FEL hooks

[wroughtn_harv]

There are a couple of options you might want to consider. One would be to use a hook that has the eye and pin to be used with a chain. They come from quarter inch to three eighths at just about any hardware store.

What I'd do is use one grade eight bolt and put it through the eye of the hook. But what I'd do would be to put the hook on top of your bucket where the opening is facing back at you and the curve part is over the bucket. It think I'd also put a piece of bar stock inside the channel of the top of your bucket so that the weakest part of your system would be the breakout on your hydraulics.

This is where I've always welded the hooks on frontloaders of loader backhoes. The hook is working best and it allows you another method of control of the load. You not only get your up and down but you can also do your rolling back or forward.

Another alternative is to look at the cross you see for the safety chains on a lot of heavy duty trucks for their trailers. the beauty of that method is you don't need a hook on your bucket. You just have a cross cut in a strong place of your choice on the bucket and when you want to use your chain it's slicker'n a teen age boy wanting the car for the night.

 

[chim]

I borrowed an idea on the forum here. Sorry I forgot the name, but regular posters probably recognize the approach. Starting with a length of angle iron, I cut three pieces to fasten to the top of the bucket. These were cut into two short pieces - one for each side, and one longer piece. They mount against the lip of the bucket for a little added strength, and have U-shaped slots to accept 3/8" chain. The slots stop where tha angle and bucket lip meet, and were made by punching a hole, then running them into a bandsaw. The center angle has a couple extra slots to use up excess chain. The chain I normally use is about 20' long with a grab hook on each end. It's handy dangle the length (center pick) or lengths (double pick) needed then grab the leftover with the remaining slots.....................chim

 

[Mrwurm]

That's a really clean looking setup Chim.

Jerry

 

[dourobob]

I agree - the set up looks great and appears simple enough that even I might be able to handle the welding /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Just another great idea from this TBN community.

Bob

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Chim, the quality of your work is great. They look really sharp.

I'd like you to consider a couple of points. They're from experience with working around such stuff.

I'd have preferred you arranged the angle of your slots so that the chain in tension is pulling against the steel's strongest angle. As it is you have the chain pulling against your angle iron where it is weakest. Much load and it will bend. And what scares me is if it bends the chain might slide out. There's only been a couple of times out of thousands when something like that has happened to me that it wasn't the perfectly worst time to do so. I guess that's why I'm such a worry wort.

But your attachment is so simple and effective that I'd suggest you make just one modification to make it perfect.

I'd take your brackets off and weld some straps across your angle iron. Say quarter by one and a half arranged so that there's plenty of clearance for the chain to slide in but as close as possible so your slots are supported as much as possible.

This would help support the slots and more importantly from a worry wort's perspective it would give you the opportunity to put in a pin through the chain link so that it would be impossible for it to slide out. The pin being long enough to catch the two supports on each side of the slot.

Your tractor front loader looks just exactly like the one a bud of mine has. The problem with his tractor, a nice Kubota btw, is that the front loader controls aren't the easiest for someone not really familiar with it to use. You start moving the lever and nothing much happens. Then as you're moving it some more it all happens at once.

His is new but I've used another bud's Yanmar with the same problem. I've also used some other small tractors on occasion with the same tendency. That's why I like to make things where a dummy like me can't screw up. Well I try to make things where I can't screw it up, doesn't work all the time.....

The first backhoe frontloaders I used were new to real close to new Cat 416B's. A bud's business started buying the heck out of them and for awhile I was doing stuff like putting hooks and brackets for forks on them.

The control on one of those machines is unbelievable. I swear you can remove the paint off of a car without disturbing the primer with either the front loader or the backhoe. They are also unbelievably strong.

So when I added stuff to them I had to bear in mind their strength and the confidence they give you with their control. And the fact that my bud's company wasn't looking for rocket scientists when hiring.

BTW the next time you pause to watch one of those operators look just like silk working bear in mind at least sixty percent of the smoothness is the machine.

 

[hazmat]

MikePA,

What catalog did that lift eye come from?

 

[MikePA]

Hazmat,

It came out of the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=7297>AWDirect</A> catalog.

Mike

 

[chim]

Harv, Thanks for the advice. I was considering welding some nubs on the backs of the angle at one point too, just to help keep the chain from slipping out. I do have to tell you that I've had daylight under the rear tires already while moving a 5' rotary mower hanging from the bucket without affecting the angles. This was after the rears had a drink of Prestone...................chim

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Chim, just call me a worry wort.

btw I haven't done a bio yet. But looking at yours I'd say we're pretty close all around.

 

[TonyC]

<font color=blue>I'd have preferred you arranged the angle of your slots so that the chain in tension is pulling against the steel's strongest angle.</font color=blue>

I like Chim's set-up and I am thinking of using it. I read your comment above and I am having trouble picturing what you mean. Can you elaborate a bit?