Bucket forks

4wdtom

Well-known Member
A friend of mine is going to bring me a set of bucket forks that he says bolt on the bucket of a compact tractor. They are broken, both at the same place, and he wants me to weld them. I said they may not weld or they may be a "spring temper" and won't be after welding or they might be a high strength alloy and the weld won't be even if they weld. Does anyone know? These are after market forks so the quality is a real unknown. As I haven't seen them yet I don't know where they broke. He did say they are 3/4" x 3" and bolt on with a 3/4" bolt to the bucket on the loader. Thanks Tom
 
Those are typically Inconel or Monel.

They can be welded but its a trust issue. Will it hold?

A lot of preheat is required and a low-hydrogen rod like 110 18M.
 
Welding forks is pretty dangerous. Anyone giving advice without seeing them is just guessing, but maybe a pic would help. They could be anything from mild steel to some kind of hardened steel. I have welded a few for folks I knew were aware of the danger.
 
Hi, I wouldn't take a chance on welding them. Just buy a couple of new ones. Ed Will Oliver BC
 

Wouldn't touch them. If they break and someone is hurt you could be in trouble. Even if the friend signs a release that does not guarantee he doesn't eventually sell them to someone else who knows nothing about the repair.
 
I think what he is talking about is not really forklift forks but welded up forks someplaces sell for moving pallets. Your friend would be better off getting real forks on a quick attach frame. I have them for my 4200 jd they are as handy as a pocket.
 
Why on Earth would you say loader bucket forks are made from Inconel or Monel? Monel is a Nickle-Copper alloy with extreme corrosion resistance typically used in sea water and other extreme environments like chemical processing equipment. Inconel is a nickel-chrome based alloy typically used in high temp applications like combustion gas piping.
Do a quick check of the London Metal Exchange prices and you will find that copper, Nickle, and chrome are some of the most expensive metals there are. Meaning they would only be used for fork truck forks if absolutely necessary.
 
I made my own forks out of used 7 inch channel. They lift anything. Bolt to buck.
The first forks were made
cvphoto25398.jpg

Using 4 inch channel. Wasn't strong enough.
I drilled 4 holes in bucket so I have the ability to pick up different sized pallets.
cvphoto25399.jpg


I finally welded 1/2 inch bolts to forks. That way I only need a 3/4 inch wrench.
 
I've bent round bale spears with 2 to hold the bale. The ones you buy a socket to weld in then tighten the spear into the socket. Bend pretty easy really. I've straightened them too.
 
Well the forks turned out to be fabricated form steel tube with a clamp on top to hold them to the bucket. From over tightening the clamp had broken off. It was a piece of 3/4" x 3" x 9" long steel with a 3/4 clamp bolt. I ended up cutting off the broken piece and welding on a 1" x 3" to replace it with a reinforcing piece on each side. They are better than ever. When I posted yesterday I was thinking of real forklift forks and the issues with welding them. Thanks to all who replied. Tom
 
In my experience, those clamp on forks are always a problem. You can't see the forks through the bucket, and if you lower the bucket with the forks tilted down too far, they hit the ground before the bucket and it "tears" open the clamp piece. All you can do is weld on reinforcements, but it's usually a matter of time before it happens again. Maybe it's just me an/or my loader, but that's been my experience.
 

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