Best position for bucket hooks

[Sobrbiker]

I use mine to chain all sorts of things to bucket, or even use the hank of muletape I keep in toolbox to secure things.
Most recently used them to support my el cheapo bolt on forks when I had to unload horse panels by myself that were delivered in stacks of up to 800lbs.
Used chains to keep bucket from smiling.
Testing the forks with water to see how much I could lift with the BF500 (rated 1100lbs at bucket pins-a lot less with load 4ft in front of pins). Wound up close to maxing out at around 625lbs).

I got one stack from truck onto my trailer but the rest went on the ground because as system got hot, my capacity went down.

not bad for one old guy and an old L2850 (sure beat unloading 50 panels and gates manually one at a time at 60-90lb each

 

[686970]

These were on mine when I bought it new. They were welded on before it was painted. Not the best place. If I try to pick up something heavy the asymmetrical rear wheel will come right off the ground. Don't put them where these are.

 

[Sobrbiker]

These were on mine when I bought it new. They were welded on before it was painted. Not the best place. If I try to pick up something heavy the asymmetrical rear wheel will come right off the ground. Don't put them where these are.
View attachment 157979

I’m assuming by “asymmetrical” you mean the tire on opposite corner.
To lift from center of bucket-You can get two chains (one with hooks) and drape one across both your hooks, then hook another to the center of that chain between hooks and to your load, centering load.

 

[Kennyd4110]

Or one longer chain like this: