Loader forks ideas

I recently purchased a small loader (JD755 with model 70 loader). I really need forks to move bulky or heavy (to me) things. Maybe 3 or 4 foot long forks. A pallet on the forks would make a great carry-all.

I understand I can buy all kinds commercially including clamp on forks, but I'm on a bit of a shoe string budget. I'm looking for some red-neck advise on what size channel iron I could use to make my own clamp on forks. I don't need over-kill. And lets try to assume I'm careful and don't attempt to dig roots out with them or hang loads off the tip of the fork/s.

What size channel iron should I look for to use as forks?

Just for what it's worth TractorData.com says this loader's lift capacity is only 700 lbs which is more than enough for me.

I don't know of anywhere to get used forklift forks and the ones I have seen are expensive, mounting them in the bucket isn't straight forward, they are overkill in strength, and they are heavy.
 
That 700 pounds is at the bucket.

Sticking forks out past the bucket will drop your capacity big time. Maybe down to 3 or 400 lbs.

Removing the bucket and making a set of forks to put on without the bucket would greatly increase your capacity.

Do you have a Quicktach bucket on the loader that would allow easy removal of the bucket to add other attachments?

Gary
 
2x2" sq tubing with 1/4" wall would suffice. Bolt it to the "floor" of the bucket with 1/2" bolts. 3x3 would be ok, too, but you might have trouble getting into and out of a standard wood pallet.
 
I made a set from lift arms that came off a vehicle lift. I welded short lengths of chain on each and use chain binders to "cinch" them firmly in place. The back of the lift arms have 2 projecting sections of steel, actually bent plate, that resemble clamp on forks. I also welded a large nut and used some threaded rod, over 1" in diameter, welded bolts on top of those for handles. They would not work very well without the chains and binders, the "ears" that cup the bucket edge are too short, but were ideal to just add to as is, I could extend them.

They are heavy, hard to see while using, did I say they are heavy LOL..... sure they work, just for firewood logs, but in comparison to the quick tatch set I bought for another tractor, there is none, but you do what you must, and they do work. Not so easy to mount, then cinch with the binders.

I do see fork lift tines fairly regularly listed in CL, as well as quick tatch forks, and is where I found the slightly used set I bought for about $500. I did need them badly, was a huge labor saver too, as I used them often.

You may be able to find tines if you look, if you are handy fabricating steel, it may pay off or at least be a wash if you build a set to fit the tractor loader.

The ones on the bucket are hard to see, and there is no real guard to prevent what is loaded on the forks from rolling back down the loader arms, which is a very real safety concern, ie; round bale, log etc. can roll back and pin the operator once lifted high enough. You don't need the bucket on with forks, the added weight reduces the payload, but with clamp on you have to live with that.

I don't know about the steel, you may be able to accomplish it with C channel, or rectangular thick wall tube. In reality when something like this is built, and you don't know the acceptable working loads, what the safety factor is beyond that before they fail, does have the potential to be unsafe or worse, something to know, more so if someone other than yourself uses them without knowing the above, that information should be determined and the forks marked for capacity.

Also realize the back of the tractor needs to be ballasted, I use a thick cast iron weight, that is almost the size of a 3' stack of suitcase weights and have loaded tires. You can barely see the forks, the binders and chain, and the load that was quite a bit, tractor will move more but, with the bucket on it all adds up.
a172754.jpg
 
The fork design that is secured with chains and binders
is probably the easiest to make. (ratchet straps work fine too.)
However, If you have to buy parts, you can't beat their $100 or so price ready to go.
google this to see the design:
Pallet Forks Loader Bucket chain binder

I've made a few without torches or welders over the years.
Just square tubing under the bucket, a short stub piece of tubing
with a few spacers attached at the bucket for the bucket edge to slide into.
Ratchet straps around the bucket securing the rear of the under tubing
to an eye on the tubing right in front of the bucket edge.
worked fine for light duty.
 
I borrowed a pair of forks that clamp on to the bucket- worked fine, but impossible to use with pallets by yourself, because you can't see what you're doing. I'd make a see-through frame that pins to the loader like the bucket does, and hang the forks off that.
 
I've seen way to many loaders bent with the clamp on bucket forks. Just my opinion but I wouldn't want a set if they were given to me for free. Look up Artillion website he makes pallet forks just for small loaders and other attachments you can hook to his frame.
 
Whatever you go with consider rigging up mounts on the inside back of your bucket that act as a hinge point so you can stand the forks up and strap them out of the way when you want to use the bucket.
This will also prevent catastrophic damage to the forks and bucket should you forward tilt into the ground too far.
 
I made a set for our JD 4600, using 4 inch channel, and there just barely strong enough, but the 4600 will lift 2500 lb. I drop the bucket off and they go right on the Quick-tach.
 
Scrape together $169 and order from Titan, includes the stabilizer bar: http://www.titandistributorsinc.com/default/titan-attachments/clamp-on-pallet-forks/clamp-on-pallet-forks-1-500-lbs-capacity-w-stabilizer-bar.html
Free shipping, you'll have them within a week. More capacity than you need. Got a set a month ago for my Mahindra eMax 22. No issues, no cutting, no welding, no drilling.
 
I used 4 inch channel for the first set of forks I made, MISTAKE. Next set was made out of 7 inch heavy channel. Can't bend them like I did the 4 inch ones.
 
My T5C terramite with 4 ft long forks, 7 inch channel, can lift 1100# weight 2 ft in front of bucket. That's all the little girl can handle too. Had to use ballast on the hoe to keep the back wheels on ground too.
 
Bought this set that is partly homemade and it was quik-tach that fits the Kubota. Guy got the forks from his work as they wanted 48" ones. These are 42".
mvphoto12460a.jpg


Use them all the time, as much as the bucket and with quik-tach I can switch in about 1 minute.
mvphoto12461.jpg
 
It's too much fun for me to remove front bucket.
My forks go under front bucket 12 inches and
stick out 48 inches. Takes less than a minute to
install. If I made something like you have, I
could lift more, but for me it's not worth it.
Don't use forks that much. I wish I could post
pics form my old computer to show all the stuff I
have lifted with forks.

I've modified my forks so I can attach a 7 ft 3
pt landscape/rock rake. It actually works better
than using rake on a 3 pt tractor. My 3 pt
tractor has no downforce.

I took my old 4 inch forks and attached to a
device that tirms trees/brush up to 10 ft off the
ground. Again very easy and fast to install.
 
You can make strong thin forks by nesting channel together. I used 5" for the top, legs down, and 4" underneath, legs up. There will be a space on the bottom that you fill by welding in pieces of 3/8" rod or old bolts. I made mine out of aluminum so I could lift more. Was considering manufacturing them until I found out the premium for liability insurance would be $5000 a year.
 
Go down to your local county/state road shop. Ask them for a couple used grader blade bits. Cut them to desired length (chop saw), cut a couple holes in each one (torch), then bolt them (3/4" grade 8 bolts) to the bottom side of your bucket (underneath). I have a set for my bucket I have used to move everything from pallets of parts (and a whole list of other stuff), to moving/loading logs onto a trailer (even 16' x 20" size).
Old neighbor of mine had a set on his Minnie. He made a living hauling logs to cut/sell firewood. They took YEAR of abuse.

Just be sure to put them UNDER the bucket for leverage.
 
Chris Having sold Kubotas for 28 years I have seen a lot of folks do just what you are asking. MY ADVISE most time it is just money wasted. The end product most time just ruins the bucket or gets someone hurt. Realize this first you loader is 750 lbs IN THE BUCKET, now when you move the load forward of the bucket say 2 feet you really cut the effective load you can pick up. These new quick attach buckets allow for removal of bucket and attachment of forks there at the loader arms. I know you are trying to save money but don,t expect too much out of anything your rig up.
 
Thanks! That's using your thinking cap! I have two of them now that I got after they were removed from some form of state equipment. The ones I have are 5/8" thick and 4.75" wide (which would have been tall on the machine). Also the 5/8" thick tapers to a cutting edge on one side--so like 1.25" of it's width is not full 5/8 thick. They are also a tad bit curved over that 4.75". Still they are substantial heavy pieces of metal and might just do good.

I also found some C channel I'd forgotten in my scrap pile. Viewed from the end laying like the letter "n" it's 4" across the top and that part is 1/8 thick and it is 1.5" tall--that part is almost 1/2" thick at the top and tapers to 1/8" at the bottom. They might work too.

I suspect the metal they are made of also impacts their suitability? I'll have to mull it over.
 
Thanks, I cut a couple inches off one with an abrasive wheel on a circular saw and welded it up to make a new point on a worn out Farmall Cub plow. Works Great!

Definitely a good idea! Thanks for thinking "outside the box". :)
 
Years ago, my Father made a set for the loader on his Ford 3000. He didn't need to lift heavy stuff or use them a lot, so he used hardwood planks, whittled the tips down a little and bolted them into the bucket. Light weight, cheap and did everything he needed.
 
I should have said that he cut logs for a living and when the lumber mills closed he bought a small band mill to process the logs and sell the lumber. He used the forks to place the logs on the ways, move lumber and other useful tasks around the place. He already had the tractor for haying so he used what he had.
 
Thank you everyone. IMHO if you have a loader you should be able to use it as a carry-all and here's what I've decided.

Dachshund's said use motor grader cutting edges. I have one that is 7 foot already! I have two holes in the bottom of my bucket where something was previously bolted (one on each side). I find that I can cut the 7 foot grader blade in half and line up an existing hole in it with the hole in the bottom of the bucket. Take a heavy piece of steel and put it inside the bucket over the hole extending out the bucket to meet the next hole in the grader blade and bolt all this together sandwiching the bucket using the same type bolts that were used on the grader. I'll probably need a spacer in front the bucket's cutting edge. This would create effectively 2 foot forks. There would be 1.5 foot of the forks extending under the bucket--actually behind it a couple inches.

This should be enough for me. At least I can lift a log or some lumber or pipe or whatever. And at only 2 foot long they should be a lot less likely to tweak the bucket than 3 or 4 foot forks for those times I loan it to the less careful. :)

Going further I can see adding some planking for a platform and sparepartsTN's idea would be useful in that I could extend these forks with 2X4s if I need longer ones for moving a light pallet, a larger platform or something bulky.

Again, thank you everyone for the advise, and especially thanks to Dachshund and sparepartsTN for the creative thinking.
 

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