Drive-in style bucket forks

[oldnslo]

Hi all,
I seen several posts about clamp-on and quick tach forks but have not seen one about the drive-in style. This is the type where there are three or more hooks welded to the top of the bucket and you tilt the bucket forward, drive under the fork shaft, roll the bucket back and the forks are connected.

What I like about these:
They are a version of quick tach. Drive in hook up ready to work.
Would be less prone to bending the bucket cutting edge than clamp-on forks.
Should be less prone to sliding sideways than clamp-ons.

Disadvantage:
Since the bucket stays in place visibility of the forks could be a problem.
Reduced lifting capacity Vs true quick tach. Estimate 30% loss be similar to clamp-ons.
Lift height? I suspect that since your bucket is dumped to keep these level your max lift height would be less than quick tach or clamp-ons.

Any body have any experience with these on CUT's?

 

[chopped]

I had a set similiar they attached to the bucket in the same fashion, visibility was a trouble and the lifting was quite a bit less, and also the overall legnth of the who set up made it difficult.But worked ok for me as it was all free. Now i have a QA and its much better but allot depends on how oftne you'd use them.

 

[allen in texas]

I use a set of these on a fairly regular basis on a Case 580 Super K backhoe.
Pro's...fast hook up and unhook. Don't get out of the cab for either.
Forks on the backhoe bucket made life easy.

Con's...can't see very well, either where you are trying to put the forks or where you're placing the load once you get it lifted but you learn to deal with it.

The forks are massive and would handle anything the backhoe could lift. The lifting capacity of the backhoe is not an issue either but of course it is quite a machine. Not fair to compare it to a CUT.

If I didn't have a quick attach bucket on my tractor, I would goes with something like this over a clamp on set of forks. It really works slick other than the previously mentioned cons.
My $.02

 

[oldnslo]

Thanks for the replies. I bit the bullet today and ordered a set of these so will have to see if I can weld good enough to keep them in place.

 

[TT398]

Oldnslo, or anyone who used this type of forks, what are your experience with the "drive-in"/"over-the-bucket" style bucket fork?
I'm a city boy new to rural life. My land is 80 acres with almost all grazing grass. Not many trees. I mainly want a pallet fork to put on a quick spade for digging hole for new trees (3' diameter x 3' deep,) to move a few trees (8" trunk) and grape vines, and to move some lumber and poles the previous scatter around.
My tractor is Kubota B3200 with LA504 loader and light-weight bucket.
I looked at QA, clamp-on, and this style.
QA sounds really good but I have to modify my Kubota bucket - I have to cut-off part of the back reinforcement of my bucket to weld the QA plate. It also quite expensive when I need to buy the QA kit, and QA pallet-fork. I also don't want to cut off supporting bracket because they are there to strength the back. Buying a new QA bucket is waste of money - the old bucket will just sit there.
Clamp-on and the "drive-in"/"over-the-bucket" both have visibility problem but I can live with that. Once I moved the lumber I don't foresee too much use of the fork other than occasional load/unload heavy stuff.
I've used my friend's home made chain mount forks. But the for tends to slide around. Heard the same problem with clamp-on fork even with stabilizer bar. Does the over-the-bucket have the same problem.
Thank you in advance for everyone who reply.

 

[jeff9366]

I'm a city boy new to rural life. My land is 80 acres with almost all grazing grass. Not many trees.
My tractor is Kubota B3200 with LA504 loader and light-weight bucket.

I mainly want a pallet fork to put on a quick spade for digging hole for new trees (3' diameter x 3' deep,) to move a few trees (8" trunk) and grape vines, and to move some lumber and poles the previous scatter around.

.
I believe I have more experience with a Bucket Spade than any other current T-B-N contributor.

1) Most Bucket Spades will excavate a hole 3' diameter x 3' deep directly mounted on the FEL bucket.
With Bucket Solutions (brand) Bucket Spade it is not difficult to dig 4' deep but hole diameter may be the width of your bucket.

2) No Bucket Spade on a tractor is going to move tree with an 8" trunk nor grape vines. (I spend my working years in the California wine business, working for wineries which owned substantial vineyards.)

To move >3" trees an SSQA Tree Spade mounted on a Skid Steer or 6,000 pound bare weight tractor with an FEL is necessary. You cannot transplant established grape vines, they will die.

3) A Bucket Spade mounted on Pallet Forks over 30" has too much leverage, proportional to fork length, working against limited compact tractor hydraulic power, especially relative to spade support strength of a light FEL bucket.

MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/328798-bucket-spade-today-fel-bucket.html?highlight=


PHOTO: Tree Spade

 

[TT398]

Thank you for the valuable input, Jeff9366.
I'll buy a combo bucket spade. I'll use it on the bucket first unless I need to dig deeper.
I live on the outskirt of Paso Robles, CA which is a wine country. If you lived/worked there you may know the soil are predominately calcareous, hard when dry but loose when wet.
I did not know established grape vine will die if transplanted. I cut them down to 3' last year and they came back more vigorous than before. I guess digging up roots is another story.
The previous owner planted them, and a fig tree on a trellis 2' from the house. Too close to the foundation, IMO. The figs attracts ants which crawl inside the house. I'm planning to put pavers around the house, so they must go somewhere. I'd love to save them but if they die, so be it. The grape vines are small enough for me to tackle but I'll probably hire my neighbor for the tree. He has a Ford 410C TLB.
Thanks again.

 

[jeff9366]

Thank you for the valuable input, Jeff9366.
I'll buy a combo bucket spade. I'll use it on the bucket first unless I need to dig deeper.
I live on the outskirt of Paso Robles, CA which is a wine country. If you lived/worked there you may know the soil are predominately calcareous, hard when dry but loose when wet.
I did not know established grape vine will die if transplanted. I cut them down to 3' last year and they came back more vigorous than before. I guess digging up roots is another story.

Grafted Vinifera wine grapes are pretty delicate relative to ungrafted native grape vines. The hybrid root stock variety is distinct from the delicate Vinifera vine variety grafted to the root stock. You cannot take enough of extensive grape vine root system with the pruned above ground plant.

Nursery stock new wine grape vines will produce a small crop after four years. More production as they mature.
Wine grapes are not much for eating. Wine grapes are too small, therefore too much skin; too many seeds.

One or two vines of plump, seedless table grapes will furnish all the grapes your family can eat fresh.

Paumco (brand) and Titan (brand) Bucket Spades are both of pressed steel, around eighty pounds weight. Bucket Solutions' (brand) forged Bucket Spade is 100+ pounds. Oner of the two lighter Bucket Spades may be a better choice for Kubota B3200, although I used my current Bucket Solutions' Bucket Spade on a B3200 weight Kubota B3300SU in Florida sandy-loam for several years with no damage to tractor, FEL bucket nor Bucket Spade. The "build" of BS/BS is highest quality. Work only moist soil.

B3300SU in PHOTO #1.