My bucket forks.

[heitjer]

Great idea and simple solution but I would suggest to lengthen the 'hooks' under the bucket. The front of the bucket is a pivot point and the load will pivot around it "lifting" and then bending the square tube in the bucket.

Lengthening the 'hooks' will prevent this to some extend and distributes the load away from the latches.

 

[BruceWard]

Great design. It might be worthwhile to weld washers to the inside and outside of the bucket holes to prevent stretching in heavier duty applications.

 

[TheRealBuzz]

They do not slide easily by themselves, but with a lot of bouncing they will shift a bit.

As someone else explained the spring latches do lock in the open position.

The eisiest way to put the forks on is to stand between them with one hand on each fork. If you lock the spring latches open with the handles facing into the bucket you can put the forks back on without ever touching the latches as the handles will hit the back of the bucket and spring closed then you just line them up with the holes and they pop in.

 

[petegoud]

I'm wondering if the back bar could be built to expand and contract so this could be used in buckets of dissimilar width?

 

[PutnamVictor]

Clever design. I was planning on building a set of forks to replace the bucket. I think this might be a better idea. Faster switch over for sure.
:thumbsup:

 

[RoMad]

Great job, I can see why you would miss the forks. My sons have been trying to talk me into building a set.

Does anyone know where you can get the spring pins in the US? We don't have Princess Auto here. I have a small tilt bed trailer that those pins would be perfect for.

 

[Train]

I've seen similar at most farm supply and hardware stores. There's lots of ways to adapt this design too, if you just look at it a bit. It's just so simple it's brilliant.

 

[handirifle]

Has anyone built a version of the forks themselves? I'd like to do similar but I know even if I found a set of forks I couldn't sfford them.

 

[Sherweld]

Has anyone built a version of the forks themselves? I'd like to do similar but I know even if I found a set of forks I couldn't sfford them.

It appears from the pix that the forks are about a 4 inch channel which is quite common at most steel suppliers.

Also, I would add my congrats to TheRealBuzz for a brilliant design.

 

[handirifle]

Yea I like the design as well. How do you guys taper the front end of the chanel to make them work? I realize the OP has sold this setup, any other pics of chanel type forks?