FEL hooks

wroughtn_harv · May 13, 2002

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 · May 13, 2002

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 · May 14, 2002

That's a really clean looking setup Chim.

Jerry

dourobob · May 14, 2002

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 · May 15, 2002

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 · May 15, 2002

MikePA,

What catalog did that lift eye come from?

MikePA · May 15, 2002

Hazmat,

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

Mike

chim · May 16, 2002

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 · May 16, 2002

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 · May 16, 2002

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.

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?

wroughtn_harv · May 16, 2002

Hi Tony,

Your steel has three directions you can pull from. The thickness of the plate, the width of the plate, and the length of the plate.

Chim has his slots so that when his bucket is parallel to the ground the pull is against the thickness of the plate.

It also means if he tilts his bucket the pull down will have a ramp for the chain to go out and off.

What I suggested was a strap across the hypotenuse (sp) of the angle iron. This would mean the pull would not only be against the thickeness of the plate. It would also be working against the combined strength of the width of the angle and the thickenss of the bucket wall it's bolted to along with his bolts.

Imagine sliding your chain into the slot. On each side of the slot let's say you have one of those straps I'm talking about. Then for safety's sake you put a rod through the first link so that if the bucket is tilted forward the chain can't slip off becaue the pin catches the one or both of the straps.

Chim's idea and craftsmanship is beyond reproach. I hope I don't come across being a critic of it. What I'm offering is in addition to his idea to help it be safer and hopefully stronger.

One of the reasons I get so many interesting projects is because I'm constantly being the devil's advocate and looking for the failure in an idea.

BayView · May 16, 2002

I read the comments on hooks last evening and had chance to think about it today. Everybody puts hooks on their buckets! Why don't the manufacturers get smart and produce them with hooks? Beats the heck out of me.

bgott · May 17, 2002

They don't want you to use the bucket for anything other than moving dirt... liability concerns. It would also cost them about $2 a bucket and they wouldn't want to spend that, gotta keep those costs down!

Harv · May 17, 2002

Why don't the manufacturers get smart and produce them with hooks?

It's like bgott says, David, the manufacturers are covering their fannies. The owner's manual for my FEL, for example, includes the following language:

"Never lift of pull any load from any point of the loader with a chain, rope, or cable. Doing so could cause a roll over or serious damage to the loader."

BayView · May 17, 2002

Harv, Thanks regarding manufacturer liability and reluctance to make FEL's with hooks.Do they make or allow a 4 in 1 grapple attachment or is this "owner at your own risk" stuff? And to be really safe liability wise, they could just exclude FEL's altogether.The whole gray area of safety and manufacturer liability is kind of dumb. But then again I'm not a lawyer.
David

Wal · May 17, 2002

I don't know about Tony, but I still can't picture what you are describing /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif. Can you make a drawing of your method and post it?

wroughtn_harv · May 17, 2002

I would love to make a drawing.

But, and this butt is of the size of Rosanne Barr after a great vactation, you're gonna have to explain to me how to do it. It's not that I'm not willing. I'm just not able.