Loader Where to put Hooks on M7060 bucket?

[Hozzie]

I had bolt on hooks on my MX5800 and was planning to do the same on my new M7060. The buckets are of a different design and I am having a hard time figuring out where best to place them.

There is a "boxed" in portion, but it seems fairly thin by my standards to bolt the hooks. I am just using them to lift things off of trailers, etc and not yanking anything so it won't really have shock loads, but still seems like it would be more prone to bending. It would also have to sit slight wider on the bucket to clear the loader arms when tilted back.

2nd place is on the back flat of the bucket, but it sits pretty deep comparatively and may make hooking chains more cumbersome. The lip of the bucket is probably center to slightly above center of the actual hook.

A couple of pictures of what I talking about are below. The hooks have backer plates that I will cut to make sure they can be used in either location so there will be support behind the hook in both cases.

Anyone have a place they wish they hadn't put them (seems like the most important question) or place that works well. I want them inline as much as possible with the loader frame hence the reason I will go inside of the "box" if I put them on the bucket flat.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

I like the angle iron directly in line with the bucket cylinders.

 

[Roadworthy]

You could try contacting Kenny at Bolt On Hooks directly for a bit of input. He may have some ideas.

 

[Hozzie]

Yeah, I looked at his. His seem to be a bit narrower and go on top. I will probably just modify the ones I have to fit there. Was just curious what anyone else had done.

 

[kennyd]

Yup, we have the smallest ones available, and all made in the USA

 

[5030]

You do realize that both buckets in the pictures are light duty material buckets and not heavy duty excavation buckets which Kubota offers as an option when buying a new tractor. You need to be very careful where you place the hooks on the light duty bucket or you'' bend the lip where you mount them. I have both with my M9's, light duty and heavy duty.

 

[Hozzie]

I’m fine with the bucket. I am not going to be beating the crap out of it using it as a bulldozer. They won’t be going on a lip anywhere.

 

[5030]

Good idea about placement. For some reason a lot of dealers fail to inform buyers that there are actually 2 bucket options available, the standard material bucket that 95% of new tractors come with and the heavy duty double bottom round back bucket that is an option. I happen to have both of them myself.

 

[Jaeger]

I'd go with Kenny's 3/8" WELD on hooks with that light bucket, put them out towards the end on top of the loader where its stronger. I've picked up huge rocks and logs with these on each end.

 

[Hozzie]

I bought some of his bolt on hooks that have the smaller base and will put them inline with the loader arms. Have been out of the country for a week so they should be there when I get back and can put them on.

 

[sixdogs]

Here's the thread on how I did my weld on hooks for an M7040. Maybe there's an idea here in that I used a backing plate.

Pictures how I touch up the paint after adding bucket hooks.

. Here's my way to touch up the paint after the grinding and addition of bucket hooks. These are on a Kubota and I had a shop weld them on for me. The welds look way better in person, without paint and no 5X magnification. Since I like a support plate welded to the bucket and then the hook...

www.tractorbynet.com

I have another M7040 and am going to use the Kenny's bolt on setup because I won't be lifting very heavy stuff. If I was going to lift heavy stuff or only had one tractor I would weld a plate on for support like I did and then add the hooks. You can always take the bucket to someone that can weld. It fit's in a pickup or small trailer.

 

[Hozzie]

I have welders and can do it, but I don't really want to do it right now being brand new and also not lifting too many really heavy loads. I can use forks or other things like my grapple that are heavier built to lift things if I need to.

 

[5030]

Not to demean Kenny at all but, I just went to the local ACE hardware and purchased some hooks with pins attached, ground them flat on the bottom side and attached them to my excavation bucket with my pulsed MIG., needle scaled them and gave them a coat of Kubby orange. I believe I paid 5 bucks each for them. Bought 3.

 

[kennyd]

Not to demean Kenny at all but, I just went to the local ACE hardware and purchased some hooks with pins attached, ground them flat on the bottom side and attached them to my excavation bucket with my pulsed MIG., needle scaled them and gave them a coat of Kubby orange. I believe I paid 5 bucks each for them. Bought 3.

But we sell Made in the USA ones for about the same price, ready to weld...and no grinding required.

 

[5030]

I realize that Kenny, which is why I commented 'not to demean you'. For me, it was a 5 minute trip to the local ACE hardware and I prefer supporting local business when possible anyway. Local businesses have to survive as well or they will be gone. I prefer dealing local versus online unless no local merchants have what I want, then we go to plan 'B'.

 

[ljjhouser]

Mine are mounted on top - Makes it easier to access from the front and stays hooked better until the load is picked up opposed to the back. Whether a light material or heavy bucket, the caution is loading within requirements of the entire loader. Mine are Kennys and are bolt on. Didn't want to get into repainting after welding.

 

[sixdogs]

I have welders and can do it, but I don't really want to do it right now being brand new and also not lifting too many really heavy loads. I can use forks or other things like my grapple that are heavier built to lift things if I need to.

If not comfortable, hire it out. Bucket fits in the back of a truck. If welded on the tractor, you MUST disconnect the battery or be very experienced and willing to pay if the wiring in blown up.

 

[Hozzie]

It's not an issue of not being able to weld, it simply an issue of I don't like grinding on new things and then painting over them when I don't see any reason to. I am a bit picky about my equipment.

 

[5030]

If not comfortable, hire it out. Bucket fits in the back of a truck. If welded on the tractor, you MUST disconnect the battery or be very experienced and willing to pay if the wiring in blown up.

That depends on a number of things like the percentage of electronics on board and more importantly. the location of the ground clamp (and how clean the grounding point is) in relationship to the weld (electrical discharge) it is. Stray currents are effectively mitigated when the grounding clamp is close to the weld process as physically possible. Myself, I'll always establish a clean (paint and corrosion free) grounding point as close to the weld as possible without physically interfering with the weld itself. Never disconnected a battery (if welding on a tractor or motor vehicle) and I've never had an issue with 'frying' any electronic component. Stray currents occur when the ground point is away from the weld or the ground point is corroded or is a high resistance point.

 

[5030]

It's not an issue of not being able to weld, it simply an issue of I don't like grinding on new things and then painting over them when I don't see any reason to. I am a bit picky about my equipment.

I'm **** about my equipment, always have been but I'm not adverse to welding or modifying something and then having to refinish that part. Get yourself a couple flap discs in progressively finer grades instead of 'grinding, use the flap wheels to clean the surface for prep and blend it prior to refinishing. I quit using abrasive wheels a while ago and went to flap discs for pre weld prep as much as possible.

20 year old ****.... You can warm your lunch on the motor and not have to wrap it...