Are all pallet forks created equal?

[Clevus]

So, when buying a wood chipper and watching the guy put it on my trailer, I realized I need pallet forks for my B2601. I already have SSQA.

What do I need to know?
I don’t need a bale spear.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Good day.

Depending on all your tasked…if you don’t want a dented hood, I’d recommend getting one with the back guard. (I did not do this and it gave me chance to find out how great KTAC really is ).

Then also if you do get one with a guard, I’d look for ones that the forks set flush to the guard. (This is so when you pull into something that it sets against the guard vs leaving room/movement)

beyond that I think. Step on the side of the frame is helpful as well as slots that you can put a chain link (like 5/16 or 3/8 log chain link in).

I hope this gives some ideas.

 

[Edke6bnl]

Good day.

Depending on all your tasked…if you don’t want a dented hood, I’d recommend getting one with the back guard. (I did not do this and it gave me chance to find out how great KTAC really is ).

Then also if you do get one with a guard, I’d look for ones that the forks set flush to the guard. (This is so when you pull into something that it sets against the guard vs leaving room/movement)

beyond that I think. Step on the side of the frame is helpful as well as slots that you can put a chain link (like 5/16 or 3/8 log chain link in).

I hope this gives some ideas.

Plus adjustable with forks and your good for any pallet
There are different spacing for the vertical mounts, there are different length fork, different width and thickness for different load capabilities

 

[lynnmor]

A receiver for a hitch ball mount might be useful if you have trailers.

 

[mikester]

Pallet forks are equal until you overload one side...

 

[torch]

So, when buying a wood chipper and watching the guy put it on my trailer, I realized I need pallet forks for my B2601. I already have SSQA.

What do I need to know?
I don’t need a bale spear.

The max lift capacity of your machine is under 1,000lbs -- at the pins, inclusive of the attachment. Considerably less at the tips of the forks. So a set of 5000lb forks is overkill, a light duty set will probably still be more than 1,000lbs capacity. And the light duty set will not reduce your net capacity as much as a heavier set. Similarly while 48" long forks are tempting for the extra reach, 42" long forks are better suited to the tractor's abilities.

A set of forks does not turn a compact tractor into a forklift. Don't get me wrong -- I love my forks, use them almost as much as the bucket -- just be aware of the limitations. You will not be unloading pallets of cinderblocks from a delivery truck. Keep empty pallets around so you can manually divide such loads over several pallets. And keep the weight as close to the tractor as possible.

One last thing: the forks don't travel parallel to the ground, they rotate in an arc. Be prepared to make tiny adjustments with the bucket curl stick as you go up or down. Throttle down to idle for better control.

 

[Old Machinist]

Depending on your frequency of need and budget you might get by with a set of clamp on forks. I've seen some worry about them bending buckets but you should be able to add something to spread the weight to prevent that.

I have used a set of clamp ons with straps to move my 1100 LB dry weight generator without bending the light duty bucket of my John Deere. I did put the rear strap around the loader frame to limit the pull on the forks but more than half of the weight was on the tip of the forks. I also only picked up just off the ground so I wasn't trying to load it on a trailer or anything.

If you have bucket hooks you can strap the front of the load to those. If you don't have bucket hooks you need them.