Question on Pallet Forks

[tomplum]

Yes the tractor was running. Most of the time my wife was in control moving the tractor, lifting/lowering me. (I know, very scary) I built that whole barn using the tractor every day. It was a life/time saver. Here is another platform I built for setting post.

This is the main reason I suggest getting pallet forks for the OP they are just to handy not to have.

View attachment 591615View attachment 591616

That's a pretty slick platform for getting a post in place. I'd not seen that before. I could see other purposes for it too.

 

[JNA]

Safety only goes as far as the person practicing it.

 

[Diggin It]

Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

 

[iflywhatevr]

Just bought mine finally the other day 2000 pound HLA 48 inch. Love them.

 

[tomplum]

Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

Interesting. You would be relying on the sides and a thinner top than bottom to help support. If your bucket is like mine, the bottom is quite sturdy. I've also added a Piranha ish bar to mine which gives added support. So if you liked the design of the top mount, and it was only light duty- you could. You still are getting pretty far forward there to have much lift capacity. Those style bars -even in light duty would be heavier for the guy installing them than the clamp ons.
set that up with light duty forks.

 

[MRollins10]

I just purchased a Titan quick attach pallet fork for my Branson 3015 and absolutely love them. Used them immediately to lift my new deer blind onto its platform. They are extremely high quality for just $349 bucks and you dont have to worry with bending your FEL bucket. Spend the extra $200 bucks and get these vs the clamp-ons.

 

[Xfaxman]

Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

I have those pin top forks on a SSQA frame. The steel bar is a hydraulic cylinder rod that got bent. I straightened it in the press and it works great:

 

[Xfaxman]

Diggin It, you might be able to rig it like the wheel loader buckets and be able to hook and unhook from the tractor seat:

 

[PILOON]

What U are missing is that most CUT's are rather limited to weight capacity hence heavy duty forks are rather overkill.
IMHO most clamp on forks offered on the net suffice for 95% of your needs.

Forged 'real forks' rated at perhaps 5000 lbs are rather useless when your CUT maximum bucket capacity is 1000 lbs and that not ahead of the bucket but probably back at the heel.
Probably on a 1000 bucket using forks the maximum safe load might be 6-700 lbs hence clamp ons would be just fine. (and very 'cost effective')

 

[4570Man]

Can I safely adapt normal pallet forks?

Guy in town has several individual forks with just a large hole intended for mounting ... like this:

I have a steel bar I could run through them. Then I'm wondering about a piece of chain over the back and around the bottom of the bucket and hooked to the front edge.

While I was looking for that picture as an example, I found this one which is similar to what I was thinking as far as the end result:

Those big heavy forks probably weigh 200 pounds each. Your tractor is probably good for 600 pounds on the front of the bucket. That would be a nearly useless setup. You should look into SSQA forks or some other method of fast removal forks that don’t rely on the bucket. Aside from significantly reduced lifting ability you get significantly reduced visibility and run a good chance of bending the bucket.

 

[4570Man]

How did you get onto the platform? Is the tractor running while you are up there? I plan on building a platform for my forks, too. I know I will need to keep my engine running while in the air. Otherwise the cylinders won't hold me up there for very long.

The tractor doesn’t have any feedback or adjustments to the loader. It will leak down regardless if it’s running or not.

 

[Diggin It]

Those big heavy forks probably weigh 200 pounds each.

That's the piece I wasn't sure of. I'm not sure if the ones he has are that big and heavy though. Need to find out.

 

[BoneStock]

Depending on the size of the tractor or equipment would dictate clamp on. The clamps would be seeing a lot of stress and pressure, and could possible damage a bucket, depending on thickness and amount of use. For skid steer, quick detach a standard class 2 forks slides in place, can be installed in seconds and remove just as quick. No worries of extra weight, or damaging components. My 2 cents

 

[Xfaxman]

Those big heavy forks probably weigh 200 pounds each. Your tractor is probably good for 600 pounds on the front of the bucket. That would be a nearly useless setup.-------------------------------------------

That's the piece I wasn't sure of. I'm not sure if the ones he has are that big and heavy though. Need to find out.

See if he has any Block Forks. These only weigh 80 pounds each:

 

[Ron of Va]

I know a lot of people have concerns that those clamp on forks will damage their bucket. I don't know about your bucket, but I have zero concern about mine. I have a 2016 Massey 1720TLB and the hydraulics of the loader are not strong enough to damage the bucket.

A couple of weeks ago I moved my Safe from my detached garage to the garage of the house using the forks. This was a Liberty Fat Boy Jr. safe, 760 lbs. The move was about 125 feet up an incline. I moved the Safe in position at the detached garage with a pallet jack, raised the jack has high as it would go (7-1/2 inches) then slid the forks under the Safe and tried to move it. The loader would not budge the Safe. I then lowered the pallet jack to rest the Safe onto the forks. I strapped the Safe down against an upright 2X4 frame (that I had built as a work platform) to prevent the Safe from tipping.

I put the machine in 4w low and backed up the driveway to the house. I lowered the Safe down onto some 4X4's just inside the garage, I finished the job with the pallet jack. I had no damage to the bucket using the forks.

My bucket came from the factory with welded plates on the bottom of the bucket to reinforce the bottom.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Seems to be some different interpretations of QA. My FEL is pin-on, but can be quickly attached and detached.

I notice the same thing
I think it might be better to go with SSQA if that is what you are referring to. Cause you know JD and maybe others have their own type that do not work with others. I think SSQA is a VERY high percentage and almost universal

 

[AchingBack]

The tractor doesn’t have any feedback or adjustments to the loader. It will leak down regardless if it’s running or not.

As long as my engine is running, my loader remains in the air, even with a heavy load on it.

 

[Xfaxman]

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For skid steer, quick detach a standard class 2 forks slides in place, can be installed in seconds and remove just as quick. No worries of extra weight, or damaging components. My 2 cents

Very interesting. Need more info and pictures of how it latches at the bottom. Did you modify the top of the fork to fit on the Quick Attach?

 

[shooterdon]

I bought a pair of clamp on forks from Titan with the spreader bar. They work OK but as others have warned, you cannot lift much with them as the load is way out there. My JD FEL is rated at 700 lbs.

For moving firewood, I cannot use them effectively. I use a carry all to move cut down pallets than hold 1/4 of a cord.

They are handy to have for moving empty or lightly loaded pallets, and for moving brush but I find that I need to manually stack the brush onto the forks. As I plan on moving firewood and brush, I will be adding a Thumb bolt on grapple this year.

I would not feel safe using mine as a platform to work from.

If/when I upgrade, I would purchase a QA unit and have both a bucket and fork attachment. I believe you will get tired of removing and attaching pin on attachments so think about that if you decide to go that route. A lot will depend on what your primary work activities are and how often you will want to switch them out.

 

[Lowcountry Rebel]

my chain on titan forks are doing great handling the 1200 lb concrete hog slats