tractor Forks help

[Dale1995]

I bought a JD 2320 this summer with a 200cx loader, and am now also wishing that a set of forks for this machine might come in handy for odd jobs around the house, my dilemma is that I don't know if I should go with 36" forks or 42" ones. I am going to buy the fork tines new on line from some dealer, (any suggestions) My John deere dealer wants about $850 dollars for a complete set up that will be a quick change with my loader bucket. I figure that I can build it for a lot cheaper and exactly what I am looking for. Since I am a Shop teacher and teach welding....I have the place to build this this winter. I only want to be able to pick up pallets with fire wood, or wood pellets. I am also thinking of build a new building to house my tractor and all it attachement and the forks would come in handy for lifting materials when I am building. I realize that the capacity of the loader is around 1000 pounds, therefore I don't need huge fork tines. I want to keep the fork assembly as light as possible so I can lift more things. Any ideals suggestions or pictures would be greatly appreciated.....I live in Caribou Maine and We just got 6" of snow this morning.....!!!

 

[kennyd]

I built mine from 2x3 box and some 1" round bar. I got the forks(42") from a local forklift company for $100, they where "out of spec" for forklift use. The hooks and pins for the JD QA system are available from JDParts for about $35.00.

 

[JB4310]

I would go for the longer ones as they come in handy for bulky stuff like brush handleing etc. or larger but lighter pallets.
Kenny did a great job on his, those one piece forks would be the perfect size to start with for a custom build.
I think I paid around a $1,000. for mine from the dealer, I have the 300 loader.
JB.

 

[kernal]

I got a set of Frontier forks for my 2320. Dealer only had he 48" forks in stock so that's what I got. I am not sure how much lighter the shorter forks are but the longer forks have come in very handy.

 

[Gizmo2]

Go with the 42"

 

[Sherweld]

Another vote for 42", it makes handling 4' pallets a bit more stable.

Also here's mine, where I built my own forks as well as the frame. They seem to do just fine in the load range you are in.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/128844-quick-attach-pallet-forks.html

Sherweld

 

[Mighty Dodge]

Go with the 42's. I built mine. Got the frame with the forks at an equipment auction for $85. Got the hooks and pins from jd. They stay on the tractor all the time unless I specifically need the bucket.

M.D.

 

[Dale1995]

Well I broke down and did buy the 42" forks like you guys all suggested, I got them at budgetforklifts.com and they only cost me a little over $200 including shipping, the guy even threw in the shaft that will go through the eye of the fork (this is made of 4140 steel) the capacity of the forks it 900 lbs, the capacity of my loader is 899 lbs so I figured that would be perfect.....no use over engineering this.....it will only add excess weight. You guys say that I can get the hooks and pins to build this from my local John deere dealer, does anyone have the part number to make things easier? Thanks for all your help, keep those opinions and ideals coming!

 

[kennyd]

Here are the numbers, looks like the price went up A LOT though since I last bought mine!


W43359 HOOK, BUCKET ADD 20.25 USD
W47211 PIN, BUCKET ADD 24.30 USD



The pins are easy to make though if you have some 1" round bar.

 

[Trucker1]

I vote for the 42" forks too. Better to have too much than not enough.

Kenny, I paid nearly $55 for two QA hooks, and two pins a couple months ago.

 

[DanD78]

For the bottom pins I used catagory #2, 3 point pins that have the threaded stud. The shank is about 2 1/2" long is already tapered on the end and is drilled for a snap pin. I drilled a 1 1/8 hole and welded it in from the back side of the mounting plate then cut off what was left over. These were about $3.00 each at Farm & Fleet. I wish I had looked for the top hooks in parts instead of forming my own.

 

[Rowdius]

I just built a set of bucket forks for my Kioti CK35. I think my next project after my brush rake will be a regular set of forks.

After a trip to the scrap yard I came home with 300lbs of rectangle and square tubing, some flat stock, some channel and a long piece of 1 1/2 steel rod. Scrap prices are down, (25 cents per lb) so I paid $80 for everything.

My forks probably weigh about 200lbs, which is a little more than I had planned on, but this also includes where I reinforced the bucket. The tines are 2x3 tube, 1/4" wall. The verticals that attach to the tines are 2x4 tube, 3/16 or 1/4 wall (I cannot remember at the moment.) These attach to the steel rod, and that attaches to the reciever hitches mounted on my bucket.
I hadn't planned on using so much 1/4 inch metal, but I found two pieces that were perfect in size.

I still have enough metal to almost finish the brush rake, so the real price for just the forks would be about $60, including the reciever tubes i bought for the bucket. Took about four hours to build.

My camera is busted right now, but I'm hoping to get photos soon.

 

[pat32rf]

I went the other route when I built mine. Made a bottom frame out of 5" channel, back to back with 3" uprights. Drilled holes in top and bottom of channel every 6" then made forks out of truck axles, mounted on short pieces of 5" channel. Welded plates on top and bottom of fork channel with holes that line up with base frame so I can drop 6" pins thru. Not infinitely adjustable but does for me to move logs and skids.
Oh, and I have a coupla pieces of square steel tubing (1/4"wall) that fit over the axle shafts when I need longer forks, like carrying the aluminum boat or lifting the raft out for the winter. I also can pick up the skidoos from the rear to store them. For lighter jobs I slip pieces of 2.5" steel thinwall pipe over the forks.
I have also made a "log holder" that fits the same frame with which I can lift a small (8-12") log from one end and hold it off the ground while its cut into lengths for the wood splitter. I also use this when building sidehill trails in the bush as I can place logs out in front of the tractor instead of pulling them into place with a rope and pulley accross a low spot.

 

[mentat30]

My cousin made me a set for my 3pt. They are 36" long. They work perfect. The problem with really long forks is they stick out on the other side of the pallet. So if you forget...been there done that and go to place the pallet next to a wall or something you could end up jamming the forks through the wall. For most things the shorter forks work great. You could always add fork extensions if you need them to be longer. Just remember the farther away from your tractors lift point the less lift you have. For example if your tractor is rated at 1000lb lift normally with the bucket or 3pt. If you move that same load just 12 inches farther away from your lift point your lift capacity will drop 30% to 40%. There are other factors to consider in calculating lift capacity, but the farther away from the lift point the less capacity. Shorter forks keep the weight of the load closer to the lift point.

 

[6sunset6]

I have 42 " forks. I am short and I cannot see the ends of the forks. If I stand up the engine shuts off (new tractor). I handle firewood on pallets.
I build the pallets out of PT and use the same design that is used for patio stones.Double the outboard spacers and slid the sides between them. Raining out and I have to report for jury duty or I would get a picture.
I make the pallets 4 x 4 x 4 good use of 8' lumber no waste but saw dust.
I find that depending on the type of wood I can lift the pallet or not. But after a year of drying I can lift everything. If I cannot lift it I just take some off. I have a QA on my FEL. I have been thinking of a QA on my 3 point , I can probably lift 2x the front. For moving full pallets around on the ground it might work a little better.

 

[tmc2318]

For your size tractor I would go with 36" . I bought my forks for my Kubota 3540 that are 36" and they are fine for pallets etc. Better than 42" because they are lighter and with longer forks it is harder to turn and make sure you don't hit anything with the forks way out in front. For a larger tractor..ya... 48"

 

[F.L. Jennings]

I picked up a set of fork truck forks at a metals salvage company for 12 cents a lb. and built them as a quick detach for the FEL bucket.they are about 1 3/4" thick with approx.40" extensions with tapered ends.

 

[wowbw7]

the 42's are your best bet. standard pallets (we called 'em 'general mills' pallets) measure 40x48. the 3 stringers on must are cut to accept tines from the side, giving you the option to grab the pallet from any direction.

 

[WilliamBos]

Here is what we built.

 

[Rowdius]

Here is what we built.

Good looking stuff... Is that 1/2 inch plate? How much do they weight?