Forks Westendorf 3PH Fork Lift from Craigslist

[Gale Hawkins]

I called about this 3PH forklift yesterday morning and closed the deal by phone and 14 hours later I had it home early this morning. Since I had to have the U-Haul trailer back by 10 AM this morning I had to move fast after a short night. This afternoon the son and I got it mounted and all functions working.

The forks will spread to 48" and are 3" wide and 1.5" thick before they taper. On our 1976 MF 265 with the lift all the way up we could off load pallets from a truck bed as high as 6'. Westendorf states it is rated at up to 3500 pounds of lifting "depending on your tractor". Their hydraulic top link cylinder is awesome and everything comes Cat 2 size so we can use it on the Ford 3000 but it would have to be for very light duty and I think the MF 265 is about as small as would be safe if used with care. The mask states 8 and it does seem to be eight foot tall. This summer we will repaint it back stock colors since it looks good with the MF color scheme.

The funny part was the mask would not lift yet each spooler control would move the top link. After 42 years the shaft in a shaft had frozen together but some PB Blaster and time fixed that age related tractor issue. I am glad the FIL purchased it new with the double spool set up. The fork main cylinder is single action. The guy that had it is 6 years older than me and has owned it for years and said he had a local guy rebuilt the lift cylinder. While we did not load test it today the cylinder is smooth up and down.

Thrifty Lift | Westendorf

From the links in the link above it means I have the ADJUSTABLEFORK LIFTHF-AJ100 and the TOP LINKCYLINDER M-7. The flexibility is nice which makes me happy. If I run across the BALE SPEARHF-150 priced right I would go for it just in case we should ever move to round bales.

https://www.loaders.com/userdocs/products/HFC-42.pdf

Below is a 1 minute Youtube video of the Westendorf forklift attachment showing its range of motion.

Westendorf Thrifty Lift - 3 point forklift attachment - YouTube

Now I have to get one of the video cameras and display set up that I still have in the boxes. There is a time and place for our chain on forks but with my extra "eyes" both in college those days are long gone I expect. If it is to be it is now left up to me I guess.

 

[LouNY]

Enjoy your find,I find the rear forks handier then front quite often and they can have more capacity most of the time, I made mine from a forklift mast;
View attachment IMG_20180111_113547661.jpg

 

[Gale Hawkins]

You did an awesome job.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Enjoy your find,I find the rear forks handier then front quite often and they can have more capacity most of the time, I made mine from a forklift mast;
View attachment 542638View attachment 542639

Did you figure out a way to prevent tilting the mast into the tractor's cab roof?

I notice the heavier masts use chains with a lift cylinder unlike mine. Does the chain version give one compound lifting ability?

 

[flyerdan]

... Does the chain version give one compound lifting ability?

Not quite, it halves the lifting power of the cylinder, but doubles the distance it will lift. It's like a snatch block in reverse; for every foot the cylinder lifts the forks raise two feet.

 

[Stimw]

Great score on the lift!! I didn't know anyone made them.
I would be REAL careful with anything very high.
My 4000 lb Clark forklift weighs 8800 lbs but can be tippy on soft or un-level ground.

 

[LouNY]

Did you figure out a way to prevent tilting the mast into the tractor's cab roof?

I notice the heavier masts use chains with a lift cylinder unlike mine. Does the chain version give one compound lifting ability?

I use a hydraulic toplink, sometimes I'll add a cylinder stoke limiter.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Not quite, it halves the lifting power of the cylinder, but doubles the distance it will lift. It's like a snatch block in reverse; for every foot the cylinder lifts the forks raise two feet.

Thanks that makes sense now.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Great score on the lift!! I didn't know anyone made them.
I would be REAL careful with anything very high.
My 4000 lb Clark forklift weighs 8800 lbs but can be tippy on soft or un-level ground.

That is a nice size forklift. As a kid I thought the backwards tractor forklift at the sawmill was so cool. I like the size of the tractor tires if I ever use it with a hay spear. Since this Westendorf only lifts to about 6' that will lower the risk of tipping and I guess that may be one legal reason for that height level.

I did not know anyone that made 3PH forklifts like this either. I know the owner of my Westendorf 3PH forklift had it for years when he was in the seed business yet it seems they are still selling the same model today.

I will fully spread the rear tires if I find myself traveling with a heavy load on uneven ground, etc. The attachment version of these kinds of lifts do carry some safety risks because the maker never knows what or how they will be used in the field.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I use a hydraulic toplink, sometimes I'll add a cylinder stoke limiter.

SpeeCo Stroke Control, 1-1/8 in. to 1-1/2 in. at Tractor Supply Co.

I did no about an option like this. Thanks