Adding hooks to FEL bucket

[Superduper]

One of my reasons to justify the purchase of my tractor to my significant other was that it would allow us to take the load off our backs when moving heavy things around our lot. So a few weeks ago, we decided to let the tractor earn it's cost by lifting a heavy table tile/slab saw off my truck bed, and move it to the back of the shop. Only I didn't count on how difficult that would be to find a suitable location to attach straps. What I needed were hooks on the bucket like I've seen on other tractors. A rather simple task to take an inexpensive grab hook, cut off the eye end, and weld onto bucket. Problem is I don't have a welder. So, after some searching, I find these hooks on ebay. If you do a search for "chain hook deere" you should find a few of these for sale. They are not cheap but the seller took the time to fabricate the hooks for something like $17. With shipping, they are something like $25 a piece. I spoke with the seller and he agreed to sell me 4, with shipping for around $50 -- That comes to around $12.50 each delivered, which I felt was reasonable for the cost and work required to fabricate them. As arrived, they come with holes already pre-drilled, hook welded onto 1/4" thick plates and accompanying 1/4" thick backing plate, and they come primered.

I chose to use the 3/8" size hooks not because of any calculation for capacity, but from my experience as a previous tow truck owner, using good quality chains of 3/8" size would be more than sufficient to handle anything I would want to carry within the limitations of my loader and tractor capacities. Since I was installing 4 hooks, the load can always be distributed to the other hooks as well. The holes were drilled to 3/4" size but I used 5/8" bolts, grade 8, which I felt was more than sufficient. If anything, the bucket would bend before there was any danger of the hooks or bolts shearing. I also considered the option of using "D" rings but I felt that the grab style was much more useful permitting easy length adjustment without slipping. Although these hooks are bolted rather than welded, this may actually be a good thing since the setup includes a backing plate that distributes the stress over a greater portion of the bucket sheetmetal. If the hook were merely just welded onto the thin bucket shell, there is good chance that it would bend upon heavy load. The images are of the hooks, as arrived, The hooks being painted green front and back, and the paint off the deere dealer shelf for $6.

Now, as with any modification, the purpose has to be considered. I have absolutely no intention of doing any pulling, yanking, or any such thing. Rather, they are simply intended to carefully lift (300-400lb max) equipment around and move from point A to point B. Also for unloading things off my pickup bed. Obviously, this is not a construction duty bucket, but for the purposes that I've had in mind, I think that they will work fine.

 

[Superduper]

So the hooks were painted and placed on the desired locations of the tractor. The holes were marked with permanent marker and drilled using successively larger drill bits. The 11/16" bit to accommodate the 5/8" bolts was expensive but easily did it's job with plenty of life left to spare. I did break one of the smaller bits that was used as pilot bit but I guess that is part of the cost of the "upgrade." The holes were drilled using a 1HP sears 1/2" drill that spins slow but with great torque -- great for this type of drilling. Fast drills can cause excessive heat which dulls the bit and burns the work. But hold on because if the drill catches unexpectedly, you can easily hurt your wrist or worse. First hole was drilled using transmission fluid as lubricant, but subsequent holes did not. Since I was going to paint the holes prior to bolting on the hooks, I did not want to contaminate the surface with oil, which might make it difficult for the paint to adhere. I did not notice any significant difference between with or without lubricant.

 

[Superduper]

Here are images of the hooks installed and completed. One hook on each edge of the bucket, and a pair of hooks in the middle. The pair in the middle is due to my expectation of doing most lifting from the middle location and to distribute the weight to two hooks if needed for heavier items. The side hooks are for lifting wide or larger items. All I can say is for about $100 (the bolts, nuts, washers were suprisingly expensive), it was well worth it. I've used them regularly with no problems whatsoever and my life, as far as rigging/hoisting equipment around, is now a breeze. The hook locations was initially a guess as to where I would want them during use. In retrospect, I wouldn't do it any other way. BTW, the hooks and backing plates thus far has caused zero distortion in the bucket. The center hooks get almost all of the use. The hooks on the side are never used alone, and always paired with the hook on the other end to "balance" the weight. I imagine that trying to lift significant weight off the edge of the bucket on one side alone will cause problems ranging from tweaking loader to making opposite rear tire to want to come off ground. Again, as with any modification, the purpose has to be considered. I have absolutely no intention of doing any stump pulling, yanking down houses, or heavy work. Rather, they are simply intended to carefully lift (300-400lb max) equipment around and move from point A to point B. Also for unloading things off my pickup bed.

 

[Thomas]

Morning SD.
Fine looking job.
I've seen some hooks install where the owners take least 3/8" flat bar steel and attach w/the same bolts from the hooks inside the bucket to make it even stronger...also weld the ends of the flat bar steel to side of the bucket.

 

[Superduper]

Based upon what I wanted to do with the hooks, I felt that the current install method was sufficient. The dealer was just going to weld the hooks directly onto the bucket anyway. But at delivery, nothing was done. There appears to be a significant difference between construction duty equipment and agricultural duty equipment. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Making a bulletproof hook and bucket lift plate on a non-construction duty tractor will probably cause the weak link to manifest in a much more expensive to repair area.

 

[3RRL]

Very nice job Superduper.
Those hooks sure look heavy duty enough to me. I like the spread you gave the outer ones and also putting two like that to wards the center. I don't think the dealer would have done any cleaner work than you did.

 

[barticus73]

Just a word of caution with the use of the middle hooks. If you lift too much weight with only the center hooks it will buckle the bucket in. Take a look at a lot of old farm tractors with loaders and many of them put the hooks in the middle. You will also see the buckets bent there pretty bad. I have hooks on mine but they are on the outside and I try to use them both when lifting to distribute the weight evenly across the bucket.

 

[Superduper]

Thanks barticus73. Makes sense, I will watch the amount of weight lifted. Since I have 4 hooks, spreading the load around should not be too hard to do. With real heavy stuff, it's easy to drape two small chain loops down from the 4 hooks (imagine bottom shape of bra). From there, two more hooks from the loops to the load will distribute the weight over all 4 hooks.

 

[Casco1]

This is my setup. I've used it for many jobs and its worked well.

 

[3RRL]

Casco,
I mounted my backhoe hooks similar to yours. But I found out I had to "uncurl" the bucket sometimes to take up the slack. Then it would lose power being all the way at the end of the boom like that. I think I'm going to cut mine off and weld back on facing the other way or just weld another set on. So when I curl the bucket the chain is draped over the bucket lip/teeth. When I curl, it will take up the slack and also move the lift point closer in wards for more lifting power.