FEL Forks on the L3540

[Kubota Tee]

I finally got my FEL Forks back from the welding shop and all painted up Kubota Orange to match the tractor. I purchased the quick attach plate from ebay and then had my friend weld up the cross bars and the brick guard. Came out real nice.

I found the 42" forks on Craigs list and they are in pretty good condition. Looks like they used to be painted green because there are some spots that the black paint has chipped and the green is coming through. Now we can't be having any green on this forum so I am thinking about having them sandblasted and then painting them Kubota gray. That would be a nice look!!

Here are some pics:

 

[traildust]

Nice job, that looks great. It also looks cold too, hope it's not a windy day.

Scott

 

[Kubota Tee]

Nice job, that looks great. It also looks cold too, hope it's now a windy day.

Scott

Scott,

Thanks for the compliment. The forks are already coming in handy with this cold weather. We have a couple of older snowmobiles that the kids like to run around on. Well, we just got 10 inches of new snow this week and one of the snowmobiles wasn't running. Instead of trying to drag it into the heated garage, I simply lugged it onto a pallet and then used the new forks to lift it and transport it into the garage.

Ended up being being a dirty fuel filter, but I'm just glad I didn't have to work on it out in the cold!!

 

[traildust]

Scott,

Thanks for the compliment. The forks are already coming in handy with this cold weather. We have a couple of older snowmobiles that the kids like to run around on. Well, we just got 10 inches of new snow this week and one of the snowmobiles wasn't running. Instead of trying to drag it into the heated garage, I simply lugged it onto a pallet and then used the new forks to lift it and transport it into the garage.

Ended up being being a dirty fuel filter, but I'm just glad I didn't have to work on it out in the cold!!

Hey Thomas,
Isn't it great having a tractor? It's a giant step to being independent and self sufficient!

By the way I am jealous of that fork mod you did, especially after realizing just how much you can do with those things.

Glad to hear the snowmobile was only a bad filter and nothing major.

Scott

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Give the pallet a quarter turn and the forks slide in alot easier, don't have to chase it all around. Whats your visibility like tryin to stick and grab a pallet? I used to drive a 26 foot flatbed truck that had a piggyback forklift on the rear and man I could not see squat half the time. I'd have to hang off the side just to try and find the pallet, and that was with a normal forklift.

 

[Kubota Tee]

Hey Thomas,
Isn't it great having a tractor? It's a giant step to being independent and self sufficient!

By the way I am jealous of that fork mod you did, especially after realizing just how much you can do with those things.

Glad to hear the snowmobile was only a bad filter and nothing major.

Scott

Scott,

My first tractor was an old Ford 4000 with a FEL and a brush hog. I got so much use out of that tractor for the 2 years I owned it and the best part is that I sold it for more than I paid for it!! Now that I have this Kubota with quick attach, the uses are almost endless. All last year I kept putting things off because they were either too big to do by hand or I didn't want to pick up the phone to the local excavators. You are right on the money with your comment on independence.

I also like to think of it one step further. Not only do I now have a very versatile tool for all the jobs we have on our property, but I can now help out the family and neighbors. My wife's 2 sisters and her parents are all within 5 miles from us and I will be more than happy to get in some extra seat time helping them out as well.

Thanks again for your comments.

 

[Kubota Tee]

Give the pallet a quarter turn and the forks slide in alot easier, don't have to chase it all around. Whats your visibility like tryin to stick and grab a pallet? I used to drive a 26 foot flatbed truck that had a piggyback forklift on the rear and man I could not see squat half the time. I'd have to hang off the side just to try and find the pallet, and that was with a normal forklift.

Eric,

Funny you should bring up the topic of positioning the forks. I found that it did take a little getting used to, especially trying to hit the openings on the sides. If I stood up, I could see the tips, but with the seat cutoff switch I couldn't move the tractor in a standing up position.

I found two little techniques that helped after a few failed attempts. The first is to approach the skid with the FEL curled so that I could see the tips of the forks. This way as I approached the skid, I can get a fairly good alignment until I am close enough to lower the tips. The second technique I learned was to use the point where the forks attach to the frame as my visual que instead of relying on seeing the tips.

I think in the end, it is all a matter of practice!! I'm sure I will be getting more and more practice as time goes on!

Take Care,

 

[Wildfire]

I just love it when things are done right as in this case. Thomas you got a very fine machine there sir and with all the goodies to boot.

I remember last year one of the guys at a local farm was working on a machine and put the forks of the machine he was using right through the aluminum engine oil pan of the machine he was working on. I got elected to weld it back together. Worked out good though.

I guess one needs to be careful where the forks are going. Nice job Thomas.

 

[Kubota Tee]

I just love it when things are done right as in this case. Thomas you got a very fine machine there sir and with all the goodies to boot.

I remember last year one of the guys at a local farm was working on a machine and put the forks of the machine he was using right through the aluminum engine oil pan of the machine he was working on. I got elected to weld it back together. Worked out good though.

I guess one needs to be careful where the forks are going. Nice job Thomas.

Paul,

I am really happy with the forks and now that I have used them a bit I can certainly relate to the cautionary tale you have told. I was just getting used to how far out the bucket was, and now the forks go out even further! I will hopefully not have to learn the hard way!!

Thomas