My custom pallet forks

Matt4200 · May 30, 2003

Here are the pictures I've been waiting for a digital camera to post for over a year. Well, we finally got one.

Pallet forks are great. I think I use them as much if not more than the bucket. The forks are from a scrapped forklift which I obtained for $50 after some dickering. The rack I designed a built myself. They do adjust side to side and have locking notches as they did on the forklift. I still haven't gotten around to painting the rack yet, but someday it will of course be JD green.

Anonymous Poster · May 31, 2003

those forks look great!

but reply to your own message and check the "I want to preview my post and/or attach a file" box and then continue and upload a picture and keep doing this to post pictures instead of starting new threads.
Again nice tractor and great looking machine!

MikePA · May 31, 2003

Top mount of loader quick attach

MikePA · May 31, 2003

Bottom mount of loader quick attach

MikePA · May 31, 2003

Here it is on the 3ph. It will fit any Cat. 1 3ph.

MikePA · May 31, 2003

Top link on 3ph

MikePA · May 31, 2003

lower mounting point on 3ph

Bird · May 31, 2003

That's a really nice setup where it can be used on either front or rear of the tractor.

gerard · May 31, 2003

great job Mike - you paint those green and you can sell them back to a dealer!!! (I gotta get me some bigger drill bits - don't have anything big enough to drill the holes for the three point hitch lower bolts.). Great set up and looks like it was a fun welding project.

MikePA · May 31, 2003

gerard, just to be clear, the forks are Matt4200s, I simply combined 6 separate posts, each with a single picture, into a single post.

Anonymous Poster · May 31, 2003

Hi:
Have you tried lifting all that your 3-point can lift? I made this set of forks (see attachment) for my Yanmar 186D. I'm now getting a JD 4310, and did a stress analysis (I'm an engineer) and found that I will have to gusset the upper rail that the forks hang on. I"m not saying anything is wrong with your forks, just curious what size material the rail is made of.
Mike

Matt4200 · May 31, 2003

I went out and measure it because it's been a while since I built it. The angle that the forks hang on is 2inch and must be 3/8 thick. I measure the edge and it measured .385".

I didn't go through all the stress analysis on the rack, but just used my own judgment. I am almost done with my Engineering degree also and I just had Statics last spring, but I already had the rack built by then.

Let me tell you that the forks and rack will handle more than the tractor can. I just got done building a garage to put the tractor in and bricked the front. I went and got the bricks (500 of them) on my trailer. I had to separate them out onto two pallets and place them on the pallets so that most of the bricks were close to the tractor, because it wouldn't lift them all at once. Even then the tractor grunted a little and the hydraulics whinned a bit. The forks and rack didn't budge. The pallet forks have been VERRRRRY useful in building the garage. I've used them on the front a lot. One thing I've never tried yet is digging out a stump with them. I've read on the forums where people have done this succesfully. I've got a few that need to come out, but haven't had much time with school and all. Good luck with the 4310. I love my 4200.

Matt4200 · May 31, 2003

MikeON

What is your degree in, Mechanical Engineering I asuume?

Anonymous Poster · Jun 1, 2003

Yes, it's Mechanical. Penn State. Been designing mining machinery for more years than I care to admit. I have access to finite element software at work, which is great for this sort of thing.

Matt4200 · Jun 1, 2003

Awsome!

One thing I'd love to make for my tractor is a grasscatcher that mounts on the 3ph with a booster blower that is ran from the pto and hydraulic dump. I could probably handle designing and building everything but the blower. I got a buddy that used to work at a place that designed and tested blowers. I guess I need to talk to him about that, huh?

Anonymous Poster · Jun 1, 2003

You need the book:
"How to Design & Build Centrifugal Fans For the Home Shop" by David Gingery. There's one on ebay right now - item # 2534637830.

Mike