Bolt on hooks

/ Bolt on hooks #1  

tradosaurus

Super Member
Joined
May 8, 2017
Messages
6,011
Location
Texarkana, TX
Tractor
Kubota MX5400 HST, heavy duty bucket, 3rd function, R1 tires (rears filled), 2 remotes
I recently installed two bolt on hooks from Kens bolt on grab hooks

The hook were high quality.

Two things to remember:
1) Drilling 4 holes took nearly 1 1/2 hrs. I'm sure this was due to going through 2 plates of metal on the bucket. My wife and I took turns. I used an electric drill and a Cobalt High-Speed Steel Drill Bit (1/2" x 6"L).
2) Going slow speed on the drill allowed for a better bite on the bit and straighter hole. The last hole I used highest speed and the hole ended up wallowed and not straight.
3) The placement of the hooks made if difficult to get one of the nuts and washers on the bolt. Needed my wifes small hands to reach behind the compartment.

I still need to put two bolt on shackles on the bucket will wait for next week and a new bit.

kubota_bolt_on_hook_C.jpg

kubota_bolt_on_hook_A.jpg

kubota_bolt_on_hook_B.jpg
 
/ Bolt on hooks #2  
Ken makes quality stuff. My BIL bought a few from him and they are very nice. Next time, drill pilot holes about 1/3 the size of your finished hole size. It'll go a lot easier.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #3  
Trying to drill a "large" hole in a single operation is like trying to pull a whale into a dingy, almost impossible...

Center punch where you want hole..
Drill a 1/8 inch pilot hole.
Drill it out larger maybe 5/16 inch hole.
Drill it larger with your 9/16 for needed "clearance".

A large drill bit has a flat across tip and it prevent cutting flutes from removing materials....

Note in graphic and look at your large drill bits to see what problem is.....Also if you have dulled the bit it's alos going to make it miserable....

Its also common machine shop (tool) procedure to start with small pilot hole and step up two or three size in sequence to final size....

Dale
 

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/ Bolt on hooks #4  
That bucket looks like mine and that top plate is the thickest steel on the whole bucket. That said:

Check your old cobalt drill for chipping on the point's cutting edges. Cobalt drills are harder, but more brittle than high speed steel drills so they chip more if the setup isn't rigid, like in hand held drilling.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #5  
Many drills and saws have 2 speeds- slow for metal and fast for wood- also use a quality cutting oil, tap magic is awesome, if will cut your time by 3/4 and save your drill bits
 
/ Bolt on hooks #6  
I have a set of Dewalt step bits driven by my 18V Makita impact that chewed 4 holes through my bucket in about 2 minutes to install Kens hooks..
 

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/ Bolt on hooks #7  
Check your old cobalt drill for chipping on the point's cutting edges. Cobalt drills are harder, but more brittle than high speed steel drills so they chip more if the setup isn't rigid, like in hand held drilling.
That is a little known pearl of wisdom. Despite best efforts while using hand held drills, bits will easily drill 4 times as many holes when used in a drill press. My first press was a contraption that a hand held drill was clamped into. After buying a liitle press,I altered the contraption so it can be clamped onto large assemblies. It's not near sturdy as a press but it's better than hand held. To extend life of bits regardless how used for steel,dunk tip in lite oil(I use transmission fluid) before it over-heat's.
 
/ Bolt on hooks
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I also tried Titanium High Speed Steel bit and it was worthless.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #9  
Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 6.41.50 PM.png

As a thought after years in manufacturing as a manufacturing engineering manager, a little coolant really helps.

Tap Magic can be ordered from Walmart of all places. It will make the drilling process quicker with better drill bit life.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #10  
I also tried Titanium High Speed Steel bit and it was worthless.


Probably because it was a fly-by-night manufacturer letting their marketing people conflate a titanium nitride coating with a titanium alloy, which has some marketing sizzle for some. Make sure you buy a reputable brand.
 
/ Bolt on hooks
  • Thread Starter
#11  
Probably because it was a fly-by-night manufacturer letting their marketing people conflate a titanium nitride coating with a titanium alloy, which has some marketing sizzle for some. Make sure you buy a reputable brand.

Harbor freight is not reputable? :)
 
/ Bolt on hooks #13  
Geez my Milwaukee drill & metal bit powered right through it super quick no problems whatsoever. Either you went waaaay to slow or your bit is shot.
 
/ Bolt on hooks
  • Thread Starter
#14  
Geez my Milwaukee drill & metal bit powered right through it super quick no problems whatsoever. Either you went waaaay to slow or your bit is shot.

With a brand new bit it took me 20 minutes to drill the first hole. Going fast wasn't working and going slow worked the best.

I had to stretch three extension cords to get to the bucket as it wasn't on the tractor. I'm wondering if it was my drill?

I'm going to try using a 1/4" titanium bit and then a 1/2" bit next time.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #15  
Exactly why I went with weld ons. Grind off a little paint and weld them on in 10 minutes. Have yet to break one. $2 per hook at local hardware store.
I recently installed two bolt on hooks from Kens bolt on grab hooks

The hook were high quality.

Two things to remember:
1) Drilling 4 holes took nearly 1 1/2 hrs. I'm sure this was due to going through 2 plates of metal on the bucket. My wife and I took turns. I used an electric drill and a Cobalt High-Speed Steel Drill Bit (1/2" x 6"L).
2) Going slow speed on the drill allowed for a better bite on the bit and straighter hole. The last hole I used highest speed and the hole ended up wallowed and not straight.
3) The placement of the hooks made if difficult to get one of the nuts and washers on the bolt. Needed my wifes small hands to reach behind the compartment.

I still need to put two bolt on shackles on the bucket will wait for next week and a new bit.

View attachment 594151

View attachment 594152

View attachment 594155
 
/ Bolt on hooks #16  
Its hit and miss...Some times good...Some times bad.... Sometime the luck if the draw....

Dale

Exactly.

There's many ways to screw products up-

One is bad design, causing most parts to be unsatisfactory. Word gets around and customers are in agreement.

Worse yet is bad Quality Assurance, where parts vary according to raw materials used, various vendors, which operator made it, or which person inspected it, if anyone. This is worse because some customers swear by theirs and some customers swear at theirs. It's just a matter of which batch theirs came from.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #17  
I recently installed two bolt on hooks from Kens bolt on grab hooks

The hook were high quality.

Two things to remember:
1) Drilling 4 holes took nearly 1 1/2 hrs. I'm sure this was due to going through 2 plates of metal on the bucket. My wife and I took turns. I used an electric drill and a Cobalt High-Speed Steel Drill Bit (1/2" x 6"L).
2) Going slow speed on the drill allowed for a better bite on the bit and straighter hole. The last hole I used highest speed and the hole ended up wallowed and not straight.
3) The placement of the hooks made if difficult to get one of the nuts and washers on the bolt. Needed my wifes small hands to reach behind the compartment.

I still need to put two bolt on shackles on the bucket will wait for next week and a new bit.

Looking great so far :thumbsup:
 
/ Bolt on hooks #18  
Exactly.

There's many ways to screw products up-

One is bad design, causing most parts to be unsatisfactory. Word gets around and customers are in agreement.

Worse yet is bad Quality Assurance, where parts vary according to raw materials used, various vendors, which operator made it, or which person inspected it, if anyone. This is worse because some customers swear by theirs and some customers swear at theirs. It's just a matter of which batch theirs came from.

So, to anyone who came in late to this discussion, my comments above were about twist drills and not about Kenny's bolt-on hooks, which have received universal acclaim here on TBN.
 
/ Bolt on hooks #19  
With a brand new bit it took me 20 minutes to drill the first hole. Going fast wasn't working and going slow worked the best.

I had to stretch three extension cords to get to the bucket as it wasn't on the tractor. I'm wondering if it was my drill?

I'm going to try using a 1/4" titanium bit and then a 1/2" bit next time.

Drilling a pilot hole, especially with a double cut bit will make things 100X faster and more accurate, as well as not cutting in the center the bigger drill bits also do not stay centered when starting for the same reason, instead of a point in the middle they have a chisel and they will walk around worse.

That said, I gotta get me some hooks on my bucket...
 
/ Bolt on hooks #20  
So, to anyone who came in late to this discussion, my comments above were about twist drills and not about Kenny's bolt-on hooks, which have received universal acclaim here on TBN.

Thanks JMC.
 
 

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