Strengthening the FEL Bucket

[rimshot]

If you are into pulling/lifting heavy objects with a FEL bucket you may want to consider strengthening your bucket. The primary purpose for the retrofitting of my bucket was to accomoodate a set of pallet forks. My bucket had been strenthened at the installed hook locations inside bucket (see gussets inside bucket) when the tractor was initially delivered. Later I asked Michigan iron & Equipment to also fit my FEL bucket for forks. The dual advantage is the way it strengthened my bucket because buckets can be distorted sometimes under heavy use.

Here are some pictures of the nice job of accomodating the above needs that was accomplished by the crafty engineering folks at Michigan Iron & Equipment.


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[rimshot]

Probably by now, some doubter out there is wondering what in the world is the reason rimshot thinks he needs such a strong FEL bucket for anyway? My answer to that question is Well, just look at the size of the firewood we grow in these parts.

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[groundcover]

Must be quite the wood stove!

 

[jimmyj]

Thanks a lot for the info Rimshot. Now that's a log! What kind of wood?

 

[JoelD]

I welded a piece of thick walled c-channel to the top of my bucket prior to welding on my chain grab hook. I think this is very important to keep the top of the bucket from bending when lifting heavy stuff with chain hooks. I think it not a great idea to attach hook directly to bucket as the bucket may bend.

This is a great link showing how it should be done, there are others out there.

Joel

 

[rimshot]

<<Thanks a lot for the info Rimshot. Now that's a log! What kind of wood?>>Jimmyj

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I must confess, jimmy. I have had a lot of fun with that overgrown stick of firewood. The picture is entirely bogus and is the results of tinkering with a computer and Adobe Photoshop.

The below picture I can assure you is for real. I could barely get this stump in the bucket. Gotta be careful and use a chain always.

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jpg.gif Big stump in bucket.JPG

 

[SPYDERLK]

Probably by now, some doubter out there is wondering what in the world is the reason rimshot thinks he needs such a strong FEL bucket for anyway? My answer to that question is Well, just look at the size of the firewood we grow in these parts.

rimshot

thats gotta be balsa or bogus considering the tiny tractor and no tire
deflection
larry

 

[jimmyj]

Ha ha ha ha.

It sure did seem odd. Good job with the chain around it. If it was real can you imagine what it would have weighed! Reminds me of the cartoon weight lifters with the two big black ball shaped weights with "500lbs" on each of them.

For my bucket, I'm having a 3" angle iron welded across the top. Then we are going to mount (weld) hooks and hitch receivers on it. My pal is machining a bale spear sleeve / collar into a 2" square so it will slide into the hitch receiver and make it easy to remove the spear. I can't wait, from what I've seen other TBN'ers do with their hooks and receivers I am imagining a myriad of uses.

 

[fcamillieri]

I must confess, jimmy. I have had a lot of fun with that overgrown stick of firewood. The picture is entirely bogus and is the results of tinkering with a computer and Adobe Photoshop.
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Here's a pic that wasn't Photoshopped. I did have to run it up a snowbank to help the bucket lift it. It's a Silver Maple log and I needed the BH for a counterweight.

Frank