Tractor forks

[gspren]

  I'm not Bill but my forks are similar with only gravity to hold them down and never had a problem.

[bill m]

gspren is correct. There is nothing to hold the forks down except gravity and it has not been a problem. On uneven ground you want the forks to float. If they were held down by some means one fork would want to dig into the uneven ground.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

I just ordered one of these to add to my forks. At $400 I doubt I could build one this good any cheaper. Good reviews too.
http://greens-machine.com/index.html

[Mainer_for_life]

Okay bill I was just wondering the floating forks are a good idea. Me and my grandfather are gonna start building it soon.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Here's my take on floating forks: Mine are rigid and I like them. To me, it allows me do angle them down and dig if I need to like under logs, pallets that have sunken into the ground over time, etc. They alst work great for popping small trees out of the ground. By driving the forks under the roots, the 42" length gives you a lot of leverage for prying them out....

[beenthere]

I just ordered one of these to add to my forks. At $400 I doubt I could build one this good any cheaper. Good reviews too.
http://greens-machine.com/index.html

Thanks for that link. Going to look into it for my Deere forks.

I like the forks tight too, but there are times when floating would be better. Hard to have them both ways. I pop rocks and stumps out of the ground, lift the front end sometimes, and push things down with the forks (like brush onto a pile for burning)... so down pressure is used often.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Thanks for that link. Going to look into it for my Deere forks.

I like the forks tight too, but there are times when floating would be better. Hard to have them both ways.

It would be cool to the the op and bottom on rods, then you could pull the bottom rod when you wanted it to float.....

[Windy_Acres]

I know for some this will go over like a lead balloon (mostly because Im not part of the regular crowd here, so my opinion means spit), others, might find pause for thought, but as a young man on a farm, it occurred to me, that tractors are for pulling, and loaders are for loading. While that may sound terribly over simplified, for the life of me, I will never understand why so many buy tractors, and put loaders on them. Then want forks on them. I just defies common sense to me.

To the general members (not so much to the OP because it does not apply at this point)If you need a loader, but dont need a tractor, dont buy a tractor, buy a loader.

Ive got two tractors, and one loader. Also own an pneumatic tired forklift that operates pretty well off pavement. That said, Ive removed both the factory loaders off both my tractors ( bought both used, and both had factory FELs on them), as well, my older NH, that I sold a few years ago. Ive never found a good purpose for a loader on a tractor. The downside to a loader on a tractor is it does nothing well, and its always in the way. Not to mention its really hard on your front axle. The "does nothing well" only comes to you, after having used a tractor with a loader, and then using a loader to do the same job. Difference is day and night, so is productivity and safety, and you can see what your doing, too boot !

Food for thought, for those that have not bought a tractor yet, and really DO NOT NEED a tractor. We farm, I need a tractor, actually two, but when I need to move things, I use a loader or forklift, mostly, because that is what they where designed to do, and surprisingly do it rather well.

Just felt the need to share that, for no one ever shared it with me, I had to figure it out on my own over a period of years and a number of purchases.

Edit, even though we farm, I do a fair bit of tree removal in the area, Ive never once trailered a tractor  to do tree work, but my skid loader, always comes with, worth its weight in gold.

[Mainer_for_life]

While I see what you are saying for some of us being a tractor and a loader I just not an option money is tight and combining both is a good compromise. Also the loader can come off so it will not be in the way. We have much use for our tractor with its loader. We are not farmers so we don't have the use for more than one machine the tractor with loader can move firewood haul trailers push  snow brushhog and rototill all on the one machine there is no need for more. Also if you are care ful and don't over weight the loader it will not hurt anything and your front axle will see no wear. They also do plenty well.
I hope the farm goes well for you in this busy time of year.

[Windy_Acres]

While I see what you are saying for some of us being a tractor and a loader I just not an option money is tight and combining both is a good compromise. Also the loader can come off so it will not be in the way. We have much use for our tractor with its loader. We are not farmers so we don't have the use for more than one machine the tractor with loader can move firewood haul trailers push  snow brushhog and rototill all on the one machine there is no need for more. Also if you are care ful and don't over weight the loader it will not hurt anything and your front axle will see no wear. They also do plenty well.
I hope the farm goes well for you in this busy time of year.

Like I said in my post, if you dont need a tractor, dont buy one, buy a loader.

A skid loader can do all that you mentioned, well, and in all cases better, with the exception of brush hogging and roto-tilling, which if you had the $, you can do that too with a skid loader, but I will agree it would be cheaper to buy a compact tractor with attachments than buy them for a skid loader, but they do make them. I move ALL our non-powered equipment, carts, etc, with the skid loader, not just trailers.

As far as that goes, try moving large bales of hay, cleaning a paddock (poop), or a bull room with a tractor ! Been there, done that. Most would agree that a skid loader is not a implement of husbandry, but once again, it runs circles around a tractor, unless your pulling something (usually through the ground)

Removing and installing an FEL can be a real PIA on some tractors, depending on the size, brand, OE, aftermarket etc. Guess what I use to remove FELs ? Skid loader !

But to my point, if you have not run a loader, to do loader work, with which you have been using a tractor, you can not even begin to appreciate the difference.

As far as affordability, my first loader was hough from the 60s, paid a $1500, 15 years ago (sold it because it was too big for what I really needed), my second was a gehl 3515, I dont think I paid $500 for it, its still running, sold to a buddy for a grand after I used it for about 5 years, moved up to a mustang 442, for $3500, sold it for $5k. I now run a big NH turbo skid loader, I bought it used, low hours because we needed a bigger machine for farm chores as we decided to keep more cattle.

Point being, you can get into a loader for little money, if you dont shop the big name dealer and watch the classifieds.

That said, IF YOU NEED A TRACTOR, and buy one with an FEL and cant afford a loader, then I get it. But, Ive bought 2, possibly 3 skid loaders for less $ than it would cost to buy a used or even a new FEL for a tractor. That said, you dont have to spend $20k on a used unit or $40k on a new one.

As far as being a part time tree guy, having a loader handy to handle large tree trunks/logs, man what a luxury that is, even compared to a tractor. Yes, Id take a tractor with an FEL over nothing, but its just the wrong tool for the job, almost any job. The dont dig well, they dont scoop/load well, turning radius sucks, if you get too much weight in the bucket, you start to loose traction on the rear, now you need ballasts or 4wd, an FEL on a tractor does nothing well, other than get in the way. On top of all that, ITS LONG and you cant see "spit" if front of you, as in what your trying to do. Its "drive by feel" with forks.

Thanks for the well wishes on the farm, we are in the maintenance of the equipment part of the year and ordering seed for next year. In others, we are in coast mode, or I would not have time to sit in front of this here computer and expound my opinions on the world !

[beenthere]

Windy acres.

Caught that spit.
But what I have (compact utility tractor with a FEL and with a bucket and with forks) fits what I need perfectly.
Not exactly sure what you are defining as a "loader", but later you seem to define it as a skid steer with bucket (not forks? ) or a forklift if needing forks.

Regardless, I have one tractor with FEL and have no need for more. ;)

Now don't frustrate yourself with what we have.  ;D

[Mainer_for_life]

Beenthere has a good point if a loader is what you think you need than that is what you get. The tractor with FEL is a good way for us to do our work. We have used a tractor with loader for as long as I can remember and my dad and grandfather have done the same thing. That is what we have used so we d have our ways of doing things different than what most people think. I have not run a skid loader but I have used a compact front loader to do many of these things and I still prefer the tractor.

As I said before people have there preference and that is what they will use. Your welcome for the well wishes. I get all of my work done in school so I end up spending most of my free time on this cite. My conversations are interesting with other people and I get to put my opinion out there.

[thecfarm]

Windy_Acres,how right you are. I need a dozer,backhoe,skid steer,a forwarder,could be a trailer one behind something,excavator, and a bunch of attachment for each one.  ;D I don't think I missed anything. But all I have money for is 2 tractors. One 30hp and one 40. The 30 is the wife's.

[lopet]

A skid steer has its place on a farm, yard ,landings, construction etc , but is about the worst tool to use in the bush imo.
For somebody who's using equipment for 50 or 100 hrs a year, a tractor with fel, pto and three point hitch is still  the best bet. Has nothing to do with the forks here, just has to say it.

[DeerMeadowFarm]

Well, I just made a couple improvements to my tractor for the forestry work I need to do.

First of all I added this grapple to my forks:


 

Also, I added a 2nd chain box on this side of my 3 point winch. The holes were already in the winch, why they didn't just give you two boxes is beyond me:



 

[Peter Drouin]

Nice job,

[thecfarm]

Good idea. That grapple is real nice. I have the boxes on my winch.