Need plans for bucket forks

[Ruark]

I have a lot of big, tangled piles of dead tree limbs on my place. The best way to pick these up would be with forks on my tractor's FEL. Not two prongs like you use for pallets, but 6 or 7 prongs. I could make one with my welder, if I can come up with a simple, cost-effective design. Any ideas, pictures? I could just weld some 2x2x1/4" tubing to a plate and bolt the plate to the FEL, but I'd kinda like to avoid drilling holes in my FEL. Maybe have some way of tightening it with a chain looping under the bucket and over to the top front edge.

 

[Just Bill]

Like maybe a grapple?
I wish I had a good set of plans for one of them too.

 

[Ruark]

A grapple would be nice, but I don't really need that much, and don't have the money or hydraulics for it. Just the forks. About 6 3-foot prongs would work.

 

[billhall]

Forks work great for this aplication and whats great about forks is that they can also be used as forks.....

 

[Tobias Dunlap]

I'm in the process of building a set of brush forks for my tractor. PM me and I'll send you my contact info.

 

[desertmike345]

I have only done this in my mind so far. If you could find a spare bucket, it could be made into anything you need with a plasma cutter or OA setup. Cut holes to make rock bucket, cut slots for a brush bucket, prongs, etc.

Mike

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Ruark,

There's a good chance you will tear your bucket up. I am not sure what size tractor you have, but if its a smaller one, the buckets are thin and will bend and fold quite easily with weight applied beyond the lip of the bucket,particularly with the style you describe.

 

[gwdixon]

Don't use pipe. It is much too soft and will bend. Heating and bending it back works for a while but eventually metal fatigue causes the pipe to fail.

The absolute best fork for the job is a gang of hay spears. I thought Ag Supply had the spear only but just searched and couldn't find it.

Anyway, four or five of those should do the job if you can find the replacement tines. It would not be cheap but they would last a lot longer than pipe or channel iron. (Below are photos of a channel iron set that I slapped together.)

Mark is correct about using a light weight bucket. If the load is too heavy the bucket distorts.

 

[gwdixon]

Forgot the best photo. Getting the better half to chip in!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Shield Arc]

gwdixon I really like your design!:thumbsup: I wish I would have gone with something like that when I built my brush forks, I just used what I had laying around. Now that I have the grapple I don't use it anymore.

 

[gwdixon]

gwdixon I really like your design!:thumbsup: I wish I would have gone with something like that when I built my brush forks, I just used what I had laying around. Now that I have the grapple I don't use it anymore.

Thanks. Another advantage is that two can be used as pallet forks. That is why the angles on the tips would seem to be counter-intuitive.

These are for a SCUT so are obviously lightweight compared to yours.

The tines on yours are more like what Ruark should consider. The individual hay spears are similar but seem to be made from a different grade of steel (like used for pallet forks) to resist bending. You professionals would know what it is.

A grapple is certainly the best way to go if you have front hydraulics and plenty of funding.

 

[rjmack]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/193825-easy-forks.html

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Don't use pipe. It is much too soft and will bend. Heating and bending it back works for a while but eventually metal fatigue causes the pipe to fail.

The absolute best fork for the job is a gang of hay spears. I thought Ag Supply had the spear only but just searched and couldn't find it.

Anyway, four or five of those should do the job if you can find the replacement tines. It would not be cheap but they would last a lot longer than pipe or channel iron. (Below are photos of a channel iron set that I slapped together.)

Mark is correct about using a light weight bucket. If the load is too heavy the bucket distorts.

You mean one of these? Agri Supply - Search

A gang of these would be safer than anything that could be made at a reasonable price.

 

[gwdixon]

You mean one of these? Agri Supply - Search

A gang of these would be safer than anything that could be made at a reasonable price.

Yeah, that is exactly what I was referring to. Must have put in the wrong search terms. Thanks.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Here is one of the better clamp on tooth bar builds I've seen on this site for a while...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/207867-homemade-clamp-toothbar.html

What the OP is describing is basically a toothbar with longer teeth. I'm sure this clamp on design could be modified to just about any kind of attachment including forks. I like this design because it requires no drilling or welding on the bucket, yet there are no bolt heads or screws sticking out.

 

[melanelly]

Just found this design while searching for another design for the frame another poster made from channel iron. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/193825-easy-forks.html

If anyone knows the post i'm looking for I would greatly appreciate the link. Have been looking for some time.:anyone: I might make one of these myself for brush.:licking:

Sorry Mack, blew right past your post. Still searching