Stabilizing clamp on forks?

[etpm]

A few months ago I bought a Yanmar YM2310 tractor. It is the most modern tractor I own. It has the Bulldog 285 FEL on it and the tractor came with clamp on forks. I already have a forklift and so am used to forks that stay where I put them. The clamp on forks tend to move, to swivel, so that they are no longer perpendicular to the leading edge of the bucket. This is a problem. The bucket is fairly lightweight so I'm gonna weld on a couple of 3/16 inch thick stiffening plates in the general area where the forks go. This way the forks can be adjusted width wise. But the swiveling problem will still exist. I am considering welding some lengths of 1/2 inch thick square steel stock to the stiffening plates to trap the forks in various positions. This will limit the fork positions to just a few set widths but I don't think that will matter if the positions are chosen carefully with a little forethought. But then there will be 1/2 inch thick strips of steel welded to the bottom of the bucket which may interfere with other bucket operations. After all, I have never seen a bucket with strips welded to it like I described. So, anybody got any better ideas? At this time in my life I am having lots of emotional stress. This is affecting my thinking. Stuff that would normally be obvious to me is not. I need some distractions to help relax my mind. Getting the forks securely on my tractor will help.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[Gem99ultra]

Same problem here. I'll be watching for a solution. Thanks for the post.

 

[Diggin It]

You don't have one of these bars?

 

[FastEddieR]

The forks should have a point to hook up a stabilizer/support chain to the bucket. they also sell a bar that goes between the two forks to keep them from twisting apart.

 

[TractorGuy]

You don't have one of these bars?

I have a clamp on set like this. All I can say is they suck! Just a tad better than nothing if you need them. I usually just chain whatever I need to move to my bucket hooks and pick it up from above.

By the time I have my clamp on forks mounted and secure I could have chained whatever it is to the bucket hooks and had it moved.

 

[Doughknob]

How about welding on some side pieces on the forks instead of the bucket. In other words, pieces running parallel to the bucket front edge, right next to that edge.

 

[CobyRupert]

I’ve used the clamp on forks. Like others have said, they’re better than nothing.
With me, it was just a matter of when I’d over do it and the leverage of the forks bends the bucket edge. It now has a smiley face. ..and some dents where the clamp on bolts touch.
Also be prepared with a BIG lever to undo those clamp on bolts when you they bend. Fun fun!

I also used the stabilizer bar to keep the forks parallel. Again, it’s not 100% effective, but better than nothing. You’ll discover it’s hard to tighten a metal bolt onto a metal fork and have it stay in place. Eventually when you dump the forks vertically, the stabilizer bar slides right off the forks. I found that putting a piece of wood or rubber between the bolts and the fork acts like a good “washer”.

Eventually you will load something heavy on the forks that bends the stabilizer bar so that’s it’s width adjustment cannot slide. This will be the permanent width of your forks when using the stabilizer bar.

I eventually bought a “real” set of forks that mount on their own quick connect frame. I still use the stabilizer bar, as I do a lot of non-pallet “poking around” under things with them. I have the stabilizer bar chained to the fork frame now so it can’t slide off.

 

[etpm]

You don't have one of these bars?

No, I do not have one of the bars pictured. The forks you show look exactly like mine. And it also looks like I need to make one of those bars.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[LittleBill21]

if you have those you can make a turnbuckle and chain them from the back

look at this product on amazon, there is a guy who made a turnbuckle setup with chains in the reviews

Amazon.com: Titan Attachments Light-Duty 46" Clamp-on Pallet Forks Stabilizer Bar Rated 1,500 LB Loader or Skid Steer : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com: Titan Attachments Light-Duty 46" Clamp-on Pallet Forks Stabilizer Bar Rated 1,500 LB Loader or Skid Steer : Patio, Lawn & Garden

amzn.to

https://imgur.com/GFLBHXy

 

[newbury]

A lot depends on how often and for what purpose you need to use the forks.
I've got a set of the clamp-ons for each of my two tractors. I rarely need them, but when I do they come in real handy.
I've used a 2x4 with flat-U-bolts for the rare occasion when I didn't have a stabilizer bar handy.

 

[cwbyeng1300]

We had some heavy duty bolt on forks for a backhoe. What we did was weld some large washers on the inside of the bucket where the clamp bolts touched the bucket. This gave us a fixed width, but that was where we needed to keep them anyway. The bucket had a reinforcement plate in line with the lower pivot points where we alway put the forks. Even if they worked loose the end of the bolt wouldn't jump out of the washer "cup". If they were crooked I would just tilt the bucket down & let gravity straighten them out before I used them.

 

[etpm]

We had some heavy duty bolt on forks for a backhoe. What we did was weld some large washers on the inside of the bucket where the clamp bolts touched the bucket. This gave us a fixed width, but that was where we needed to keep them anyway. The bucket had a reinforcement plate in line with the lower pivot points where we alway put the forks. Even if they worked loose the end of the bolt wouldn't jump out of the washer "cup". If they were crooked I would just tilt the bucket down & let gravity straighten them out before I used them.

That's an interesting idea. The washers. I'm gonna take a look at what I can maybe weld to the inside of the bucket, be it washers or perhaps washers and something else. Welding stuff to the inside of the bucket bothers me way less than stuff welded to to outside bottom where it could interfere with digging.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[loggin]

That's an interesting idea. The washers. I'm gonna take a look at what I can maybe weld to the inside of the bucket, be it washers or perhaps washers and something else. Welding stuff to the inside of the bucket bothers me way less than stuff welded to to outside bottom where it could interfere with digging.
Thanks,
Eric

I have to admit I don't have much faith in clamp on pallet forks. But for light duty lifting they can work. That said here is a video that shows how to stabilize them. Check around the 4 minute mark if you don't want to watch the whole video.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Doughknob]

That's an interesting idea. The washers. I'm gonna take a look at what I can maybe weld to the inside of the bucket, be it washers or perhaps washers and something else. Welding stuff to the inside of the bucket bothers me way less than stuff welded to to outside bottom where it could interfere with digging.
Thanks,
Eric

If willing to do that, u could weld on a bar with a long slot. This would allow any position plus capture the clamps like the washers.

 

[etpm]

I have to admit I don't have much faith in clamp on pallet forks. But for light duty lifting they can work. That said here is a video that shows how to stabilize them. Check around the 4 minute mark if you don't want to watch the whole video.

Hope this helps!!

Thanks for the link, I will watch it later today.
Eriv

 

[PILOON]

I have a set of DIY forks and solved the parallelism issue.
What I did was to make the clamping width match the gap between my teeth.
Most clamp ons are just as wide as the fork width.
Since my teeth are 8 ins apart I made my forks with a 6 inch contact area so they don't wander.
Works just fine.

 

[CobyRupert]

….but hooking a chain and binder around the bucket to avoid getting a smiley face bucket prevents sticking in a couple of vertically mounted 2”x4”’s into the clamp on forks that acts as a “backstop”. (Most clamp on forks have a 2”x4” holder)
This is ok if you’re just lifting pallets, but if you’re lifting logs you definitely want these “backstops” and don’t just rely on the bucket as your backstop.
Many people have been killed or injured when the log is lifted too high and it rolls backwards over the bucket, right down the loader arms and right onto the drivers chest or lap.
Serious stuff.

 

[Navvet]

….but hooking a chain and binder around the bucket to avoid getting a smiley face bucket prevents sticking in a vertically mounted 2”x4” into the clamp on forks that acts as a “backstop”. (Most clamp on forks have a 2”x4” holder)
This is ok if you’re just lifting pallets, but if you’re lifting logs you definitely want these “backstops” and don’t just rely on the bucket as your backstop.
Many people have been killed or injured when the log is lifted too high and it rolls backwards over the bucket, right down the loader arms and right onto the drivers chest or lap.
Serious stuff.

I did the same thing with the chain (it hooks to the chain hooks at the top of the bucket, not all the way around). If you look at the picture above, you'll see they added a bracket for the turnbuckle to attach to. I never use a 2x4 for the backstop, don't trust it. I use some heavy c channel.

My little 40hp easily lifts 3000# with the clamp-on's, just have to take it slow and easy.

 

[TractorGuy]

This is the last time I used mine. They went over instead of under but i needed a little more reach to move my generator. I had my 1200 lb ballast on the 3pt and kept the load a few inches off the ground.

 

[CobyRupert]

This is the last time I used mine. They went over instead of under but i needed a little more reach to move my generator. I had my 1200 lb ballast on the 3pt and kept the load a few inches off the ground.

If it works, it works!
…but when it doesn’t, having the forks under the load keeps the load closer to the tractor. This is less leverage that will lift the rear of the tractor and the FEL has a greater lift capacity operating in its “breakout” range.