New and Improved...

[DanG]

Some of you may remember the "claws" I put on my loader a while back.




Well, I was pleased with them, but there was plenty of room for improvement.  This week, I finally got around to installing the new version.  The original used scarifier teeth from an old boxblade.  They were too short, and the curve made it hard to dump stuff off of them.  Also, the tips that are welded onto them left a little step for stuff to hang up on, and the setscrews tended to slip.

Here's what I did about it:



The forks are made from 2x2 seamless tubing, and the sockets are 3x3.  The pin is just a 3/8 bolt welded to a short piece of chain.  All the pin really does is to keep the fork from falling out, as the little nubs I welded onto the forks take all of the pushing pressure.




To remove them, ya just pull the pin out and they slip right out. ;D 8)

[Tom]

Not bad there, Dang.   You best be careful, fixing up a bunch of tools like that.  Pretty soon you'll run out of new designs and have to put them to work.  ^{Work ! ? ! ?}

[Left Coast Chris]

Dan.......... hope the tubes are at least 3/16" wall thickness or 1/4" to prevent bending.  I used 2x2x3/16" tubes for my brush rake to lift and push piles of limbs in our walnut orchard.   The forks are 5' long and one bent but they are quite strong at about 16" spacing.    Now that I have a mill I lift logs with it and it works pretty well.

If you get bending, you can always shorten them a bit.   I like the use of the bucket.  Just tilt and unload.  I have to roll them off with the peavy since I cannot tilt.

Good work........  8) 8)

[Tim L]

I like it !  good idea !

[DanG]

Thanks for the compliments, guys.  That's just what I was fishing for. ;D ;D

Tom, you know very well that work don't scare me none at all!  You've seen me set right down and prop my feet up on it, more than once.

Farmer77, I think these will be stiff enough.  I measured the thickness with this little ol' plastic guage I got and it looks like 7/32 ???  I don't know if they even make that thickness, so I figger it is 3/16.  The forks extend 30" from the sockets.  I picked up enough to make the 60hp tractor light in the rear end, and they held ok. 8)

Tim L, this is about the cheapest and easiest way I can come up with to put forks on a loader, and I can put them on or take them off in a skinny second with one hand.  I got the steel from Mr. Hootie for 20¢/lb. ;D  Including the dozen or so rods I burnt up, I guess I got about 10 bucks in it.  I do gotta find some more bolsters for my log trailer now, though. :-\ :D :D :D