pallet forks for FEL

[finnercy]

So I have a B2230, and I have a LA332 FEL on it with a bucket. I also have a 3 point linkage set of pallet forks for the rear. However they dont lift high enough (barely 2 foot) to allow me to load pallets onto my trailer, which I sometimes want to do.

Im assuming the best approach is to have a set of pallet forks on the front (with reduced lifting capacity) , how do I go about doing this for the minimal cost? I have seen bolt on pallet forks for the loader bucket , they look to me like they have a good chance of wrecking the bucket, so not keen on that idea.

suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[skipperbrown]

Do you have a quick attach on your FEL? If so, order a set without the forks and you can use yours. I bought a lightweight set from EA with 42" forks and I've been very happy with mine. If you don't have a quick attach, I'd look into a conversion. I had bucket mounted forks and didn't like them. You can't see squat and it really knocks down your lifting power.

 

[Diggin It]

I've had some success using a three point Carry All strapped into the FEL. The tongues of the Carry All extend far enough out in front of the FEL bucket to lift effectively, as long as it isn't an overly heavy load. One drawback is the fixed width which may not fit all pallets. I did have to cut parts off to bevel the ends so as not to hang up on pallets.

 

[cglaser104]

Small Compact Tractor and Mini Skid Steer Pallet Forks

This might be about as light as you can get to preserve lifting capacity. Some people shim their hydraulics to increase lifting capacity to combat lift issues but that obviously isn't recommended.

 

[finnercy]

Do you have a quick attach on your FEL? If so, order a set without the forks and you can use yours. I bought a lightweight set from EA with 42" forks and I've been very happy with mine. If you don't have a quick attach, I'd look into a conversion. I had bucket mounted forks and didn't like them. You can't see squat and it really knocks down your lifting power.

I dont have a quick attach, and they look pretty expensive, plus my understanding is I would need to modify my loader bucker with weld on quick attach ears.

 

[shooterdon]

They may work if you are not lifting much. I had a set of the Titans and they were marginal, but better than nothing. I do not use them at all after getting a real set.

 

[cglaser104]

This is just a thought as well. This small company whom makes stuff for small tractors that might be able to help you. Their tach'n'go system is proprietary to them but they have some light forks as well that might be in your wheel house.

Tach-N-Go + INNOVATIVE ATTACHMENTS

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I also have the bucket clamp on style forks, and plan on giving them to my neighbor once I find an appropriate sized SSQA set for mine. I greatly dislike the clamp on ones. Nearly impossible to line up on a pallet without a spotter, as the top and back of the bucket block your view of the fork tips. They do also drastically reduce your lifting capacity, because the forks are *way* out there past the bucket. And curling the bucket to adjust the angle of the forks for getting them into the pallet magnifies the distance of the curl due to how far out the forks extend past the pivot pin location.

In short, I'm sorry I bought them, can't wait to replace them (with the real thing), and will probably give them away for free when I get the chance.

Forgot to add, they turn sideways very easily with any side force of any kind. So if you're trying to turn the fork tips to line up the shot into the pallet (or whatever), more often than not, the one fork will pivot sideways and you'll have to stop and get off and line it back up again.

Lol, yeah, they're frustrating.

My dealer tried to talk me out of them. He was right. Wasted my money, even though they are "cheaper" than a fork attachment.

 

[Diggin It]

Nearly impossible to line up on a pallet without a spotter, as the top and back of the bucket block your view of the fork tips. They do also drastically reduce your lifting capacity, because the forks are *way* out there past the bucket.

That's why I like my set up. I can see the tips easily over my smaller bucket. I set the Carry All on a couple of 4x4s to allow a pallet to set over the front lip and further into the bucket to reduce that 'way out front' feeling.

My biggest complaint is the non adjustable width, but I can deal with that by selecting pallets that fit.

 

[4570Man]

SSQA forks are way better than bucket forks. Other then cost I can’t think of a single advantage for clamp on forks.