[Frank R]

New member here with a 448.

I saw a video recently of a guy who added on homemade forks to his bucket. Very light duty; made from old bed frame steel. It occurred to me that I would find that very handy.

I don't have a front end loader. I was wondering if I could remove the blade of my plow and attach an implement that consisted of a frame and two forks to the frame of the plow. That way I could raise the forks just enough to clear the ground.

What I have in mind is keeping my snow caster on a small pallet. I could move it around with the forks.

No need for heavy lifting or for raising it up high. Of course, balancing the load on a narrow front end would be an issue.

Your thoughts?

Or would rear forks work better? I don't have a sleeve hitch or 3 point yet.

 

[bobneumann]

I don't think it's a terrible idea, so long as you have limited expectations. Anything above about 100 lbs starts to be very questionable.

But if it were me, I wouldn't remove the blade. I'd make hook-backed forks that hang from the top edge of the blade.

For what it's worth.

Bob

 

[Frank R]

I don't think it's a terrible idea, so long as you have limited expectations. Anything above about 100 lbs starts to be very questionable.

But if it were me, I wouldn't remove the blade. I'd make hook-backed forks that hang from the top edge of the blade.

For what it's worth.

Bob
View attachment 128707

Thank you.

Would there be any issue with the top bracket bending the blade with a point load like that?

 

[bobneumann]

That's where the 100lb limit plays in. You certainly could bend the top of the blade if you attempted to pick up too much with it. But stay right around 100 pounds and it would hold that just fine.

And with100lbs out there with all that leverage, the blade lift mechanism is approaching its limits as well.

Bob

 

[Frank R]

This is the video I was referring to.

 

[dhitching]

Thank you.

Would there be any issue with the top bracket bending the blade with a point load like that?

What I'd be concerned about is the whole snapfast / plow frame bending left/right personally. I know with just my UB54 that I notice the "passenger side" where the lift arm is picks up first before the "driver's side" does. I'm not realistically sure how much more lifting weight you could put through that mechanism without beefing it up a bit.

 

[bobneumann]

What I'd be concerned about is the whole snapfast / plow frame bending left/right personally. I know with just my UB54 that I notice the "passenger side" where the lift arm is picks up first before the "driver's side" does. I'm not realistically sure how much more lifting weight you could put through that mechanism without beefing it up a bit.

It sounds like you and I agree. In concept the idea can work. But only with strictly adhered weight limits. It's made of steel, and we all have a certain intuitive sense of about how strong a forklift is, so this would seem stronger and more capable than it actually is.

It can probably pick up something like a snow caster, and move it around the garage for you. If that's all you ever ask of it, it'll be fine. But if you try to use it anything like a normal forklift, you will very quickly tear it up.

Bob

 

[Frank R]

I just bought a 3 point, so I think I will build something for the back. Maybe a set of forks that I also can put a box on. Would be useful for lots of things.

 

[bobneumann]

I just bought a 3 point, so I think I will build something for the back. Maybe a set of forks that I also can put a box on. Would be useful for lots of things.

Awesome news.

I've had forks on the 3 pt, and I found them tremendously useful. Just drag home a free pallet from somewhere, and it's surprising how quickly and easily you can move around all manner of things.

Bob

 

[Frank R]

Awesome news.

I've had forks on the 3 pt, and I found them tremendously useful. Just drag home a free pallet from somewhere, and it's surprising how quickly and easily you can move around all manner of things.

Bob

Any pictures?

Would like to see how others did it.

 

[bobneumann]

Any pictures?

Would like to see how others did it.

I think these are the only pictures I have of it. Best I recall it was just shy of 700 lb on it. But that wouldn't have been possible without the big counterweight on the front end.

Bob

 

[Frank R]

Thanks Bob; looks great.

I still need to find a top link for the 3 point.

Any pictures of how that weight holder attaches?

 

[bobneumann]

TSC, tractor supply, has cat zero top links. But at the time I made my three-point I couldn't find one. So I bought a larger top link and cut and welded a section out of it to shorten it up.

To attach the weight bracket, I took a mule bracket from a mowing deck and attached the weight box that I wanted onto it. So it just attaches to the snapfast system.

You may ask yourself, how is that possible? Since as you can see the mower deck is still attached. But that's the first and maybe most important modification I ever made to either of my case Ingersoll tractors: attaching the mowing deck directly to the frame and dispensing with the mule bracket. That way I can either leave the mower deck installed if I want to. And still use the snapfest system.



Bob

 

[Frank R]

I am sure you have written something up on how you did that. Would you supply a link?

 

[bobneumann]

It's been years ago, I think ona now defunct site. Let me dig around.

Bob

 

[dhitching]

Any pictures?

Would like to see how others did it.

Before I got the forks for my 6018 I built a set of 3pt forks that I used all the time with 4020 and 6018. Very useful, more weight in the front was the biggest thing holding it back! I just used 2.5" 1/4" wall square tube and 2" 1/4" wall square tube so the forks slid into the tube and could be removed and stored vertically when not in use.

I also just used a CAT0 top link from Tractor Supply.

EDIT: Probably worth noting that the HH34 3pt has more lift capacity than the H26/J26/LT26 3pt hitches. Additionally the 6018 has a higher pressure relief on the lift circuit so it can lift more with the HH34 3pt than my 4020 can. That front axle the 4020 is lifting is in the ~500lb range, the slab of concrete is ~600lbs, the stack of pallets is probably ~500lbs.

I did eventually bend these forks lifting up a pallet full of concrete pavers, I needed a scoop of dirt in the 6018's bucket to keep the front end on the ground, so I was definitely lifting way more weight than I should have 😅. With any non-loader tractor though there's no way you could keep the front end on the ground to lift enough weight to break the forks with this design.

 

[Vigo]

I built a silly set of 3pt forks out of some 3" c-channel and some tow hooks off a Jeep for my Case. The forks have picked up over 1000lbs near the base, but not on the Case! As others said i was limited by front counterweight. I did build a 'chain box' for the front snapfast system using a plow bracket and the housing of an old roll-around battery charger, but i haven't tried to max out the 3pt since then. I know i was using a 5' Cat1 angle blade on the back of it a while ago and it picked it up and the front stayed down just fine, so that was nice.

The only pic i have of them ON the case is before they were even finished.. but the idea was that you could drive out from under them without getting off the tractor, thus the tow hooks. In reality, even though that worked, i have basically just hung these on the front bucket of my FEL tractors 99% of the times that ive ever used them, so although they were built to be 3pt forks they did not stay that way.

Here is same forks holding up ~1000lbs.