EYE BOLT

[Orange man hero]

Put hooks on the sides of my bucket and for light loads it is ok. Feel like I need to use the center of the bucket for heavy loads as it might be possible to put two much strain if I use only one side and twist the loader frame or something? After thinking on this a lot I thought that an easy way to use the center would be to take out the center bolt on the bottom of the bucket where the scraper is attached. If scraper is what the piece that goes along the bottom of the bucket is called. Anyway I have just put a heavy forged eye bolt in the center hole and need to get a chance to try it out. What say you? I have the eye bolt proper on the bottom of the bucket that might be a problem of I am scraping some driveway or something. I could also take if out first.

 

[Roadworthy]

I don't know what constitutes your light versus heavy loads. Bear in mind the FEL is a bolt on accessory or implement. The three point is much stronger for lifting. For pulling you should consider the draw bar.

 

[mcfarmall]

I welded a ½" D-ring in the center of my pallet fork frame for any heavy lifting with the FEL. Bucket is for loose materials only.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

snag a chain between the two grab hooks....
the strength is actually on the ends or sides, at the loader arms not the center of the bucket
big tractor(6'8" bucket)' had a vertical plate welded inside the bucket and a 2" rcvr on top

 

[NCL4701]

Seems like quite a few folks use chain grab hooks bolted or welded to the top of the bucket like this: https://www.boltonhooks.com/ or something similar.

Personally, I have a grapple and a fork frame that are much more handy for attaching chains, etc. so I don’t really attach ropes or chains or cables to the bucket. For anything close to loader capacity I really prefer the fork frame because it’s light and as close to the tractor as possible so that maximizes lift capacity.

 

[Bmyers]

I'm a fan of Ken Bolt on Hooks. We have them on both buckets and they have taken a lot of abuse.

 

[imnukensc]

Put hooks on the sides of my bucket and for light loads it is ok. Feel like I need to use the center of the bucket for heavy loads as it might be possible to put two much strain if I use only one side and twist the loader frame or something? After thinking on this a lot I thought that an easy way to use the center would be to take out the center bolt on the bottom of the bucket where the scraper is attached. If scraper is what the piece that goes along the bottom of the bucket is called. Anyway I have just put a heavy forged eye bolt in the center hole and need to get a chance to try it out. What say you? I have the eye bolt proper on the bottom of the bucket that might be a problem of I am scraping some driveway or something. I could also take if out first.

Pictures would be helpful for me to fully understand what you've done.

 

[Orange man hero]

I will try to get a photo soon. I lift heavy outboard motors, 150 to 400 lb. I also work snow, mostly moving pre- snow blower hills farther off the property.

 

[Orange man hero]

I welded a ½" D-ring in the center of my pallet fork frame for any heavy lifting with the FEL. Bucket is for loose materials only.

I need the bucket on for snow and ? Don't want the hassle of changing between fork and bucket and storage of same etc.

 

[Orange man hero]

snag a chain between the two grab hooks....
the strength is actually on the ends or sides, at the loader arms not the center of the bucket
big tractor(6'8" bucket)' had a vertical plate welded inside the bucket and a 2" rcvr on top

This is what I have been doing, but it is slow and I need the attachment as close to the bottom of the bucket as I can get. I don't like the hook, eye or whatever attached to the top of the bucket as visibility is much better on the bottom and I can get real close visually and mechanically to the item to be lifted.

 

[Russell King]

Be careful of the load rating of the eye bolt at different angles.

You may want to use a safety hoist ring instead.

 

[Orange man hero]

Be careful of the load rating of the eye bolt at different angles.

You may want to use a safety hoist ring instead.

Yes, that is why I mounted it on the bottom instead of on top the lip of the lower lip bucket as it would pull from the side. It is really simple. Just the eye sticking out the bottom of the reinforced lower lip, I call it the scraper. Don't know if that is the name or what? In soft materials like loose dirt it could [probably just ride there and be ok. For hard pack or rocks it would not be that hard to remove. Faster than a bucket to fork change I'm sure.

 

[NCL4701]

This is what I have been doing, but it is slow and I need the attachment as close to the bottom of the bucket as I can get. I don't like the hook, eye or whatever attached to the top of the bucket as visibility is much better on the bottom and I can get real close visually and mechanically to the item to be lifted.

Pictures of what you’re trying to accomplish would probably help. May be missing the crux of the problem your solving but on the chance I do understand…

I’m thinking if I wanted a eye type attachment point just below the leading edge of the bucket:

1) I’d want it to be something that didn’t put a heavy point load on the bucket lip because smiles are not good things on loader buckets. If an eye bolt in the center, I’d be putting a spreader plate on as a washer with the bolt.

2) I’d want it to be quick on/off so I could still use the bucket as a bucket and not need two wrenches, 10 minutes, and a place on a shelf to store the stuff every time I swapped it.

3) Lifting 400lb ain’t pushing the loader but if it fell that would suck and if it landed on me or someone else, that’s just unacceptable, so I’d want a solid positive connection with substantial safety factor.

That’s leading my mind to a setup like Bmyers above with a chain between the two grab hooks such that the slack in between would hang down below the bucket edge a little (or a lot if you prefer) and use a clevis hooked to the chain for the lifting eye. If the chain was trying to fall back in the bucket when no weight on, roll the bucket forward until it doesn’t fall back in the bucket. Once the weight is on it, roll the bucket back a little and if it isn’t much chain below the bucket it isn’t going to twist or have much swing.

As I said above I have not done that type setup with the Kubota because I have other options I prefer with it. Pre-Kubota lifting with the trip bucket loader on the Farmall H (which is an antique curiosity but will lift around 1600lb +/-) that was one of two common ways to attach loads. Other way was run a single line of chain over the bucket edge, which is quick and easy but allows much more swing and twist of load. The loop method with clevis to attach the load provides good stability for the load.

Maybe with what you’re doing you need the slightly more solid eye bolt but don’t see how you can do that without installing the eye bolt (and spreader plate if you use one) to lift, and removing to use as a bucket every time you change jobs, which seems like a PITA but may be acceptable if you aren’t changing often.

If I’m missing the point of what you’re trying to accomplish just ignore all that.

Edit: Just noticed in rereading your original post you already did the eyebolt thing. Hope that works well for you.

 

[Orange man hero]

Pictures of what you’re trying to accomplish would probably help. May be missing the crux of the problem your solving but on the chance I do understand…

I’m thinking if I wanted a eye type attachment point just below the leading edge of the bucket:

1) I’d want it to be something that didn’t put a heavy point load on the bucket lip because smiles are not good things on loader buckets. If an eye bolt in the center, I’d be putting a spreader plate on as a washer with the bolt.

2) I’d want it to be quick on/off so I could still use the bucket as a bucket and not need two wrenches, 10 minutes, and a place on a shelf to store the stuff every time I swapped it.

3) Lifting 400lb ain’t pushing the loader but if it fell that would suck and if it landed on me or someone else, that’s just unacceptable, so I’d want a solid positive connection with substantial safety factor.

That’s leading my mind to a setup like Bmyers above with a chain between the two grab hooks such that the slack in between would hang down below the bucket edge a little (or a lot if you prefer) and use a clevis hooked to the chain for the lifting eye. If the chain was trying to fall back in the bucket when no weight on, roll the bucket forward until it doesn’t fall back in the bucket. Once the weight is on it, roll the bucket back a little and if it isn’t much chain below the bucket it isn’t going to twist or have much swing.

As I said above I have not done that type setup with the Kubota because I have other options I prefer with it. Pre-Kubota lifting with the trip bucket loader on the Farmall H (which is an antique curiosity but will lift around 1600lb +/-) that was one of two common ways to attach loads. Other way was run a single line of chain over the bucket edge, which is quick and easy but allows much more swing and twist of load. The loop method with clevis to attach the load provides good stability for the load.

Maybe with what you’re doing you need the slightly more solid eye bolt but don’t see how you can do that without installing the eye bolt (and spreader plate if you use one) to lift, and removing to use as a bucket every time you change jobs, which seems like a PITA but may be acceptable if you aren’t changing often.

If I’m missing the point of what you’re trying to accomplish just ignore all that.

Edit: Just noticed in rereading your original post you already did the eyebolt thing. Hope that works well for you.

We are kind of on the same page. I need a little twist to line up the bracket that attaches the motor to a stand that holds it. Some methods I tried would not allow that twisting. IT's been below 0 here and I don't like to start machinery unless I have to at that temp as you get a lot more wear over time. IT is very hard on stuff. When it warms up, hopefully soon I will send photo. IT is so simple, just a eye bolt attached through the 1/2 inch bolt hole that had an attachment bolt through it on the scraper bar on the bottom lip of the bucket. The eye hole is on the bottom of the bucket lip.