Lets see your weld on bucket hooks

[Oleracer]

Out in the shop figuring out placement of my weld on hooks forbucket and hoe. Wont be lifting heavy stuff. Nice to pluck engine blocks,transmissions and a hit miss motor out of pickup.
Wont be using bolt on hooks.
The LA350 pin on bucket probably not the strongest so couple plates welded in a must.

 

[mcmxi]

The local Kubota dealer welds hooks onto all buckets. I sold the MX6000 open station but kept the bucket (shown below) for the MX6000 cab tractor. The other photos show the bucket on a new MX5400 and a new MX6000 (I think) on the dealer's lot.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Here’s my pair…

 

[jimh406]

I don't have a picture, but it's generally considered a good idea to align outside ones with the lift arms and then add one to the center.

 

[MOOTS]

Kens for the wins!

 

[Smokeydog]

 

[jyoutz]

I don't have a picture, but it's generally considered a good idea to align outside ones with the lift arms and then add one to the center.

I agree with attaching in line with lift arms, but have never saw the need for a center hook. I always attach my lifting chain to both hooks, then drape and connect the hook to the chain in the center of the bucket to center how the chain hangs. It’s stronger because the weight is distributed to both hooks, yet the lifting chain is centered.

 

[Henro]

Mine before spraying some orange paint. Grab hooks outside and slip hook in the center. This layout works well for me.

 

[old and tired]

Not a good photo but the welded hooks are mounted on the cross tube of my bolt on grapple from WR Long... used them very rarely. I chain a lot of times to the tooth bar's teeth.

Other times I just grab crap with the grapple and not worry about chains!!

 

[Hfrs7]

 

[Kennyd4110]

Here is a batch of mine, pre-welded . There's about 5000 in the box.

 

[Oleracer]

Here a batch of mine, pre-welded . Theres about 5000 in the box.

View attachment 136396

If i weld 5000 on the bucket might a bit heavy
So only 2

 

[drygulch]

I agree with attaching in line with lift arms, but have never saw the need for a center hook. I always attach my lifting chain to both hooks, then drape and connect the hook to the chain in the center of the bucket to center how the chain hangs. It’s stronger because the weight is distributed to both hooks, yet the lifting chain is centered.

My thought process is that connecting a chain across hooks aligned with the loader arms, assuming you could even get perfect force distribution, would be equivalent to connecting to a hook mounted dead center on a rigid steel bucket. Built-in perfect force distribution.

This does assume the lift/pull capacity of the loader wouldn't be enough to cause the bucket structure to fail. I personally pull a lot of t-posts and hit the tractor's limits occasionally (t-post grown into roots etc) and don't feel I'm pushing the limits of the bucket by any means.

Any tugging and jostling with two hooks would alternately send loads to either loader arm. Maybe in reality that's inconsequential.

I've got decades less experience than many people here. Could be things I've never considered.

 

[PHPaul]

I bolted on some welded on D-rings and a snatch hook.

The Thumb also bolts on to my forks, hence the bolted approach. It's been very handy, and anything my B2650 can pick up hasn't put any noticeable strain on the bucket.

 

[RichardAaronlx2610]

Did a weld on hook for the backhoe bucket, but Ken’s Bolt Ons for the front loader bucket.

 

[Slick75]

I worked for a gravedigging company. We just put padeyes in the center of the the buckets on our B26s, then we'd attach old chain hoist chains with the hooks to hang down just below the front edge of the buckets. Doing it that way you don't have to worry about load distribution on the ends of the bucket that might cause the tractor to roll, plus you got a little pendulum ability. I've set a lot of vaults and granite monuments over the years with them.