Bolt on bucket chain hooks

[milanmark]

Had bought the bolt on’s a coupla weeks ago and also just got my BX Piranha tooth bar….
Finally got them installed today! Can’t wait to play with them!
F

 

[JeremyBX2200]

Had bought the bolt on’s a coupla weeks ago and also just got my BX Piranha tooth bar….
Finally got them installed today! Can’t wait to play with them!
F View attachment 68212

That is one of the items for my BX that is on my must have list.
1.Hooks
2. Piranha Bar
3. Box scraper
4. Carry all

I figure those are the ones I would use enough to justify the cost. Past that I will just rent the attachments.

 

[MOOTS]

Glued my weld on hooks on this morning. Ended up not using the 1/4” plates, my bucket has 3/8” thick flat places. Stuck right to those. I will use the plates for something, I’m sure. Turned the heat up, and let her eat.

 

[Kennyd4110]

I might steel your pics Matt

 

[MOOTS]

I might steel your pics Matt

Go right ahead!

 

[GeoHorn]

We have both and the bolt on hooks are far better than the welded ones, which snap off pretty easily

Lousy welding job if that happened. (poor penetration)

Welding is almost ALWAYS stronger than the base-metal to which anything is welded.

 

[Brettski]

Looking at the pics in this thread, I see that most, if not all, of you have at least two hooks on your buckets. Wouldn't one hook be sufficient for most tasks that our FELS are capable of? I'm asking before I order mine. Would there be problems if I install only one hook (with clevis backing plate) on my bucket instead of two? I'd appreciate hearing your opinions and advice.

 

[TheOldHokie]

are bolt on bucket hooks reliable and also does drilling then weeken the bucket in any way?
I don’t have or know how to weld and id rather not go to the trouble of finding a welding shop

thanks In advance

I am sure that if done right its structurally sound but welding is so much easier.

Dan

 

[JeremyBX2200]

Looking at the pics in this thread, I see that most, if not all, of you have at least two hooks on your buckets. Wouldn't one hook be sufficient for most tasks that our FELS are capable of? I'm asking before I order mine. Would there be problems if I install only one hook (with clevis backing plate) on my bucket instead of two? I'd appreciate hearing your opinions and advice.

I would go with 2 hooks. It adds a ton of versatility to it. I can't remember a time that I used just one.

A big thing would also be that you would have to put the hook right in the middle of the bucket so it didn't twist your loader arm when using it.

My setup

It's possible I could do this with 1 hook in the middle, but it would be a lot more difficult doing the balancing act.

No way I could have done this with one hook. Railroad tie would have been falling one way or another.

 

[Bmyers]

Looking at the pics in this thread, I see that most, if not all, of you have at least two hooks on your buckets. Wouldn't one hook be sufficient for most tasks that our FELS are capable of? I'm asking before I order mine. Would there be problems if I install only one hook (with clevis backing plate) on my bucket instead of two? I'd appreciate hearing your opinions and advice.

As Jeremy pointed out, two hooks offer more versatility than just one hook. The cost is not the great, nor the time to install the second hook, but the potential additional flexibility it adds is worth it.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I would go with 2 hooks. It adds a ton of versatility to it. I can't remember a time that I used just one.

A big thing would also be that you would have to put the hook right in the middle of the bucket so it didn't twist your loader arm when using it.

My setup
View attachment 91391

It's possible I could do this with 1 hook in the middle, but it would be a lot more difficult doing the balancing act.
View attachment 91392

No way I could have done this with one hook. Railroad tie would have been falling one way or another.
View attachment 91393

When you use one hook you also use a double basket rig.

 

[GeoHorn]

I can weld and opted not to. Ken's Bolt On Hooks are clean, professional, and probably stronger than welding hooks on due to the way they're constructed. The backing plate reinforcement certainly covers more area than a weld would. It's a well designed system, just follow the instructions and measure carefully. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!! Oh, and they're great people to work with.

Not criticizing Kens’ Bolt-On products… they are clearly well-made products and solve the installation problem for those who do not/can not weld…or for those who choose not to weld… for whatever reason…. I just don’t see any validity in the claims they are “stronger” than ordinary weld-on hooks, etc…. because the bolt-on products themselves are ”welded” onto the backing plate used for bolts. Those backing plates use weaker fasteners using smaller attachment surface-areas than the weldment on either method.

Those fasteners will deform the bucket and/or break before quality welds would on either method. IMO

(There is a good consideration in that Kens weldments are consistent and well-executed… something the average homeowner with a HF wire-feed welder may be unlikely to acheive.)

 

[Brettski]

Thank you for the responses so far - and for some more examples in the form of pics. I can see two hooks being better in cases like the ones pictured but if most of the work I plan to do is of the cinch strap/haul variety, would one hook centered on the bucket be better than using a single hook on one side of the bucket? What do you folks do when using a lift strap to haul a tree for instance? Do you use one the hooks on the side or figure out a way to share the load over both hooks?

It's an honest question; I've owned my tractor for years but am new to rigging concepts. Until now, I've just hauled stuff with my backhoe but obviously that's not ideal nor particularly easy.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Thank you for the responses so far - and for some more examples in the form of pics. I can see two hooks being better in cases like the ones pictured but if most of the work I plan to do is of the cinch strap/haul variety, would one hook centered on the bucket be better than using a single hook on one side of the bucket? What do you folks do when using a lift strap to haul a tree for instance? Do you use one the hooks on the side or figure out a way to share the load over both hooks?

It's an honest question; I've owned my tractor for years but am new to rigging concepts. Until now, I've just hauled stuff with my backhoe but obviously that's not ideal nor particularly easy.

Put three hooks on it.

Dan

 

[ken erickson]

I installed one of Ken's excelent bolt on hooks in the center on my L2501's loader. My thoughts were to add two more when I get a chance. My grapple spends most of the time on the loader but it sure is handy to have hooks when needed.

I did not rig the compactor , I would have used a chain or some sort of protection for the strap and the bottom cutting edge. It was a short lift so no damage done to strap.

 

[RichardD]

I bolted on two hooks a few months ago for my MX 5100. Yesterday I sawed down a dead beetle infested pine tree. The only photo I took was this one with the chain around the tree trunk . I pulled it back a way. Then sawed it in about 8 ft. Long sections And using both hooks lifted it up and hauled away.

 

[JeremyBX2200]

Thank you for the responses so far - and for some more examples in the form of pics. I can see two hooks being better in cases like the ones pictured but if most of the work I plan to do is of the cinch strap/haul variety, would one hook centered on the bucket be better than using a single hook on one side of the bucket? What do you folks do when using a lift strap to haul a tree for instance? Do you use one the hooks on the side or figure out a way to share the load over both hooks?

It's an honest question; I've owned my tractor for years but am new to rigging concepts. Until now, I've just hauled stuff with my backhoe but obviously that's not ideal nor particularly easy.

If you had 2 hooks placed in front of the lifting arm (this is recommended) you would not want to hook something to just one. It can tweak/bend the FEL arms by pulling sideways. I have used a chain in between the hooks with a strap attached, although the general rule of thumb is that you don't want to do anything where you have to pull hard with the loader. If you are going to have to do that you should hook to a drawbar on the 3pt.

Something like this. In this situation I wasn't really trying to yank on something.....just putting some tension do when I cut the broken limb it would fall away from the house.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Here's my version of the no weld, no drill solution.....
A section of electrical 'strut' channel slid into the bucket top lip 'pocket' and grab hooks welded to 2x3 angle bolted onto the strut. Weight of load is distributed over the entire lip evenly. So far ZERO issues even with loader maxxed out for lifting...

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Looking at the pics in this thread, I see that most, if not all, of you have at least two hooks on your buckets. Wouldn't one hook be sufficient for most tasks that our FELS are capable of? I'm asking before I order mine. Would there be problems if I install only one hook (with clevis backing plate) on my bucket instead of two? I'd appreciate hearing your opinions and advice.

Depending on what lifting and how rigging, two hooks maybe prevent what picking up from swinging as much IMO…you can balance it a little better I think…that doesn’t mean ok to get happy with throttle but two contacts points will the control the lift easier. Personally I use rigging straps more than chains…get a couple short ones and a couple long ones…sometimes a couple different lengths make it a little easier to balance the load depending on the pick up points of what lifting. Chains work too though.

 

[Brettski]

Here's my version of the no weld, no drill solution.....
A section of electrical 'strut' channel slid into the bucket top lip 'pocket' and grab hooks welded to 2x3 angle bolted onto the strut. Weight of load is distributed over the entire lip evenly. So far ZERO issues even with loader maxxed out for lifting...

Very innovative! Makes good use of Kubota's otherwise strangely designed upper lip on some buckets like mine.