# Tractor forks



## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

There are times that I need to be able to lift a pallet off the back of the truck or move things on a pallet around the farm. I have seen these forks that add to your bucket and wanted to get opinions on what you guys think about them. 








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Thanks for your opinions in advance.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

They work ok on an underloaded pallet. On a full sized pallet (most of mine are 3300 lbs) they're a great way to bend the cutting edge and/or bottom plate of your bucket. For not much more money, get an actual pallet bucket.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Tarheel

Does that bucket attach to the tractor using the common method shared by most skid steer machines?


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Related question: With the bucket between the forks and the operator, can you see clearly enough to thread a pallet or do you have to rely on someone to guide you? I need a set but only if I can use them by myself.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

It depends on how much you're trying to lift as others have pointed out. They are fine for light duty use. A friend made a couple out of heavy C channel for his small Kubota.

You'll lose part of the lift capacity since you're moving the load farther out from the front of the tractor as compared to a set of forks that replaces the bucket.


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## carasel (Dec 31, 2009)

I have a separate fork attachment for the front loader. it takes all of a minute to drop bucket and hook up forks. forks are heavy. i don't want to be moving them around. 
With bucket forks you can't lift as much. Also it's harder to see.

stephen, Sometimes it's difficult to see with just the fork unit on the front. What i learned is to watch one side. Thinking where the 2nd fork is in relation to the first. And some times i stick the forks in the dirt under what i'm trying to lift. 
If you get a set. drill a hole in one or both forks. This lets you put a pin/hook(can't remember the correct name. u shaped with pin) through the fork .so you can hook a chain to it for lifting odd things.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> This lets you put a pin/hook(can't remember the correct name


Shackle


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

agmantoo said:


> Tarheel
> 
> Does that bucket attach to the tractor using the common method shared by most skid steer machines?


Pin's on each side, with the retainer bolt. Loader is new on a Yanmar tractor.










I am not beyond going with a fork made for it if that's the best, however I am not sure just how much I will use it (probably more than I ever dreamed) so hence the question on the other forks.

I have seen some that have been modified with a pipe welded on the bucket (2" I think) where the forks attached and slides on the pipe.

I am limited to about 1200 lbs. anyway so I don't plan to overload it. The most I can think of would be a 55 gallon drum of diesel with a pallet like TnAndy has made for his.

Thanks guys !


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Because of the physics of leverage a bucket that can lift a maximum of 1200 lbs will be able to lift considerably less weight with attached forks. Kind of like the way you can lift a truck if you have a long enough lever, only in reverse. Also bear in mind that the tractor will become front-heavy with a large load, and it can be tough on the front gear and the spindles.


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## flewism (Apr 2, 2007)

Those look like the northern tool forks for about $300, if I remember right.
I made my own very simular to those for less than $100. A 2" by 4" by 10' piece of rectangle tubing was about $80. This was with .25" wall thickness.
The additional stock I had for the clamps, a couple hour cutting and welding project at most.
I to am limited to a 1200# bucket rating. I quick-disconnect loader option I regret that I did not purchase.
I'm happy with my homemade ones.


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

flewism said:


> Those look like the northern tool forks for about $300, if I remember right.
> I made my own very simular to those for less than $100. A 2" by 4" by 10' piece of rectangle tubing was about $80. This was with .25" wall thickness.
> The additional stock I had for the clamps, a couple hour cutting and welding project at most.
> I to am limited to a 1200# bucket rating. I quick-disconnect loader option I regret that I did not purchase.
> I'm happy with my homemade ones.


That's sort of what I was thinking too. I can fabricate a set of these as you say for a whole lot less than $300. I may go ahead and do that as soon as the weather breaks and if I don't like that I will just buy the attachment.

Flewism- Welcome to HT !

* Guys thanks for the advise.
*


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## travis91 (Jul 26, 2005)

My uncle has a set of forks and at the top they have a steel bar and on his tractor bucket along the top there is big hooks cut out of 3/4 plate steel and he tilts his bucket forwards and hooks onto the forks and then curls back. oh and there is a peice of angle that is welded along the back of the forks that rests against the bucket edge.
Similar.


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

travis91 said:


> My uncle has a set of forks and at the top they have a steel bar and on his tractor bucket along the top there is big hooks cut out of 3/4 plate steel and he tilts his bucket forwards and hooks onto the forks and then curls back. oh and there is a peice of angle that is welded along the back of the forks that rests against the bucket edge.
> Similar.


Thanks- Travis


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## flewism (Apr 2, 2007)

Tarheel, thank you for the welcome, I am going to like this site. 
I can post some pictures of mine if you decide to go that way, once I read how to attach them.


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## Tad (Apr 2, 2003)

My cousin has a set for his backhoe, they saw lumber and use it to load trailers. His has more of a bale spear setup. It goes over the cutting edge but has chains and binders to go around the top of the bucket to take stess off the cutting edge.


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## travis91 (Jul 26, 2005)

most of the clamp one ones require binders


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## travis91 (Jul 26, 2005)

If i were you id look around the local steel reclaim yards or industrial junk yards and see if i couldn't find a old fork lift to steal parts from. even a truck junk yard you'd be surprised what was tucked away in a corner.


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## taylorlambert (Jul 4, 2010)

I build about 4 sets of loader forks a year. Id definately stay away from the bucket bottom forks. I get several loader buckets in each year that need new bottoms and edges on acount of them. they work fine on light loads, but you always have that one log or beam that will over load it or hang a fokr on something. I just built dad a set of his quick tach on his LS tractor. 

I built a set of the ones pictured for a loader that have the slide bar and and the loader has hooks on top of it. I cant take my 75 model TLB and run up to the forks and tilt my bucket down and hit them in 2nd gear and lift and curl the loader at the same time and never stop. They do take a bit to get a feel on how to pic up pllets with them but they work good. I mainly load logs with them. 

I have a machine that I now cut the hooks out with now. I made the set for the TLB when I was 16. One really handy thing with them is the ability to slide them out to the sides of the bucket for long logs.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

I'd avoid any kind of forks that attach to a bucket....either the kind that clamp on, because you won't be able to lift diddly that far out on the bucket, and will, as pointed out, damage the bucket.

And the kind that Travis shows are semi-OK for occasional use.....my neighbor has a set on his backhoe, and I can't get the hang of using them to save my life.....part of the problem is they float independent of each other ( just like in the photo ), and it's REALLY hard to see what going on out there with the bucket in the way.

BEST thing you can do is get a quick attach adapter for your loader.....they told me at the New Holland dealer when I bought my tractor that there wasn't one for my 7308 loader.....so, naturally, I got on the internet, and guess what....company in, get this, NEW HOLLAND, PA called ATI makes an adapter plate for ANY front loader, and then you can use any attachment that will fit a Bobcat type hookup. I also bought a female plate from them, cut the pin type connection off the bucket that came with my tractor and put it on the bucket. Then I bought a set of pallet forks from local place, and those spend about 90% of the time on my loader. They are, without a doubt, the handiest thing you'll EVER buy for your tractor.

With the ATI adapter plate, you throw 2 handles, come out from "under" the plate on the implement, and come back up under the plate on the next one.....takes more time to hop on and off the tractor to throw the handles than implement changing. You'll love it.

Here: saved ya a Google....you owe me..... 


ATI Corporation
250 Earland Dr.
New Holland, PA 17557
USA
Phone: (800) 342-0905


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

TnAndy said:


> I'd avoid any kind of forks that attach to a bucket....either the kind that clamp on, because you won't be able to lift diddly that far out on the bucket, and will, as pointed out, damage the bucket.
> 
> And the kind that Travis shows are semi-OK for occasional use.....my neighbor has a set on his backhoe, and I can't get the hang of using them to save my life.....part of the problem is they float independent of each other ( just like in the photo ), and it's REALLY hard to see what going on out there with the bucket in the way.
> 
> ...


You can believe this or not, just had lunch with my brother in law (welder) that I was talking to about your trailer and he recommended the same thing you just did TnAndy. He said the quick attachment was the only way to go. He said with the attachment we could weld up the rest of it with no problem's. Man I love it when a plan comes together. After 5 years here on the farm I don't know how in the world we lived without a front end loader. We use it almost every day for something.

Note: Thanks for the information and address- You get credit for the leg work this time- my *OLD* friend.:grin:


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Tarheel said:


> After 5 years here on the farm I don't know how in the world we lived without a front end loader. We use it almost every day for something.


Know what you mean....the OLD-er I get, the more I come to appreciate hydraulics, and pneumatics. 

Like, I'm pretty sure I still own a framing hammer, but I'd be scared of injury due to the rust that would fly off of it now.....ahahahaaaaa

You'll find with a set of forks, ALL KINDS of problems now have a pallet solution to go with it.


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## travis91 (Jul 26, 2005)

My uncle uses a load binder to chain his down to keep them from tipping around


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

Thanks guys, good information here as always !


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