Forks Comparison Test--Attachable Loader Forks

[jinman]

Yeah, funny isn't it? I'm no mechanical or materials engineer, but I'm sure tubular steel is stronger pound-for-pound than solid steel. Also, I believe many forklifts have gone to tubular steel, although many are also solid. Do you suppose it's spring steel? Maybe some materials types can jump in here with some facts. My guess is that both our forks can lift more than the capacity of our loaders, so this discussion is probably purely academic. It surely is interesting though.

JimI

 

[Bird]

Yeah, mine are solid, too, and each one weighs 90 lbs. so on a small tractor that does lower the payload you can handle.

Bird

 

[tpaulson]

jinman
I noticed on your picture of attachable forks that the bucket on your TC has a thick and wide cutting edge.

Did that cutting edge come on your TC or did you put it on?

I got my TC45D in August and bent the bottom of the bucket within the first 2 hours of light loader work. My bucket has a 3/8" x 3.5" cutting edge. My bucket is a standard weight bucket. I ordered a heavy duty bucket, but NH screwed up and shipped the wrong one. It turns out the only difference between a standard bucket and heavy duty are vertical cutting edges and pre-drilled holes for a tooth bar(about 30lbs difference in shipping weight). NH buckets seem pretty weak if you ask me. I think they should have at least a 1/2" cutting edge to make the bottom of the bucket stronger.

I will be making attachable forks and putting on a thicker cutting edge soon. I think the forks would bend the bucket more with the current cutting edge.

Tim

 

[MarkV]

Tim,

Your grapple set up looks pretty interesting. Any chance of getting some information and photos?

MarkV

 

[Egon]

Fellows:
With those forks on the bucket I would assume you would be able to pick up an object like a log. If you raise the bucket high enough and maybe tilt back what keeps the log from rolling back and sitting in your lap?
Egon

 

[cowboydoc]

Egon,
There isn't anything to prevent that! Ask Harv about that /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. He had a scare with a log that rolled back on him. I spent the extra cash and got the regular fork attachment for my jd 4600. It has it's own framework and has the forks come up in the back with a brace so whatever you have on the forks can never come back on top of you. I lift 1500 lb. round bales with them and never a problem at all. My friend has a jd 4020 with bucket forks and he lifts the same bales and his bucket in bent in a half moon from them. Definitely limited with the clamp ons. For an extra $300 for me I can use mine just like a forkloader.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>Ask Harv about that</font color=blue>

No, don't ask!!! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif Too painful and embarrassing!

Fact is, it was a simple case of stupid that I almost paid dearly for. As it was, I had merely to hose off my tractor seat after re-starting my heart.

Just keep in mind that as you raise your bucket higher and higher, you need to compensate the angle to keep it and your forks from tipping back on you. Intellectually, I knew that, of course, but being a newborn tractor owner at the time, I lost track of that little detail as I was steering and lifting to avoid obstacles -- watching the obstacles instead of my payload.

Although I have never repeated that particular mistake, I am entertaining notions of attaching some vertical members to the back of the forks. Best way to do that involves welding, which is still beyond my abilities at this point.

I have overloaded the forks to where the rear wheels came off the ground, but the bucket shows no sign of damage so far. In fact, I've been very impressed with the durability of that bucket on my little L2500.

 

[Egon]

Fellows:
I asked that question as I have a bolt on set of forks for my 7100 [two pieces of steel signpost] and then added to pieces of flat iron on the top of the bucket to catch anything rolling back. By the way this was done as one of the fork attachment procedures before I had any surprise.
Egon

 

[jinman]

Tim, the cutting edge is a NH option for the heavy duty bucket. I paid $175 for it. It really helps and adds strength to the front edge. It's also reversible (has two finished cutting edges). I've also been shown a supplier who makes a tooth bar which can be bolted on with the cutting edge in place. That's probably my next purchase.

JimI

 

[jinman]

Tim,
Here is a link to the photo of my cutting edge.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/13-38821-CutterBar1.JPG

JimI