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Very nicely done!I just got around to taking some pictures of the forks I built last summer.
These were made of 4" x 1-1/2" rec tubing x 1/4" thick. I bolt them on with gd 8, 5/8" bolts thru a 3" x 1/2" piece of flat stock on the bottom of the bucket for strength. Granted they are heavy but hell for stout. The will take anything the loader can lift. I leave them on most of the time because I use my new Kuboda for about everything else. I will start a new post in the morning with my boom pole.I just got around to taking some pictures of the forks I built last summer.
Depends which local welder we are talking about. Welder A tried to put his kids through college on one (comprehensive bucket reinforcement) project that I brought to him. It ended up being cheaper for me to buy a brand new HD KMW bucket instead. Welder B (a.k.a., the "old man") is far more reasonable in cost... but he won't make stuff. He will only weld up relatively small stuff that you bring to him. He is cheaper, but not exactly user friendly.Dougster, If you brought that photo into a local welder, he would whip you one up in no time.
NIca,
Those are slick, do you only haul manure/brush with them? I would think they are a bit wide for pallet/lumber handling.
Are your bolts covered with poo when you are done?
I am thinking of somthing similar, but since I already have my carry all forks (prevois thread) I am thinking of something more manure/brush specific using leave springs that I hook on the lip like you did (do you you feel your setup puts to much pressure on the lip?) but run it under the bucket and chain bind it up around the back. THis way I avoid having to remove bolts full of poo.
Mobilus,
Look at setting your forks in your bucket, Easier to rig, and having the bucket on actually enables you to still carry small items like tools. My buddy has a slick QA set of forks and he actually drives his truck to a site with his chainsaw in the back and then rides his bicycle back to get his tractor because he cant carry tools on his forks(I know a box strapped to a pallet would work to) but then you cant fork anything also.
Construction rigs have forks that mount on the top of the bucket that flip up and down when needed.
Dougster,
If you brought that photo into a local welder, he would whip you one up in no time.
That looks good. I'll post pictures of mine tomorrow. The chains are the way to go for maximum strength.Nica,
Here's a picture of my boom pole. I used 2 1/2" OD square tubing with 1/4" wall for mine. Put a piece of 2" OD 1/4" wall in the end to make it fit a receiver that mounts on top of the bucket. I put legs on it to use the support of the bottom of the bucket.
I have it on the tractor now. I'll take some better pictures of it. The only thing I want to add is a couple of pieces of chain to the chain hooks on the top of the bucket for additional support.![]()
Mark
The local course is 10 Monday nights (total of 30 hours) starting Jan 28th and costs $275... but it is for stick welding only. No MIG. I am debating it, but with bills backing up faster than I can even count them and money insanely tight right now... this may be a luxury I simply cannot afford.Dougster, I bet a community college near you has a 6 week twice a week evening welding class for you for $500. You can even build your forks for yourself while taking the class and justify the cost right there.
The local course is 10 Monday nights (total of 30 hours) starting Jan 28th and costs $275... but it is for stick welding only. No MIG. I am debating it, but with bills backing up faster than I can even count them and money insanely tight right now... this may be a luxury I simply cannot afford.
Dougster
The course decription includes the following footnote: "Limited MIG or Flux core basics available, ask when registering."Doug, stick welding is harder to get the hang of than MIG. I think that taking the stick course would be a good idea. Once you learn the methods and technique, MIG is a piece of cake. I also wouldn't be surprised if you had access to a MIG machine for at least a class or too. As far as being a luxury are you kidding me. Welding is a skill. Once you get good at it you can charge ridiclous rates to guys like you that need a bucket reinforced.
Well... a couple of facts that may not make any sense to you ('cause they don't even make sense to me!): I already own a stick welder. It's a brand new Lincoln tombstone. Plus, I have two professional welders available to me for training or actual fab work in the form of my GF's two brothers. But the story gets kinda complicated and squirrelly at this point... I will spare you the messy details... and, for now, the Lincoln stick welder just sits there in its unopened box waiting to be resold in favor of a MIG welder.Well maybe next time, but $275 to make youself a set of forks is cheap...and I agree with civenwhoo...If you learn the basics of good welding technique and learn to stich with a buzz box you are coming out ahead at only $275. HOw much extra did the Mahindra dealer charge to weld those hooks on your bucket?
After learning to stick, If you can run a hot glue gun you can mig, and beleive it or not, stick welding has better penetration and is more suitable for tractor type welding than anything else and best of all you can pick up an old buzz box for peanuts, just check craigs list.
Well... a couple of facts that may not make any sense to you ('cause they don't even make sense to me!): I already own a stick welder. It's a brand new Lincoln tombstone. Plus, I have two professional welders available to me for training or actual fab work in the form of my GF's two brothers. But the story gets kinda complicated and squirrelly at this point... I will spare you the messy details... and, for now, the Lincoln stick welder just sits there in its unopened box waiting to be resold in favor of a MIG welder.
Dougster
Well, I think you know that this is a topic on which I have been going 'round and 'round for 13 months now. I bought the stick welder on what I considered expert advice that this was the correct welder for me and my needs. I had no sooner bought the dang thing when I was told exactly the opposite by equally qualified & trusted people: Namely, that a MIG welder would be much better for all of my needs AND be far easier to use. This was reinforced rather significantly in my mind when BOTH of my local big-dollar professional welder folks under consideration to do this work told me they would be using their MIG welders to execute my proposed projects.Doug, while I know that you want that mig and it is nice to have a tig and acetylene as well,for your needs, (tractor biz) your stick welder makes the most sense. I know, I know that is not what you want to hear, but I'm pretty sure that it is the truth of the matter. Now go have a
on me and get ready to plow that
that's going to fall next week.
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