Where to weld bucket hooks?

[PACountryGuy]

I would like to have hooks welded to my front end loader bucket.

Advice needed:

1. Should I have one, two or three hooks on the bucket? It is maybe four feet wide.

2. Should the hooks just be big hooks, or should their opening be sized the width of the chain?

3. How should they be welded to the bucket? Directly to the bucket or with some sort of reinforcing

4. If the hooks are too far back the bucket, the chain could bend that curl of metal at the top of the bucket. How should I handle reinforcing the curl?

I want to use the chain for lifting logs for moving around, and other heavy stuff you cannot fit in the bucket but can lift with a chain.

Any directions, drawings of pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[ustmd]

Hiya and welcome,

What brand/model tractor and FEL do yo have?

 

[moored4]

I asked the same or similar question not long ago. Go to the search tab and Put in ' hooks, bucket, fel, front end loader or combination of the above' and you will find a wealth of information. The members :thumbsup: here are great help and source of information! Welcome to the group. Oh ! Look up my question, they posted a lot of pictures in responce to it.


?How do you hang it from your bucket?

 

[amaxwell]

I would suggest 2 hooks on a 4' bucket,directly in front of the loader arms.I used the weld on type that were listed on Ebay. Match the hook size to the chain size you are using. Most weld directly to the loader,many also weld angle iron to strenghten the bucket. I welded my hooks to a 3" by 1/2" metal bar and used a 2 1/2 " by 3/8" metal bar on the under side of the top of the bucket, and bolted them on at the ends and on both sides of the hooks. I used 3 hooks on my 6' bucket. I have seen many buckets bent and twisted that are not strenghtened. I am sure others will give you more ideas.

 

[Usta]

Depends on the size of the tractor and how much weight the bucket will lift.
A powerful loader can bend the top of the bucket with the chain but my little toy will stop lifting long before and bending of the bucket.

Here is a photo of my rig and I am happy with the one hook and where it is placed. Note that I only have a single bucket piston. If I had two pistons then I would want one above each piston.

 

[kennyd]

There is a guy who will be offering Bolt-On grab/chain hooks for sale soon if you don't want to weld.

Ideally they should be inline with the loader cylinders

 

[grsthegreat]

on my 6 foot bucket i welded 3, on my older 5 foot bucket i welded 2. the Kioti bucket has a nice place already set up for hooks. im not sure how yours is set up. you may or may not need an added plate, depends on what the bucket looks like. always size the hook to the chain. i use 3/8" logging chains, so have 3/8 opening hook.

 

[George2615]

Like amaxwell said, directly in front of the loader arms.
I also re-inforced the top of my bucket by welding on a 2" x 2" piece of 3/16" angle across the entire bucket then welded my grab hooks to that. The bucket metal itself isn't strong enough and needed the added metal thickness.

 

[grsthegreat]

Like amaxwell said, directly in front of the loader arms.
I also re-inforced the top of my bucket by welding on a 2" x 2" piece of 3/16" angle across the entire bucket then welded my grab hooks to that. The bucket metal itself isn't strong enough and needed the added metal thickness.

hmm, the top piece on my bucket was 3/16" thick. plenty thick. guess it depends on bucket.

 

[Dargo]

There is a guy who will be offering Bolt-On grab/chain hooks for sale soon if you don't want to weld.

Ideally they should be inline with the loader cylinders

A+ answer. The already welded, ready to bolt on, are a good option for someone who doesn't weld. Otherwise, as you said, weld them on in line with your lift arms. NEVER weld hooks on the outer edges of your bucket. There is an entire list of extremely important reasons why that is a very poor idea ranging from easily flipping your tractor to extremely easily bending your lift arms (which means you get to buy a new loader). Good luck!

 

[Dargo]

hmm, the top piece on my bucket was 3/16" thick. plenty thick. guess it depends on bucket.

You may want to re-measure. I relocated a set of hooks like yours (from the outer edges) after the guy twisted his loader. Anyway, your bucket is made of 1/4" mild steel with wear plates on the cutting edge and on the bottom sides. I'd immediately relocate your outer hooks and, if you plan on pulling or lifting much, possibly add a 1/4" plate under where the hooks should be in line with the loader arms.

 

[grsthegreat]

You may want to re-measure. I relocated a set of hooks like yours (from the outer edges) after the guy twisted his loader. Anyway, your bucket is made of 1/4" mild steel with wear plates on the cutting edge and on the bottom sides. I'd immediately relocate your outer hooks and, if you plan on pulling or lifting much, possibly add a 1/4" plate under where the hooks should be in line with the loader arms.

well, not sure why. i had similar hooks on my old tractor that had thinner metal. been using those for 14 years without an issue.. i guess i could always add a stiffener if needed

 

[moored4]

I have 3 hooks on all of my FEL's. 1 in the middle and 1 at each arm attachment point. What has not been said, and most of us who have run tractors for a while know this, is if I'm only using one chain to pick with I do it with THE CENTER HOOK ONLY. Picking with one chain from the side is asking for trouble. Bent bucket or arms, a tip, or worse a roll over. I only use the two outer hooks in tandem. If I'm picking a RR tie or log and I don't want it to swing 360 degress and into my grill and damage something I pick with 2 chains and allways keep it as low as possible. :tractor:

 

[grsthegreat]

I have 3 hooks on all of my FEL's. 1 in the middle and 1 at each arm attachment point. What has not been said, and most of us who have run tractors for a while know this, is if I'm only using one chain to pick with I do it with THE CENTER HOOK ONLY. Picking with one chain from the side is asking for trouble. Bent bucket or arms, a tip, or worse a roll over. I only use the two outer hooks in tandem. If I'm picking a RR tie or log and I don't want it to swing 360 degress and into my grill and damage something I pick with 2 chains and allways keep it as low as possible. :tractor:

yes, thats exactly what i do. i use the 2 outer hooks only when securing an object from swinging, or say tring a long object ....one on each side hook. the center one is the one used 95% of the time

 

[George2615]

hmm, the top piece on my bucket was 3/16" thick. plenty thick. guess it depends on bucket.

My bucket is made of 1/8" steel, that's why I added the 3/16" angle to weld my hooks to.

 

[Red Horse]

My two cents. One hook (of the same size as the chain you would normally use) welded to a re-enforcing plate-say 4" x 4" plate welded in the center.

Ever see a big machine with anything but one hook in the middle? You are always lifting with one chain-it might be attached to a sling that is balancing the load but as far as the loader goes, you are centering the load in the middle.

 

[MMH]

I just welded some to the bucket of my B9200. My bucket already had a smiley face on it so I started by welding a 3 x 3 x 1/4 angle on the top. The angle spanned from one sideplate to the other. I then welded a hook on each side as well as one in the middle. I'll post some pictures this weekend.

 

[rcrcomputing]

Well heck, here are mine weled to the same bracket that attaches to the loader arms.

 

[Thick82558]

I also used two hooks on outer edges but in the center I used a 2" receiver like that is on the back of your pick up. This way I can put a stinger in and use it to move trailer or boat with out getting out of the seat. You can also use the receiver with slings and the pin to put in the stinger. But what ever way you go put a piece of angle iron across the entire length of bucket I used a piece 3x3x1/2" thick. Once you have bent it's too late, so start right.
Do it right the first time.

 

[JRP]

Every person has an opinion, and theirs is always the most correct.

Of course mine is the most correct.


1. Three hooks are great. One in center, two to outside, and as stated earlier near the loader arms.

2. Use 3/8" hooks, which can also hold 1/4" or 5/16" chain. I use 1/4" grade 70 chain 98% of the time but the ability to use 3/8" chain is nice. Harbor freight sells a 2 pack of 3/8" grab hooks for 4 or 5 bucks. I cut off the chain/pin end with a portaband and weld the hook on. With a 70 HP tractor they have never bent.

3. A piece of 3/8" x 3" steel welded across the width of the bucket top makes a very robust strip to weld the hooks to.

4. You want to box in the curl with another strip of metal. The strip mentioned in #3 helps distribute the load.

Make gravity your friend, not enemy. Set the hook opening so gravity tries to pull the chain into the hook, not drop the chain out of the hook. The hooks on this bucket still hold the chain even when the bucket is level.

I don't recommend slip hooks at all.

And I just noticed the post is from 2007. Oh well, this might help someone else.