Quick Attach Forks

/ Quick Attach Forks #1  

jimpen

Gold Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
335
Location
SW, Ohio
Tractor
Mahindra Max 25HST
Does anyone know who makes quick attach forks for a Mahindra FEL? Or generics?

I'll never need to lift palettes or anything like that. They are basically to lift railroad ties or logs. They really only need to get to 24" long at most. I won't object to longer but they aren't really needed.

I would prefer flat, but round will work.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #2  
I believe they are made by Bradco.

Do you have the standard skid steer quick attach? You can get a plain quick attach backplate and make your own quick attach implements to suit your specific needs. For the prices most companies want for a set of skid steer quick attach forks, I've been considering getting some parts and making my own. I don't need all the adjustments of a traditional set of forklift type forks and can likely make something specific to my needs for well under half the cost.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #3  
If you have a skid steer QH you can buy forks anywhere. Everything attachments has them.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks
  • Thread Starter
#5  
I have a Maihndra Max 25 with an FEL, backhoe, and mid-mount mower.

The prior owner of my property used railroad ties as fence posts. Not to mention the other bunches of railroad ties that are just laying on the ground.

My plan is to take out all the fences and pick up the loose ones to burn them. I don't want to try and drag them to the burn pit with the backhoe. So I want just plain flat forks that can handle about 500 pounds, or less, so I can get them to the burn pit easier.

As in, cut off the wire fence, pull them out of the ground with the backhoe, then use the FEL forks to move them. I don't want to try and drag them on the chain for leaving "trash" behind. I don't want to worry about leaving half behind if it breaks. I want to pull them out of the ground and leave them there. I want to come back with the forks, pick them up and dump them in the burn pit.

I looked at the Bradco site (Welcome to Bradco Supply - Your best choice for Roofing, Siding, Windows, Doors, Kitchens and Tools) and they seem to be a roofing supply site. I don't want a skid steer. I just want to move railroad ties.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #6  
You looking for bolt on forks that go on your bucket?
 
/ Quick Attach Forks
  • Thread Starter
#7  
You looking for bolt on forks that go on your bucket?

Exactly.

The google comes up with spears and the rest of the stuff. I just want to have some way to lift a railroad tie. They aren't really that heavy. I can lift the end by hand. But I'm getting to be an old decrepit guy that wants the equipment to work for me. :grumpy:
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #9  
Another option if you have a trailer. Put a thumb on your backhoe, pick up the ties, load them on the trailer, haul it to the burn pit, unhook the trailer, put a chain on the tongue and dump it with the back hoe.

Even easier with a trailer ball on the bucket, and dump with the FEL.

I made a thumb for mine with two rippers.
P1091472.JPG P1091474.JPG P1091481.JPG P1091492.JPG P1091493.JPG
 
/ Quick Attach Forks
  • Thread Starter
#10  
/ Quick Attach Forks #12  
Think twice about clamp on, they $uck. When moving ties that are on the ground, the forks will shift sideways. My bucket is all bent up, and the forks bend and spred at the clamp area, you will need a hydralic press to straighten them everytime you use them, dont waste your time and money!!!

If you have the quick atach like skid steers use, get a real set of paletforks, 42" are available for a$420.00 with free shipping. 36" are cheaper yet. They are also available to fit loaders without a skid loader quick atach. Check the net and eBay.

Once you get a set, you will love them, I pickup free pallets and store everything on them, easy to move, and load in a pickup.

Dave
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #13  
Think twice about clamp on, they $uck. When moving ties that are on the ground, the forks will shift sideways. My bucket is all bent up, and the forks bend and spred at the clamp area, you will need a hydralic press to straighten them everytime you use them, dont waste your time and money!!!

If you have the quick atach like skid steers use, get a real set of paletforks, 42" are available for a$420.00 with free shipping. 36" are cheaper yet. They are also available to fit loaders without a skid loader quick atach. Check the net and eBay.

Once you get a set, you will love them, I pickup free pallets and store everything on them, easy to move, and load in a pickup.

Dave
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #14  
Depending on how stout your FEL is, try not to get too heavy of a build on the forks. You don't need 4000 pound rated forks if you can only pick up one ton. There could be as much as two hundred pounds difference in just the fork weight, which takes away from the load you want to lift. The longer forks are handy, but the farther distance you get from the pivot point forward, the less you can pick up. But the farther out sometimes increases the view of your fork tips. The farther out, the less you can curl, too. Forks are one of my favorite attachments, use them even more than my bucket. :)

Bradco makes good forks, as do others.... mine are CID's.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #15  
Check out my other thread, I'll try to insert a link to it. Let me know if it doesn't work.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/mahindra-owning-operating/287242-new-member-max-25-a.html
These are forks I made for $40 (I used 1.5" by 3" C channel, didn't have any scrap so I bought 10') and an hour of cutting and welding. These forks are about 40 inches from the bucket, half that should be fine for your application. I lifted at least 500 pounds with no damage to the bucket. They will shift side to side if you knock them around. The clamps are 7/8 threaded rod with nuts tacked on under the top of the clamp.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #16  
A set of $295 clamp on forks will work great for just hauling around stuff that does not fit in the bucket, like posts, poles, fencing, etc. Perfect for what you are describing. If you were trying to haul odd shape rocks or scoop things out of the ground that are stuck in the dirt or things like that, then you won't like the clamp-ons as they will not stay in position with sideways forces on them. What Dr. Dave says above is true in certain applications, but your usage is the model usage for clamp-on forks. And with a Max25 you are limited to about 1000lbs, even less out on the forks, so you won't be bending things.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #17  
Think twice about clamp on, they $uck. When moving ties that are on the ground, the forks will shift sideways. My bucket is all bent up, and the forks bend and spred at the clamp area, you will need a hydralic press to straighten them everytime you use them, dont waste your time and money!!!

If you have the quick atach like skid steers use, get a real set of paletforks, 42" are available for a$420.00 with free shipping. 36" are cheaper yet. They are also available to fit loaders without a skid loader quick atach. Check the net and eBay.

Once you get a set, you will love them, I pickup free pallets and store everything on them, easy to move, and load in a pickup.

Dave


Agree with Dave. Get a set of real pallet forks and a quick attach plate for your tractor. I got mine from ATI in ( yeah....get this ) New Holland, PA after the local New Holland dealer told me they didn't make a quick attach for my 7308 New Holland loader I bought in 1998.

Pallet forks are at least as handy as a bucket if not more so. Mine stay on the tractor 90% of the time. I move everything around the farm on pallets anymore. You'll wonder what life was like before you bought a set after a year or so. :D
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #18  
Does anyone know who makes quick attach forks for a Mahindra FEL? Or generics?

I'll never need to lift palettes or anything like that. They are basically to lift railroad ties or logs. They really only need to get to 24" long at most. I won't object to longer but they aren't really needed.

I would prefer flat, but round will work.

Found these Block forks on eBay, $100 for the pair. I all ready had the frame. You could set them in the bucket, put a piece of 2" tubing through the holes and make brackets to hold them in place.
P8110002.JPG P8110007.JPG

The 48" length works good for brush.
P8110008.JPG

Used Pin Style Block Forks 48" Long | eBay

Edit: The forks are 2"x2" and weigh 80 pounds each.
 
Last edited:
/ Quick Attach Forks #19  
I agree with Dr Dave just fork up the 450 clams for a good set of forks. I have a set of clamp ons and they are a pain in the rear, even with a stabilizer. I broke down and shelled out the clams, 450 of them for a set of quick connects and found tons of other things they came in handy for. Things that I couldn't begin to do with clamp ons.
 
/ Quick Attach Forks #20  
2 local dealers quoted me ($350) for a new set of quick attach pallet forks that would fit my 3016.

That would be my ultimate solution, but I'm trying to "ease into it" by looking around (army retirement drives my buying abilities).

So far, I have had zero luck in finding used equipment such as an old bucket that I can take a torch to; make it into a custom log-cradle by cutting the shape of a "C" into both sides (for the logs to rest in without taking too much strength away from the bucket).

Good luck sir, let us know what you came up with.

Exfaxman, that is a awesome looking rig; thanks for the operational definitions.
 

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