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 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
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2003-06-18 57946
This may be a dumb question but my first tractor has not yet been delivered and I'm curious. Say you have pallet forks on your loader and you are carrying a load downhill. Is there a mechanism to keep the load level? Or do you need to tweak the bucket tilt manually to keep from dumping the load?
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-06-18 57947
First: there are no dumb questions here.
Second: yes, you would have to manually adjust the level of the load as you go. Once you play with it for a couple minutes it will be easy to see how it works. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-06-18 57963
Thanks Mark. I thought maybe when you bought a set of pallet forks there was a self-leveling mechanism. They seem so expensive to buy I figured there had to be a reason :)
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 | JFarms
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 17 Sloughhouse, California 
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2003-06-19 57982
kwschumm, are you looking at front pallet forks? If so, what make and price? The prices I've been quoted seem extremely high, making me consider welding as a new hobby. ....
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| Maynard
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-06-19 57995
I made a set of forks using 2"x3"x .090" thick tubing. I tack welded a length of the same material across the top of my bucket. I drilled 1/2" hole on each fork and bolted it on the bucket using 1/2" bolts. This allowed me to remove just the forks via two bolts. I've used it to lift about 500 lbs per load of roof shingles to place on the roof when I reroofed the 30'x40' shop. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-06-19 58000
JFarms, no I'm not actually shopping for pallet forks. From time to time I can see how they'd be useful, but at the price they're asking I think I can do without. Right now I'm planning a retaining wall and will need to get a bunch of blocks down a hill. But I'm in no hurry, so I'll just load them up into my truck and drive 'em down. Eventually they will all get there. Like you, though, I'm gonna learn how to weld and get a welder so I can start making some simple yet useful stuff myself.
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 | AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144 
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2003-06-19 58007
It depends on how you are going to use your FEL, but I personally use the pallet forks more than the dirt bucket. I move a lot of machinery and metal.
I had my loader built with the quick-attach mechanism that allows for quick changeover and it will accept any Bobcat or other standard attachment that I might want from the local rental yard.
The forks were expensive, but I don't regret the purchase. They are small and thin to get under things. They are easily adjustable for width without tools. They are 48" long and will handle a full ton. ....
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 | plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo 
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2003-06-19 58021
I made my own for next to nothin and a few hours welding. once you price them somewere you'll probley want to do the same. look at pics.they install the same way the bucket does (very easy)plus not having them hooked to bucket I don't lose any lift cap. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-06-19 58022
plots1, those look pretty darn good! It looks like a good and simple "first welding" project. My brother is visiting next week and he does some welding so I'll have to pick his brain. Thanks for the incentive! ....
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| JFarms
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 17 Sloughhouse, California
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2003-06-20 58045
Plots1, I'm guessing the welding tools may cost less than the cost of front forks, but you said "they install the same way the bucket does." Did you buy brackets or build them yourself. If you bought them, where and at what cost? ....
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| plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo
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2003-06-20 58066
I fabed all of it, just looked at how the bucket hooked on and took off from there . I used 1 and five eights inch pipe (DIA) by one fourth inch thickness cut in half for top mounts and one and a fourth inch pipe for bottom mounts, had to drill holes in bottom mounts for the clips.As I stated it hooks up the same way as bucket (Exactley)never have to dismount tractor except to install bottom clips.welders arn't cheap but once you have one you are unlimeted to making any thing for your tractor much cheaper than buying outright.plus they have many more uses.I've made everything for my 790 so far,and saved big time. ....
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 | Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-06-20 58068
The front forks are useful but did you check on the price of the rear 3 pt forks. For your initial task the rear forks are more applicable.
I have a set a bought with a lot of equipment so I am not sure what they are worth. ....
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-06-21 58078
I haven't looked at 3ph forks. I'm sure they'd be useful in moving things around, but they wouldn't help in lowering stuff from trucks, etc. For moving landscaping stuff around I'm sure they'd be great.
Thanks for the tip, I'll keep my eyes open for a deal but I'm in no hurry. Maybe a welder will arrive first, who knows? ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-06-22 58117
The link below shows my 3ph pallet forks. Not much of a load but it sure was handy for getting it off the pole.
There's a bunch of things that are very useful in genuine forklift type forks especially if they're used to move pallets. True vertical lift, carriage tile, swinging carriage and adjustable fork width are a few. Most rear units will lift more and safely than front mounted units and I still have the loader available for alternating between moving dirt and moving building materials. They aren't cheap though.
Self-leveling controls usually just roll the bucket forward during lifts to keep it fairly level (loaders lift in arcs so buckets tilt back if they aren't adjusted during lifts and loads can fall off the back of the bucket onto tractors and operators). My forks have their own lift cylinder that raises the forks at a constant angle but nothing is going to fall the back anyway since there is a backrest and telescoping frame between the load and tractor.
I'm not aware of anything that levels the bucket on hills. I suppose something could be rigged up but it'd probably have the same sort of mistakes I've heard that inertia trailer brakes are prone to make.
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| kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-06-22 58124
TomG, your 3ph pallet forks look like just the ticket. I was thinking these things would only lift a couple feet. Did you buy or make yours? What brand are they? ....
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| plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo
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2003-06-22 58127
Ya I did price rear forks , than I made my own as you can see in pic 5 , movin around 500lb water drum. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-06-22 58137
Not everybody needs what my forklift attachment can do, and you do pay for the features. However, with a hydraulic toplink kit for the carriage tilt it wasn't much more than comparable loader attachments and it lifts more. Plots unit looks pretty good and would serve most people's needs at much lower costs.
I can describe how some of the features such as 3-piece swinging forks makes material handling a relative breeze if there's interest. I didn't get a side-shift option because I don't stack pallets that often.
The make of mine is WIFO. My dealer found it and it may be from a regional fabricator. Dealers generally can find most anything. The downside of the unit is that it is for CATII 3ph and requires sleeves for my CAT I 3ph. The lower link arms barely spread wide enough. It also weights over 600 lbs, which still gives me 1,200 lbs of rated capacity. I've lifted more that that off the ground but I wouldn't want to get anywhere near that much weight to its max height of 5.5' (not including 3ph height). It will pick pallets of building material off of flatbed delivery trucks.
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