mercury switches on a moving tractor would slosh around for awhile until you could read them?

Oops. Meant to respond to Industrial Toys' Post!

 

[Bigpuddie]

I have a 7 inch monitor and 2 cameras: one on the loader arm and one facing backwards from the top of cab. Anyone considering this, always get the 4 pin wired versions, not wireless or RCA. Make sure you get the highest definition CCD camera. CMOS will not be as clear and will be shakey. I am very happy with the camera system

 

[JerryK]

I thought about installing a level indicator on my forks. But sometimes the pallet is not level. So you are better off just standing up and eyeballing the alignment....

 

[KWentling]

I have a 7 inch monitor and 2 cameras: one on the loader arm and one facing backwards from the top of cab. Anyone considering this, always get the 4 pin wired versions, not wireless or RCA. Make sure you get the highest definition CCD camera. CMOS will not be as clear and will be shakey. I am very happy with the camera system

That's what I have done too, except I have the front camera on the grill guard and the rear on the lower rear window sill. I have only used the tractor once since the install and only the front camera to change from bucket to pallet forks and it worked great for the reconnect to the pallet forks and for seeing the end of the forks too. This is on a Kubota M7060 cab tractor. The cameras are mounted on magnets, so easy to move.

 

[TractorGuy]

Any low cost back up camera system would be the most cost effective IMO.
As suggested U could mount the camera on a magnet base.
With a camera system you would be able to work on all sort of uneven ground situations.

Many of the back up systems can take 2 camera inputs and the ones I am familiar with have options for front/back and flipping of image.
Also wireless or wired options exist but always the camera wants DC power.

One downside is the wireing is of such a small gauge that U need some sort of protection for a tractor environment.

I am using a $50 ish offshore system for slightly over 3 years now with no problems, mainly for snow blowing duties.
I used magnets for my mounting and placed the viewer low center of my windshield.
If not urgent EBay and AliBabba are good sources.

How do you power the camera?

 

[DieselBound]

How do you power the camera?

There are TWO cables, one for the video feed and one for power. Power is provided through the video display unit (which one has to wire to the appropriate power source). Pretty easy peazy, just threading wires and such is the more difficult part. Most cameras will require you to add cable extensions, so look to purchase whatever extra length is needed: usually the extensions aren't going to be exposed to trouble, only the camera and it's pig tails- to replace a bad or missing camera you just have to plug the replacement into the existing extension cables (ones you installed); so, really only need to do this once.

If I were to wire up a camera now I'd look to provide some video and power cable [dis]connections near the monitor such that if the monitor crapped it would be easy to swap it out (the low-cost ones are really inexpensive).

 

[TractorGuy]

There are TWO cables, one for the video feed and one for power. Power is provided through the video display unit (which one has to wire to the appropriate power source). Pretty easy peazy, just threading wires and such is the more difficult part. Most cameras will require you to add cable extensions, so look to purchase whatever extra length is needed: usually the extensions aren't going to be exposed to trouble, only the camera and it's pig tails- to replace a bad or missing camera you just have to plug the replacement into the existing extension cables (ones you installed); so, really only need to do this once.

If I were to wire up a camera now I'd look to provide some video and power cable [dis]connections near the monitor such that if the monitor crapped it would be easy to swap it out (the low-cost ones are really inexpensive).

I thought he was saying he had one of the so called wireless units. I see now I was mistaken.

I was wondering how people suggesting the wireless units were thinking of powering the camera. I suppose most of them get power from a backup light on a vehicle and just send the video feed wirelessly.

 

[DieselBound]

I thought he was saying he had one of the so called wireless units. I see now I was mistaken.

I was wondering how people suggesting the wireless units were thinking of powering the camera. I suppose most of them get power from a backup light on a vehicle and just send the video feed wirelessly.

Yeah, somewhere along the line one has to use a wire (power, and likely ground), which kind of defeats the notion of avoiding issues of snagging wires (which I'm quite familiar with). I tend to think that a wire is essential for a reliable video feed.