Pallet Fork / Trailer Mover

[dieselscout80]

This evening I drilled a hole in the end of each of forks of my SSQA pallet fork.

Moving my trailer with 12 sixteen foot 2x4s and 20 sheets of 7/16” 4 foot by 10’ OSB is a bit much. I may make an adapter to use both forks and have the ball hitch between them.

I also used it pulled my grain drill out to work on it this evening.

Note I didn’t think this up. When I worked for a IHC tractor dealer they had a forklift with the same setup.

 

[SmallChange]

Nice!

Question for you about drilling forks: I've heard somewhere that forks are made of some special hardened steel. I question this, as I don't see why they would need to be, and they're not very expensive for something so heavy, and besides that they have major bending done to fabricate them, and welding too. Therefore my guess is they're made of cheap low carbon steel. My question is, did they drill like cheap low carbon steel, or like special hardened steel, or somewhere in between?

I'm interested because I've thought of drilling smaller holes, maybe 1/2" or so, about where you put your holes, for the purpose of being able to bolt to them to secure some loads or attachments or put an eye bolt through them.

 

[Jrasband]

I have been wanting to do this. One thing I worried about is - I like to use the forks to break stump roots up and I am worried if I drill a hole it may end up bending in that spot.

 

[bigtiller]

I drilled a 1.25" hole in a fork on a 3000 lb. rated forklift at work. The center of the hole was about 4" from the tip. I used a Mag. drill with an annular cutter.

It went faster than a hole saw through a 2x4.

This dose make a week spot so forget using that fork as a pry bar.

 

[Xfaxman]

I may make an adapter to use both forks and have the ball hitch between them.

Back in 2004 when I had a tractor, I put the hitch ball in the middle of a channel iron:

 

[BlueKnife]

Nice!

Question for you about drilling forks: I've heard somewhere that forks are made of some special hardened steel. I question this, as I don't see why they would need to be, and they're not very expensive for something so heavy, and besides that they have major bending done to fabricate them, and welding too. Therefore my guess is they're made of cheap low carbon steel. My question is, did they drill like cheap low carbon steel, or like special hardened steel, or somewhere in between?

I'm interested because I've thought of drilling smaller holes, maybe 1/2" or so, about where you put your holes, for the purpose of being able to bolt to them to secure some loads or attachments or put an eye bolt through them.

They would bend far too easily if they were regular low carbon steel.

 

[BlueKnife]

I have been wanting to do this. One thing I worried about is - I like to use the forks to break stump roots up and I am worried if I drill a hole it may end up bending in that spot.

I've seen that happen a couple times when folks put holes in their forks.

 

[nyone]

Weld a coupler on your SSQA section of the loader. This way you dont need to weaken one fork and dont have another fork ready to poke a hole in the trailer your moving.

 

[Torvy]

Seems to me you could just make a tow rig that attaches to your fork frame separate from the forks. 8 inches between the innermost notches. Drop something in there when you need it and it's out of the way when you don't. No weakening of forks either....heck maybe just get some spare forks for your frame?

 

[Jrasband]

Yeah, I am going to look for a set of used forks and one of them I will drill a hole in.

 

[woody]

this is what I use and I prefer the second picture

 

[ruffdog]

They would bend far too easily if they were regular low carbon steel.

I have used old fork stock to make tooling that needed to be very tough. It sounds like the forks are made out of annealed 4140 or 4340.

What is the steel used for forklift truck forks?.

 

[scootr]

I bought a SSQA receiver hitch. Very strong and safe. When using a single fork for any job you risk bending that fork, even if just a little you will kick yourself every time you use it later.
There are single and double clamp on ball hitches for forklifts that require no drilling too.

 

[dlctcg]

Instead of finding a spare set of forks you might look at mocking-up / building one of the many designs out there... (or just purchase one).

I think I like the ones that slide on both forks the best... but there are a bunch of different versions out there

 

[BlueKnife]

I bought a SSQA receiver hitch. Very strong and safe. When using a single fork for any job you risk bending that fork, even if just a little you will kick yourself every time you use it later.
There are single and double clamp on ball hitches for forklifts that require no drilling too.

When I built the frame for my forks, I incorporated a 2" receiver into it. Just have to slide the forks off, slide a hitch in and it works great. I've since seen a couple of commercially available fork frames that have that feature.

 

[scootr]

When I built the frame for my forks, I incorporated a 2" receiver into it. Just have to slide the forks off, slide a hitch in and it works great. I've since seen a couple of commercially available fork frames that have that feature.

That sounds well planned but at my age sliding forks off the lift is too much for my back. Fortunately I have a SS which is almost ideal for moving a trailer.

 

[BlueKnife]

That sounds well planned but at my age sliding forks off the lift is too much for my back. Fortunately I have a SS which is almost ideal for moving a trailer.

Makes sense.

 

[KennyG]

The used forks I bought for my tractor already had a hole in one but I didn't want to go that route. It may not work for everyone but I adapted a HF quick hitch to my JD loader attachment system and it works well not only for trailer moving but also moving attachments and using the boom pole. This would probably be pretty easy for the skid steer guys also.

 

[5030]

They would bend far too easily if they were regular low carbon steel.

Most of them are LC steel but the forks themselves are heat treated and tempered. Steel is expensive today and proper heat treating can make a 'silk purse' out of a 'sows ear' and it's much less expensive to heat treat after fabrication anyway.

The automakers do that all the time when it comes to items like rocker arms and cam and crank shafts. They buy the least expensive steel they can and then have it heat treated so it conforms to their specific needs. Besides, cheap low carbon steel machines much easier versus high alloy steel.

 

[nyone]

Yeah, I am going to look for a set of used forks and one of them I will drill a hole in.

Here a used set cost just as much as a new set from express steel.