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My first set of forks !

Started by UNCLEBUCK, May 04, 2006, 10:01:25 PM

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UNCLEBUCK

Blacksmith in town made me a set of forks and today I put them to the test and aimed for a stack of 20 - 6x8x8'-6" long railroad ties and the forks worked very well . Cost $175 and it takes 2 minutes to install and 30 seconds to remove.
Thought I would show in case anyone needs a idear !











Not sure how I lived without forks ,very versatile,nothing is safe anymore around the farm , oh and I loaded the log deck in 15 minutes . I hope everyone gets or makes a set . Happy safe logging  ;D
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

sprucebunny

Great idea , UB  8) I can make those  8) 8)

Thanks ;D
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

treeboy

Looks good UB, I think the system my machine came with would be faster to get on - if I knew how to drive it ;)

Way better you don't have the iron blocking the dirt in, I looked at the manual, Toms idea was right on the money with having the forks lower than the bucket.

Have fun

UNCLEBUCK

It looks like 1/4 inch wall thickness or possibly the next size up , whats that about 5/16ths  ;D  It's a hollow rectangular tube and very lightweight . I would guess the stack of ties weighed near 2,500+ pounds . 
You can make anything sprucebunny  8) I'm sure treeboy can too , heck I think everybody on the forum can make just about anything  :) Thanky  ;D
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Burlkraft

Hey U.B.
Welcome to the wonderful world of forks 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Once ya got 'em.............you'll never be without 'em :) :) :) :)
Why not just 1 pain free day?

Stephen1

Nice idea, Iwas going to ask what to do for my bucket to make forks & now I know.
Thanks
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

KILROY

 UNCLEBUCK,
Congratulations on getting a set of forks made.
I made a set like those several years ago and they are indispensable around a mill. I am sawing a log house out for a customer and I had him make a set for his tractor.
Enjoy those new forks.

adirondack harvester

Here is the setup I used for my tractor.  These forks are great and you can remove them in about 20 seconds. 



UNCLEBUCK

10-4 everybody  8)  spent the whole day driving around picking stuff up  :D

Thats nice forks ya got bradstr and also your tractor is the perfect color  ;D I bet that tractor was like sitting in a new pickup when ya bought it . Nothing funner than sitting in a nice tractor , my tractor explodes about once a year  :D
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

scsmith42

Amen re nothing funner than a nice new tractor... or bulldozer... or backhoe... or sawmill... or other cool new toy!

Nice job on the forks UB!
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

wiam

I am not saying do not use them.  But be careful not to roll the bucket back too for when handling round objects.  I have used forks in a bucket and they are great.  I would hate to go back to that now though.

Will

highpockets

Unclebuck, I like the forks.  I may just have to build me a set of them.  I normally use my 484 international which has a frontend loader (forks) but it is a little weak for the larger logs.  I have a 555 ford backhoe sitting here with a bucket on it.  On top of the bucket someone had installed four large hooks facing backwards for using to lift something.  I think I can build a set of forks the I can j into the hooks without getting off the hoe.  It lifts a lot more weight.  Thanks.

Louisiana Country boy
homemade mill, 20 h.p. Honda & 4 h.p. for hydraulics.  8 hydraulic circuits, loads, clamps, rotates, etc.

UNCLEBUCK

Well after a week with forks I can say that these forks should be changed where they rest on the cutting edge of the bucket . It is shaped like a V and put's too much stress on the cutting edge because I have broken the cutting edge where both forks rest . I found the broken bucket pieces but its a bad design right at that location . I have lifted and pushed many things from the front lip of this bucket but these forks made it snap right off and it sounds like a bomb went off each time , make forestry forum modifications where it rests on the front edge . I am going to now  ::)
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Jim

UNCLEBUCK,

I have been looking through your photo gallery and thought I saw a drag line.

Is that your's sir?

Bro. Noble

I don't think so,  My pal UB is strait as an arrow ;)
milking and logging and sawing and milking

Tom

No, No, Br'er Noble.  He's refering to a piece of heavy digging equipmenet, not a funny-men's chorus line. :P ::)

IL Bull

Quote from: highpockets on May 08, 2006, 07:06:15 PM
On top of the bucket someone had installed four large hooks facing backwards for using to lift something.  I think I can build a set of forks the I can j into the hooks without getting off the hoe.  It lifts a lot more weight.  Thanks.



That's what those hooks are for,  Drive under forks.  The forks can be bought at about any construction equipment dealership.
Joe
Case Skid Steer,  Ford Backhoe,  Allis WD45 and Burg Manual Sawmill

Tom



A chain, hooked loosely to the bucket from the beam will keep it from swinging free when you don't want it too.

I don't move pallets so wasn't interested in being able to move the forks from side to side. They are about 4' apart and fit inside of my 6' bucket.  So far, the machine hasn't been damaged. 

UNCLEBUCK

 :D Bro Noble is a riot !  Thats a old truck crane Jim but it has the dragline spool . The truck motor is now on my sawmill and that crane will be there until it rusts apart  :D The crane still works good ,just wont be moving anytime soon  ;D

I have 2 chain binders on these forks and with a cheater pipe when I close the binders I can watch the top of this heavy duty industrial bucket squash like a full inch . Going to do a full forestry forum overhaul on these and end up with ones just like administrator Tom's  8)  I think Jim Rogers showed something like Tom's set up to me once but I didnt listen . Now I will  ???
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Qweaver

I posted a picture of these somewhere else on the forum a week or so ago.  I built these last summer.  They are very similar to Unclebuck's with two exceptions.  I did not make a vee where it slips over the bucket front edge and I use turn buckles to tighten the chain.  They will lift all that the bucket is capable of with no problems.  I unloaded 144 chimney blocks with them yesterday in about 10 minutes (12,000lbs) Imagine doing that by hand.




So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

bitternut

Qweaver what is the load rating on those turnbuckles? All the ones I found around were not rated very high. If yours are rated pretty high I would be interested in what make they are, where do you get them and what is the cost.

Qweaver

Bitternut,
I have no idea of their load rating...I just had these and used them.  They have a 7/16 thread tho and are pretty strong.  They really don't have to be too strong tho'.   When lifting, all of the weight is on the welds, so these have to be really well done.  I veed out all of the welds to a depth equal to the thickness of the parts and welded with 7018.   The chain and turn buckles just serve to keep the forks tight against the bucket. 

Forks are a "must have" for me now.

Quinton
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

UNCLEBUCK

Qweaver I am going to change my bracket to like yours is and that should get me through the summer . Nothin like doin it yourself ! You did a fine job on yours  :)
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

Qweaver

I need to wash the mud off of mine and take a better picture so that you can see the parts of the weld-up better.  I'll try to do that tomorrow.  I used some pretty high strength steel for the pieces that go over the bucket front.  4140 I think... but it was from the scrap pile so who knows, but I could tell that it was better than hot rolled.

Quinton
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

iceman

UNCLEBUCK,
mind if i ask who made ya the forks ?
Thanks Jon

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