Pallet fork choice

[Brendanspapa]

I have a Kubota M8540. I'm looking at the Express Steel 48" heavy forks that seem to be a match for my 6400lb lift capacity. Not that I'll ever lift that much. The ES, however, lack the receiver hitch and hay spear sleeves which I would really like. I see they come on Titan/Palletforks.com units. Any others out there I can consider? Not a fan of the chinese built from Titan although they do have some pricier 'made in the USA' units. Not sure how much I trust that either.

I have a set of the Titan forks/hay spear that came with a tractor I bought. They are very lightweight, and I don’t recommend them. A set of Bradco medium duty forks that are much sturdier. Another thing to consider is that longer forks than you need are not helpful, rather clumsy when you’re navigating around equipment and buildings.

 

[nyone]

I have express steel forks that I bought about 3yrs ago. I would not want to be removing the forks to use a bail spear or reciever either. The forks are a bit stiff to slide until they wear in and some of the really thick paint comes off. I like them. If I remember correctly they were about $100 more than the cheap chinese crap ones.

No use for a bail spear here but I did weld a reciever onto my loader cross bar. It's always there so nothing extra to put on becids the ball mount.

 

[bigtiller]

I have express steel forks that I bought about 3yrs ago. I would not want to be removing the forks to use a bail spear or reciever either. The forks are a bit stiff to slide until they wear in and some of the really thick paint comes off. I like them. If I remember correctly they were about $100 more than the cheap chinese crap ones.

No use for a bail spear here but I did weld a reciever onto my loader cross bar. It's always there so nothing extra to put on becids the ball mount.

I would remove the paint. It will take a long time for it to wear off.

A generous coating of paraffin wax on the mating parts will make adjustments easier.

 

[WinterDeere]

I went the cheap eBay route, $300 for a 4000# JDQA fork frame from KOJEM, and another $300 for a pair of 4000# 48" forks from YITA Motor. I've been using them hard for moving logs and pallets for two years now, in fact unloaded a semi truck with them yesterday, and zero problems.

People rail against the quality of Asian products, and often with good reason. But when it comes to something as simple as pallet form frame and fork set, they seem to be capable enough for my needs.

I went with the low frame, no upper guard, because I had plans to possibly add a hydraulic grapple to the frame. In the end, I found the forks worked well enough without the grapple, for my log-moving requirements.

4000LBS Skid Steer Pallet Fork Frame W/ 2" Receiver Hitch For John Deere Loaders | eBay

Capacity: 4000LBS. Tail Trunks & Saddle Bags. For 200, 300, 400, and 500 series John Deere loaders. Compatible with John Deere 2" Receiver Hitch. Motorcycle Accessories. DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Our pallet forks are made from high-quality steel to ensure maximum strength and longevity for all your...

www.ebay.com

2 Packs 48" Pallet Fork Blades Forklift Blades for Skid Tractors Loaders 4000lbs | eBay

Skid steer pallet fork blades can easily carry heavy loads, empowering you to tackle the toughest jobs. It has superior carrying and towing capacity with a carrying capacity of up to 4000 lbs. The pallet fork blades can be used to lift and move construction materials, debris, and broken fences...

www.ebay.com

 

[sfstravist]

Nice selection.

Pallet Fork & Frame Combos - Frames & Pallet Forks - Attachments | Ignite Attachments

igniteattachments.com

 

[rScotty]

I have a Kubota M8540. I'm looking at the Express Steel 48" heavy forks that seem to be a match for my 6400lb lift capacity. Not that I'll ever lift that much. The ES, however, lack the receiver hitch and hay spear sleeves which I would really like. I see they come on Titan/Palletforks.com units. Any others out there I can consider? Not a fan of the chinese built from Titan although they do have some pricier 'made in the USA' units. Not sure how much I trust that either.

That's the same concern I have on forks - just how strong is the steel they are made from? Steel varies a lot, and the process of bending and tempering varies even more.

Up until a few years ago there were implement manufacturers that gave buyers a choice between imported or domestic forks @ a difference in price, too. I see that HLA Attachments still does offer both steels for their forks.

Forks

View the Canadian dealers for Horst Welding products.

www.hlaattachments.com

Other high implement makers might too... i haven't checked Land Price, Woods, W.R.Long, ALO, Everything Attachments, or Express Steel....and those are just the tip of an iceberg.

Sure wish there was some source listing ALL the North American specialty & implement makers along with some info on each. I'm sure there are a lot of small manufacturers making good products but not much publicity for them.

It could make a good project - maybe a living - for someone. Sort of a tractordata.com for implements.

rScotty