Frank-N-Forks

We who have skid steers use them as tractor and everything else and having a set of fork lift forks it sure is handy. Easy to find for a bobcat but for older and non bobcat machines they are hard to find and when you do find them they are high priced and I mean high! $1500 for a used set for a 4400 Gehl skid steer, To much so I will build a set.

Frank-N-Forks are born! First let me say I am not a welder like Lance, I am a rod burner that can make a weld that will hold and not brake. That said I gathered up some scrap farm steel and got to figuring out how to build them. Found an old bucket to get the hard ware I needed to mount to the Gehl and started cutting and welding. Well its almost done now so I tried them out today and picked up an electric pole and it did without any problem and held it and I when bounced it some and it held! I have one piece to weld on and cut the 1 1/4" shaft to lenth and paint it. They are very over built and might weigh about 400 lbs or more but I think they will hold together, They better with 15 lbs of welding rods in it. They aint Purdy but I think they will work just fine. The forks will go out to 47" wide and into 24" without pulling the shaft and moving the forks. Frank-N-Forks are alive! Bandit

That's how country folk have survived all this time, If you can't get it, or can't afford it, you just build it yourself! Looks good, when you're finished it will look better.

Welds look better than mine. That is something I need to do some time; instead of just sticking things together with molten metal I should learn to weld.

One thing I still haven't figured out is how a piece of 1 1/4 x 3 JD plow beam that was cut at 47" and 2 1/2" end plates grew to 48 3/16"? I guess I will have to do some fancy welding on this end. Nothing goes to plane! Bandit

Those welds look good to me and that's a fine set of forks. Most of us tend to over build things but I'm good with that. I have a set that I built for my IH 350 utility. They sure come in handy. I always tell the guys in the equipment shop where I work if they remove a set of forks from a machine because it won't pass inspection don't throw them away I'll take them. I've got three sets like that over the last 10 years.

This set came off an old Moto-Truck that the drive motor burned up and the company would not fix it so they junked it. I talked them into letting me have them and they have been sitting in the back barn for 10 years till now. This has been one of those round to it things, With the wet spring I somehow got motivated to build them. Bandit

How are the breaks on that machine?
good luck
K

LOL What Breaks, They aint none! Bandit

The brakes on my wheelbarrow are...DROP THE HANDLES!!!
K

Those are pretty decent looking weld and one nice looking set of forks. I expect they will serve you well for many years.

Looks to be a first class job, Bandit......Health to enjoy!......Sam

Very imppresive !!!!!
you couldn't buy those for 1500$
And ya, your welding looks great
you should of been an engineer

Looks great good job... I use my forks 95% of the time dunno how I got alone with out them... I over killed a gissmo used to pick up stuff with my forks... My weld'N bud said what you gonna pick up with that I said the back tar's :lol:

I am, A Barn yard Engineer! I did this too. AC corn head on a JD combine. Bandit

Good job,Bandit!!!

looking good. im looking for a set of forks so i can get DH to make us a frank n fork too some day.

Forks is also useful for digging shallow drainage trenches, too, LOL!