Newbie question

[notforhire]

If you buy purpose-designed pallet forks you are not going to hurt your new tractor. If you try to lift something too heavy... it simply won’t lift it

This is the best thing I've heard since I got my tractor. Which was yesterday. Since I have added weight of the QA, implement weight is really the most important factor to me, since I'll be moving cement bags, horse feed and the like.

Not trying to be a killjoy here.
What is the heaviest object you figure you need to lift?
Does your tractor/loader have enough capacity?

Another alternative is to go to 3PH mounted forks. They are no where as handy, and don't lift as high, so you can't stack pallets. The upside is your 3PH has higher capacity than your loader.

 

[PapaJ]

Not trying to be a killjoy here.
What is the heaviest object you figure you need to lift?
Does your tractor/loader have enough capacity?

Another alternative is to go to 3PH mounted forks. They are no where as handy, and don't lift as high, so you can't stack pallets. The upside is your 3PH has higher capacity than your loader.

I have no idea, probably a pallet with 10 bags of salt, maybe a log here and there. I have a hobby farm, just a city kid living rural because my wife has a horse (Have had 5 at once before, never again), had chickens, pigs, lots of dogs, cats. I am definitely looking for a separate attachment, not clamp on or anything like that. I will eventually also have a 3PH carryall. I am in no rush, as I have no need for them anytime soon. Most of my work will be moving dirt or rock and cutting grass.

 

[Cfrazer]

I have no idea, probably a pallet with 10 bags of salt, maybe a log here and there. I have a hobby farm, just a city kid living rural because my wife has a horse (Have had 5 at once before, never again), had chickens, pigs, lots of dogs, cats. I am definitely looking for a separate attachment, not clamp on or anything like that. I will eventually also have a 3PH carryall. I am in no rush, as I have no need for them anytime soon. Most of my work will be moving dirt or rock and cutting grass.

This is where I was a few years ago, no idea what I was going to do with this tractor except for snow blow the driveway and it has ended up being the best investment ever. As far as lift capacity, remember that sometimes you only need to lift something a couple inches to get done what you need which allowed me to move a shed halfway across my property or when I used a 5:1 pulley system to rip some small trees out of the banks on my pond. These little BX's are quite versatile.

Not sure what these weigh exactly but I have lifted and moved to where needed
5 sheets of PT 3/4 plywood, 4 sheets of 3/8 CDX, and 7 sheets of 7/16 OSB, granted it was only maybe a few inches off the ground but that's all I needed to get it where I wanted, worse part was staying on flat ground so the 4x8 sheets didn't hit the ground, haha.

 

[PapaJ]

SSQA Pallet forks from BXattachments.com weigh 180 lbs

Landpride PFL1242 weigh 220 lbs

Worksaver ssqa pallet forks weigh 220 lbs

Artillian Frame and Forks - weigh about 215 lbs


The Artillian frame allows you to later add a grapple using same frame

Think you'll find the PFL1242 or worksaver will be the least expensive options of the ones I have researched.

Still been looking around, and found Earth and Turf for the QA that weight 160 pounds total, with 31 inch forks. $697 plus approximately $130 shipping.

 

[GeoHorn]

. just a city kid living rural because my wife has a horse (Have had 5 at once before, never again),.....

When those 5 wives found out about each other... I can see why you moved to the country....

 

[Cfrazer]

Still been looking around, and found Earth and Turf for the QA that weight 160 pounds total, with 31 inch forks. $697 plus approximately $130 shipping.

Nice find !!!, I missed these when I was looking. Looks like they have a nice high back stop also. If you end up getting them report back on how you like them, may help someone else.


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[PapaJ]

Nice find !!!, I missed these when I was looking. Looks like they have a nice high back stop also. If you end up getting them report back on how you like them, may help someone else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I haven't fully decided, but since I just bought the Tractors, a 30K camper, and a new horse trailer for the wife, it'll have to wait a bit while I reconstitute my savings, which morphed into a down payment account apparently.

 

[PapaJ]

Anyone got the Northern Tool forks? Ship weight is 108 pounds! https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631825_200631825#

 

[UpNorthMI]

Papaj - If I had a BX2680 I would look at these forks, the fork capacity is rated well beyond your loader capacity and they are nice and light leaving you more lifting capacity, unfortunately it looks like they are not adjustable and I feel that the ability to slide the forks to use at different widths is a key issue and would make me not want to purchase these forks.

I recommend that you stick to the other forks people have suggested in the 180-220 lbs range and buy a set that has a top guard (Headache rack) built into the frame which helps protect you and your machine if a load moves. You will be far happier with adjustable width forks in the longer term.

 

[PapaJ]

Still been looking around, and found Earth and Turf for the QA that weight 160 pounds total, with 31 inch forks. $697 plus approximately $130 shipping.

I am ordering the Earth and Turfs today. 160 pounds total, 31 inch forks. Should work for anything I need to do on my tiny hobby farm. I'll report back after I get a chance to lift a couple things. Plan to fill my 40 gallon sprayer and see how that does.


.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Land Pride if awful proud of their stuff.

Landpride is GOOD stuff. Proud or not you get what you pay for.

Try your dealer as well.

 

[PapaJ]

Landpride is GOOD stuff. Proud or not you get what you pay for.

Try your dealer as well.

I called my local dealer today. Sold out, "might" get some in in two weeks. Most of the call was him trying to sell me a Hustler mower. These E&T are the lightest I could find with the rear guard, and I haven't seen any negative feedback on any of their stuff. Hopefully the forks are as good as the rest of their product line.

 

[GeoHorn]

I am ordering the Earth and Turfs today. 160 pounds total, 31 inch forks. Should work for anything I need to do on my tiny hobby farm. I'll report back after I get a chance to lift a couple things. Plan to fill my 40 gallon sprayer and see how that does.


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One reason they’re light is the forks look to be made of hollow rectangular-tubing. Careful you don’t try to pick up something heavy too forward on them.... they might bend. (However your FEL/Tractor setup may not have enough lift to do that so you might be OK.)

 

[PapaJ]

I called my local dealer today. Sold out, "might" get some in in two weeks. Most of the call was him trying to sell me a Hustler mower. These E&T are the lightest I could find with the rear guard, and I haven't seen any negative feedback on any of their stuff. Hopefully the forks are as good as the rest of their product line.

So....after doing a bit more looking, and reading these replies.....the E&T's do look not at stout as I'd probably like. I'm going to keep checking with my local guy and grab a set of PFL12's when he gets some in. 80 pound weight difference should not make a big impact for my use.

 

[SidecarFlip]

One reason they’re light is the forks look to be made of hollow rectangular-tubing. Careful you don’t try to pick up something heavy too forward on them.... they might bend. (However your FEL/Tractor setup may not have enough lift to do that so you might be OK.)

Not hollow George, inverted structural shape. I seriously doubt they would flex like forged forks will.

The gusset on the upright where the horizontal member intersects it, is the giveaway.

 

[GeoHorn]

Not hollow George, inverted structural shape. I seriously doubt they would flex like forged forks will.

The gusset on the upright where the horizontal member intersects it, is the giveaway.

They look exactly like the ones I almost bought.... until I discovered the forks are hollow, rectangular tubing. Yes, the gussets are there to add strength to that area, I saw them. They add strength to the mitered corner where the hollow tubes are joined. (How the heck ELSE could they make a 90-degree bend in hollow tubes?)
That’s what is actually the “give-away” for me. Those forks are not nearly as sturdy as they appear and a sufficiently strong FEL can bend them outside/forward of those gussets whereas forged forks will merely flex.

 

[SidecarFlip]

They look exactly like the ones I almost bought.... until I discovered the forks are hollow, rectangular tubing. Yes, the gussets are there to add strength to that area, I saw them. They add strength to the mitered corner where the hollow tubes are joined. (How the heck ELSE could they make a 90-degree bend in hollow tubes?)
That’s what is actually the “give-away” for me. Those forks are not nearly as sturdy as they appear and a sufficiently strong FEL can bend them outside/forward of those gussets whereas forged forks will merely flex.

Structural steel shapes (in this case the forks) have very little if any 'spring back' ability. Once structural steel is deformed, it usually stays deformed, whereas forged forks are resistant to to deformation from bending.

I guess they would work so long as you were cautious about how much weight you applied but we all know that people in general don't heed loading limits. Consequently, I'd NEVER purchase them. Most time, light weight means weak (except in aircraft where the use of exotioc alloys means strength with minimal weight. Not the case here.

 

[notforhire]

I bought my SSQA forks here http://www.msattachments.com/-80-fork-frame-set.html and have been happy with them.
I'm about 100 mi from Denton, NC where they build them, so I picked them up there and saved some dough.

 

[PapaJ]

I bought my SSQA forks here http://www.msattachments.com/-80-fork-frame-set.html and have been happy with them.
I'm about 100 mi from Denton, NC where they build them, so I picked them up there and saved some dough.

I bought the PFL1242 from my Kubota dealer this past weekend.

 

[Bullock]

Thanks. For now, just looking for a set of forks, any recommendations from anyone?

Check out tractorattachments.ca I just ordered a skid plate from them for my bx2380. Make some different types of fork attachments, even ones that hang from the top to the bucket.