Forks 3-pt. carryall v. pallet forks

[Wheeldog]

Well I happened upon some great ballast for the 3-pt. hitch on my tractor and now I'm trying to figure out the best way to carry it. We pulled up some old concrete steps that were in front of our shed in order to do some planting and put in something better looking - there are three pieces, each about 3' x 3' x 6", which I estimate to weigh about 450 lb. each. I would like to build a wood platform that will hold one of the steps, and I had thought about building it with skids so that I could get under it and pick it up with some type of forks. I also have some plans for an old garden cart I have - I'd like to pull the body off the frame and mount that to a similar wood platform that could be picked up with the forks (stole that idea from somebody on TBN, sorry I forgot who).

I've seen some carryalls that go on the 3ph and have holes for mounting plywood or planks, but I would rather not mount anything permanently. Are the typical carryalls too wimbly to be used just as forks (do they need the plywood or planks tying them together), and should I just go with the pallet mover instead? The 3ph on my tractor is spec'd to lift 1655 lb at the pins and 1300 lb at 24" behind the pins. The KingKutter carryall and pallet mover are rated at 1000 lb and 2000 lb.

Has anyone priced a carryall or pallet forks lately?

Rob

 

[DennisY]

I bought one at an area dealer for about $90. TSP or some similar place had the same thing for about $50 but the shipping was going to be about $90.

 

[rmorgan]

Rob--

I use a carryall for a bunch of stuff it's probably not meant for, like strapping up big rocks or chaining up big logs and pulling them around, and in two years the one I have (Tractor Supply, about $79) has got bent up some on one fork and on the hitch ear, but usually or maybe always from having weight distributed unevenly or getting just one prong under something and trying to lift it. It is certainly up to the task of putting one of your steps on it across a board or sheet as long as the weight is all the way forward and evenly distributed side to side, and if you're using it for ballast you can strap it in place to keep the weight from shifting on the angle iron and torquing it. I've used the carryall to move pieces of concrete about the same size without a problem. I think pallet forks are more like $450 and are much heavier--the carryall is easy to hitch up and can be moved by hand.

--Rick

 

[patrickg]

I just put on my new KUBOTA brand pallet forks earlier this week and have used them 5-6 times already. The dealer quoted a bit over $1000 but when they came in he charged me a bit under $1000. They are rated for a max load of 1300 lbs (L4610). Came in three pieces: 1. one fork, 2. the other fork, 3. the vertical back up assembly with the quick connect like loader has. It was a chore just picking up one of the forks. No way could anyone I know pick up the unit when all three pieces are assembled together for use. I tried to unload a new cattleguard off my trailer. No joy, sucker must weigh near a ton. Neighbor brought his 30 HP '40's vintage gas powered Massey Furgeson with homebrew palet forks over and helped me. One on each side and away it went. I then unloaded 32 8 ft long RR ties with it. Could safely handle about 10 at a time. Came in bundles of 16. Tried to pick up a bundle. Could have maybe done it with more counterweight in rear. 6ft boxblade wasn't heavy enough, nearly stood the spunky lil tractor in its nose.

Patrick

 

[Harv]

Wheeldog -

My information tells me that cured concrete typically weighs in at about 150 lbs per cubic foot, so:

3 x 3 x .5 = 4.5 cu ft x 150 = 675 lbs.

That oughta hold you down real good. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Blu21]

Rob,I bought a homemade 3point carryall from a local guy who had built a few of them. It is based on the standard model but is built out of 3" angle heavily cross braced with pressure treated 2x6 for the platform, added feature is a low or high platform height and cost was around $90. I am heading in your neck of the woods in august (morris,ct.), if your interested I could see if he has built any more and post a pic. Tom

 

[Wheeldog]

Thanks to everyone for the responses. I think I will probably go with the carryall, but I'm going to go to a place that sells King Kutter and hopefully look at them side-by-side. The KK pallet mover is just the same idea as the carryall but with square tubing for a higher load rating, so I can't imagine it could be any more than $200, but who knows.

Harv - I was using the same density for concrete as you, but I think the blocks are more like 4-5" thick - it is hard to tell because the surface is all uneven. I don't think the ol' bathroom scale will handle the weight/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif so I'll just have to call it 450 - 700 lb.

Blu21 - It would be great if I could at least see a picture of that carryall that you have - seems like there are some good ideas there. Sounds like you are visiting your brother (?) in August.

Rob

 

[Anonymous Poster]

King Kutter's Carry-All is a versatile tool with hundreds of uses. The frame is made of heavy duty angle iron with pre-punched holes which readily accept plywood or plank limber to create a working platform. With a lift capacity of 1,000 lbs., it makes a great tool to carry feed, rocks, wood, and fencing supplies, plus much, much more.
Available @ Quality Farm & Family – Everyday Price $69.

 

[Wheeldog]

Thanks, John. We don't have any of the Quality Farm & Family Stores around here, but there is a store not far into MA from where I live that carries the King Kutter products. I'll check them out.

Rob

 

[jyoutz]

If you can weld, do what I did. I bought some 2" tubular steel and welded up a pallet mover just like the one shown on the King Kutter website. Oops, did I commit patent theft? The 2" tube steel is a lot stronger than the angle iron. I've also come up with the bright idea of ordering the John Deere loader bucket quick disconnect hardware brackets. Then I'm going to weld the brackets to my pallet mover so that I can use it on my loader frame like a forklift.

 

[Leef]

Patrick,

I am considering buying the kubota 36" pallet forks for my b2910 with quick attach loader mechanism. Now that you've had these forks for a while, what kind of uses are you finding? Are they worth the money? BTW what length forks did you buy? I've conjured up many uses but your practical experience may be more useful.

Leef

 

[kcbarnes]

I just bought a TC40D and got the bobcat style hookup with a 6' bucket and a set of 42" forks and I love them

 

[patrickg]

Leef, Damn man, I'm really sorry for delayed response, I must have forgot to hit the checkbox that notifies you when you receive a reply.

I am truly loving my Kubota palet forks. Really slick. It took a bit to get used to them but not too hard to learn (guess I'm still learning.) Anyway, I moved a stack of RR ties neat as could be. Moved my cement-mixer-still-in-crate-on-palet-I'll -get-to-it-real-soon-now inside for safe keeping while out of state and back outside to not be in way on return. Used it to help unload three cattle guards. Too heavy for my lil Kubby. Sticker says 1300 lbs max on forks and the cattle guards run about 2000lbs each. A friend brought an old gas tractor with homemade forks with leaking cylinders over and helped unload the cattle guards. Easy as pie with just a little help. He on one side and me on the other lift it up, hop off tractor, drive truck and trailer out of way, run back to tractor, meanwhile he is feathering hydraullic controls due to leaky piston or valve (doesn't leak out just around, losing pressure not fluid).

I can pick up 200 6' T posts in a bundle and move then around but need counterweight on back to avoid standing Kubby on its nose (HD brush hog does the trick but is in the way for close in manuevering). I unloaded my 300 gal o'head diesel tank from trailer with forks, just barely, couldn't have reached a whole lot higher. (see attachment)

They are so handy. I almost didn't get them, thought they cost too much for what little use I would get out of them. Boy was that an understatement (translate DUMB DUMB DUMB IDEA). Little use my a--, I don't know how I could get along without them. No way can you jury rig the FEL bucket to SAFELY do anywhere near what you can do with palet forks and the 3ph picker upper platform thingy has a lot of uses I'm sure, but replacing palet forks with quick connects for the FEL sure as he-- isn't one of them.

All this and I haven't even used them for what I originally bought them for, but I will, I will, soon. I haven't figured out what to do with the ability to point the tips of the forks straight down or even past vertical back at you a little, a freebie of the FEL's freedom of motion.

I'm still developing a feel for the depth perception thing. Visibility isn't as good in some positions as I would like but I can just stop, set the brakes, and get out and look. A knowledgeable helper to be your eyes and give hand signals makes the tough jobs a lot easier. No helper, just get out and look. Could use mirrors or CCTV I suppose.

I have had a back tire in the air 3-4 times. Not comfortable with that! Gota get/make a 3ph counter weight. A thousand pounds would do a good job. Simple forms, some steel, a little concrete, maybe some scrap iron and voila a 3ph mounting counter weight. I go real slow with load as low as possible when it is heavy. 200 T posts nearly turned me over. Luckily I have good reflexes for a senior citizen (over 55). Dropped the forks to ground as rear tire was climbing into the air, stopped the incipient roll over and recovered nicely but don't like that sort of thing. Can't back up hardly any grade at all with a load on the forks without shifting into 4wd, rear wheel diff lock isn't good enough, need 4wd.

It is dead simple to QUICKLY switch back and forth between bucket and forks. Only get out of tractor to R&R the big pins that lock the atachments onto the FEL assy. Wish 3ph implements were anywhere near that easy.

Well, that is what comes to mind without having to think on it. Any questions, feel free to ask. Again, I'm real sorry for delay. Lessee now, is it better late than never or never than late?

Patrick