Will it work?

northeast puller 1 · Aug 25, 2013

Will it work?

I have a John Deere 950 4x4 compact with a # 75 loader on it with a # 8 hoe and loaded tire for ballast. My hardware store is growing and the need / want for a fork lift are getting greater. I would prefer not to buy a fork lift just yet but make more use of the paid for tractor. I thought of buying or adapting a skid steer quick connect to my loader. For one to be able to switch to snow plow on short notice and two to have the forks in closer to the frame to in prove lifting capacity. I want to be able to lift 1 ton skids of wood pellets off of a semi trailer to take advantage of direct buying from the manufacturer.
The loader specks are
ASAE rated lift Capacity 750 lbs
ASAE rated break out capacity is 1710 lbs
Which speck is the real world lifting capacity? By putting the forks direct to the loader frame in stead of some type of clamp on bucket fork. Will that in crease the lifting capabilities.
I do not want to buy or make this set up and have 22 skids of wood pellets here and find out I can not unload them and need a bigger dog.

Thanks northeast puller.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 25, 2013

I think that is too much for that outfit. You can find older forklifts around larger cities that will do what you need or lease one.

ohiojim · Aug 25, 2013

not familiar with the 950, but if it's the size i'm thinking, i think you're asking way to much of the tractor to lift 1 ton...if you're doing that good and unload that much material i'd get a forklift

RCP · Aug 25, 2013

I doubt it will lift 2000#, but why not try to lift that much weight with your existing bucket as a trial. Put a that much weight in the form of a wheel weights or suitcase weights in the bucket and see if you can lift it and how the tractor handles the weight.

Rich

Stephen Newell · Aug 25, 2013

Whether it works or not I don't think you would like it. For years I have been putting forks on different tractors I've had and while it works it's really difficult to operate. You have a lot of trouble seeing where the forks are in relation to the pallet. Sometimes it takes me a half dozen tries to get the forks into a pallet. If I had more frequent use I would opt for an actual fork lift.

showcrop · Aug 25, 2013

Sounds like way too much for the front axle and replacing the turn seals on those is a PIA job. Where I work in Stoughton MA is selling two 3500 lift trucks soon. The president says that they will go cheap. One is 16 years old and the other is 11 If you want I can give you the number to get details.

caterpillar guy · Aug 25, 2013

If you know in advance of the arrival of the pellets. Just rent one for the job each time you need to unload them. Or you could have an extra pallet there to move some of the bags till you can lift them. Yes the forks on the ends of the arms will help with lifting. Over on the front of the bucket. I don't think you can lift a ton with them even if you do move them to the ends of the loader arms. What about a set of forks on the 3 pt of a bigger tractor. They can roll them to the back of the trailer with a pallet jack, then you can lift them with the forks on the 3pt.I don't mean like a bale spear set up. One that the mast hooks to the 3pt and the forks move by the SCV on the tractor like lifting an implement.

Bob Bancroft · Aug 25, 2013

Yes, anything you can do to move the load rearward will give you more capacity. But that knocks out any "quick-tach" adaptor, as not only do they add weight, but the move the load forward also.
You can buy a decent used forklift quite reasonably. I'm talking $4000 or less. I have one here.

Geo-TH,In · Aug 25, 2013

I made a set of concrete bar bells. (6) 75 # weights that will fit on a 2 inch pipe. I use the hoe to grab the bar bell. The max weight of the bar bell is 450#. If I extend 450# all the way back, I'll do a wheelie. It works great on my T5C.

Made a set of forks from used 7 inch channel to slip on the front bucket. Easy on and easy off. I can easily lift 1000 pounds. Can move forks to different positions to lift pallets.

Not a fan of ballast in tires, eventually the ballast will rust the rims. Don't like having ballast when not needed too. A little hard on tires.

George

Chris(WA) · Aug 25, 2013

You need a bigger dog! 1710 break out is pretty much the max the hydraulics can move so you are under there. 750 lift is pretty much the max the tractor can handle so you are WAY under there!
You might force it to do the job a time or two but you will wish you hadn't in handling and damage to the tractor/loader!

fixerupper · Aug 25, 2013

The way most loaders are designed there is less lift the higher the loader is raised. When you have your loader raised up to truck bed height you will have less breakaway lift than when it's on the ground. My WL42 Westendorf loader on a 1086 will lift 3600 pounds worth of bales off the ground but by the time I get those bales raised up to truck bed height it's at the end of it's lift limits. Jim

paul · Aug 25, 2013

No.

Paul

Dick2 · Aug 25, 2013

NO! If you break your tractor in half; they will sell you a new one.

Shop around for a fork lift and avoid damaging your tractor.

jm. · Aug 25, 2013

With the bucket off NO QUICK ADAPTER just some light forks you are still NOT going to handle 2,000 LB with the 950. Just not enough front axel or rear end. You would be better off watching for cheap fork lift. You can find a cheap old used fork lift for thousand to fifteen hundred.
A real LIGHT fork lift mast mounted to the rear 3 point MIGHT just barley move your 2,000 lb. But would require a rear valve and more expense. Company called ATI in Pennsylvania is your source for the quick attach adapter if you go the loader route.

Mike (WA) · Aug 25, 2013

Luckily, a load that heavy will trip the bypass in the hydraulic system, so you probably wouldn't be able to actually break the tractor.

Get an old forklift- it probably won't cost much more than the hardware you were going to have to buy for this ill-fated venture.

Rick Kr · Aug 25, 2013

Get a forklift or rent one on occasion if that is possible.

I have a skidsteer style quickattach on my tractor. The forks have been a life saver, can't figure out why I waited so long.

BUT, yes huge BUT, these forks are nothing like running a dedicated forklift. Visibility is poor, the loader frame blocks the view, plus you are 7-8 feet away from the forks, vs. a forklift.

The forks are awesome at my place, but if you plan on unloading a semi on occasion and use them on a regular basis, a forklift will walk circles around loader mounted forks.

The weight issue has already been answered in other posts. The replacement price of a new front axle for your tractor will buy you a used forklift.

Rick

Geo-TH,In · Aug 25, 2013

After rereading your post, I don't think my T5C could safely handle 2000 #. If I tried putting 2000# on the front bucket, it would transfer another 2000# of the tractor weight to the front tires. That would definately do some damage. Putting weight on the back hoe, bar bells, like I did would transfer weight to the back wheels. Ballast won't transfer anything.

Before getting 22 skids, make up a pallet loaded with cement block or something to make up a ton. Keep the load as close as you can to the front end. The weight of bar bells would have to be close to what you are lifting or you would have to extend it backwards, making it difficult to handle in a small space of a semi, unless it's a flat bed. If you had to remove it from a flat bed semi, then you will be dealing with another very dangerous situation, high center of gravity, which will cause you to tip over.

Don't really think your backhoe can lift as much as the front bucket.

Perhaps you can get smaller skids or a bigger dog.

Most round bales are less than 2000#. Try lifting one of those. Don't think SOOOO.
George

Rich_WI · Aug 25, 2013

Why wreck your tractor when used forklifts are so cheap and readily available? Most times I hear of them selling for scrap price. I can see why the big warehouses get new lifts, if a new lift makes a worker just 10% faster, the new lift is easily paid for in wages. In your case though, even a slower, used lift will work fine, after all, how many truck loads of pellets do you sell in a year?

Here is just a PARTIAL list of forklifts available in Madison and Milwaukee, I searched craigslist for under $5000 and found these. Top price was $3500 and cheapest was $800. Im sure your area of the country has similar low cost forklifts.

http://madison.craigslist.org/for/3952788948.html

http://madison.craigslist.org/tls/4019136569.html

http://madison.craigslist.org/bar/4023469482.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bfs/4003968177.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bfs/3980950893.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bfs/4016540977.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/fod/4020786837.html

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/hvo/4003228639.html

Stumpy(NH) · Aug 25, 2013

I actually do the job you speak of. Only we use a Cat 7 ton backhoe with forks on the bucket. 2000 lbs on anything smaller gets a little silly. We were getting them by a ton and a third pallet. Those were heavy. There really isn"t time to unload or break pallets down and handle bags. Renting a machine to unload a truck will kill the already marginal profit out of pellet sales. I would recommend Showcrops advice and buy a fork truck used. They are more handy than a Swiss Army knife. Forget using a compact tractor, it"s the wrong tool

My.02

Stumpy

showcrop · Aug 25, 2013

(quoted from post at 12:48:44 08/25/13) I actually do the job you speak of. Only we use a Cat 7 ton backhoe with forks on the bucket. 2000 lbs on anything smaller gets a little silly. We were getting them by a ton and a third pallet. Those were heavy. There really isn"t time to unload or break pallets down and handle bags. Renting a machine to unload a truck will kill the already marginal profit out of pellet sales. I would recommend Showcrops advice and buy a fork truck used. They are more handy than a Swiss Army knife. Forget using a compact tractor, it"s the wrong tool

My.02

Stumpy

Stumpy, are you going to Hopkinton? Your daughter probably starts school tomorrow. I paid $3500 for a 4500lb Yale in 1985. I needed one for my new warehouse and it served me well there for twenty years with just minor repairs here and there. It had a new torque converter and hydraulic pump when I got it. When I sold the business in '05 I kept it because I couldn't imagine being without it. A few weeks ago a wire broke on the propane and it was touch and go being without it for about a week LOL.

Mark - IN. · Aug 25, 2013

I do have a 950 in my stable with a 75 loader, 2 wheel drive though, not 4x4. The hydraulics of a 950 are not up to it, nor is the front axle, nor is the loader. Your best chances because of the weak front axle, and it is weak, would be to try the 3 point hitch, but again, the hydraulics are not up to it. Ag tractors with loaders generally are ok with round bails that are well out of a 950's league, but anything more with a loader is not a good idea unless is a construction grade tractor with a construction grade front axle like the Case "C" series.

The answer to you question though, is no. The 850/900HC/950/1050 series tractors will not do what you are asking of it, them. If you want to ruin that little guy, its yours though.

Mark

northeast puller 1 · Aug 26, 2013

Thanks, guy’s. Deep down I new the answer but was hopping I might be wrong. The Buying wood pellets by the trailer load is an expansion to my business. As Stumpy pointed out that the margin is low on them. I did not want the up front expense of a fork lift out of the gate till it proved profitable. I looked for used 3pt fork lift but have not found any. New ones are more expensive then a good used fork lift. I did not want to put large capital in a used fork lift at this time. (Large to me) I know it does not cost as much as a combine. I am hoping to buy my own building (store front & ware house) any time now when the right one comes along. I was hoping to make do with what I have to work with. But your replies to my post confirm as I suspected it is a bad idea .I do not know about farm loans but with commercial lending you have to have at least 25% down and top notch credit for the banker to even look at the second page of your application in the retail business. I have been in business for 4 years now in this lack luster economy. To come up with 25% or more down payment money selling nuts and bolts and brooms and stuff has not been easy these day’s and big box stores are not helping. But like my farther always told me when I was a kid if it was easy every one would be doing it.
Thanks, for the input guy’s

North east puller.

Stumpy(NH) · Aug 26, 2013

Not going to Hopkington. I need to get my hay done over the
long weekend if the weather agrees. If not then I still need to
get some brush hogging jobs done. Been on Vacation with my
family and really fallen behind! One of these days I'll catch up
with you to be able to shake your hand.

Stumpy

Chuck NH · Aug 26, 2013

Local general store just down the street from me has a used fork lift for sale here in northern NH ($2500 I think). It's kept undercover and he's looking to replace it with a skid steer and swap between bucket and forks. Not sure where you are in the northeast, but my e-mail is open and I can get you a phone number if interested.

Will it work?

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