Telescopic boom loader.

Dave Shepard · December 24, 2015, 11:34:20 AM

We use telehandlers all the time at work. They are the best forklift around a mill that I've used. Payloaders are great for brute strength, but are really lacking when doing delicate handling of finished product.

This one is a 10054, I think it's a JLG.

This one is a Mustang 1155 that is owned by the company I work for.

beenthere · December 24, 2015, 03:17:37 PM

Quote from: customsawyer on December 24, 2015, 08:01:35 AM
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Here is one of the forks and how they float. They are in the up position now as I have the loader sitting on the ground.

With the forks moving up and down like this and also swinging when you go to dump something I can see it getting aggravating.

To keep the forks from rotating up, maybe weld some steel blocks on the top of the bushings that are there now, as drawn in crudely on your pic.

Ljohnsaw · December 24, 2015, 03:27:03 PM

It looks like some one hacked the frame so the forks can be lifted 90° to let them pass into the middle of the frame so the forks can be close together. This block would prevent that. I have the same problem with my SkyTrac. I'm thinking that I will make a block to stick in the oval slots above the bar. Put a big washer on each side and a pin through it so it stays in place. As far as tipping forks, I wrapped a chain around mine. Put it in the wrong place one time, amazing how quickly you can sever a 3/8" chain! Now I have a few shorter chains :

Dave Shepard · December 24, 2015, 03:55:01 PM

That's a factory notch. If you didn't have a support there, you would certainly bend the shaft. The tele we used on that raising was just like that. A pain, but not too big a deal unless you need to narrow up to lift a pallet.

Ljohnsaw · December 24, 2015, 07:22:02 PM

Quote from: Dave Shepard on December 24, 2015, 03:55:01 PM
That's a factory notch. If you didn't have a support there, you would certainly bend the shaft. The tele we used on that raising was just like that. A pain, but not too big a deal unless you need to narrow up to lift a pallet.

Hmm, the notch looks a little rough like someone torch-cut the front off. On my SkyTrak, I have oval holes on each side AND the two middle bars as well. AND they still managed to bend the bar!!! One side rides a little higher than the other. But then, I managed to bend the ends on both my 5' forks popping "rocks" out of the ground.

Banjo picker · December 25, 2015, 06:05:49 PM

That's one nice machine...

Banjo

scully · December 25, 2015, 06:51:40 PM

Those floating forks are like that for good reason ,make them solid and you will have big problems .

Dave Shepard · December 25, 2015, 07:27:53 PM

I don't think it will be an issue for log handling.

customsawyer · December 25, 2015, 08:21:01 PM

I could see where they would be handy working on a roof 50' in the air but with logs and lumber I prefer mine mounted solid. I had a back-hoe with forks that hung on the bucket and they swiveled from the bottom like these. I hated it for handling logs and slabs as you always get one towards the back of the forks that you can't get off, as the forks don't dump they just swing. I am going to mount them solid I just have to figure out how. I need to make sure that what ever I do can be undone, in case I ever decided to sell in the future.

drobertson · December 25, 2015, 08:23:31 PM

It seems to me that the possible floating shown to me would/could cause issues with loads sliding,, I've never ran anything with this configuration, so I really don't know, but for logs and picking up and setting down, loading and the such, can't see the benefit. This said, as others have said, block the oval to stop the float, and I would start with a top side stop with a stout short block. If it does not work, try another approach. Or find out why they do it this way. It would be interesting to know the reasons. All I know is long logs slip enough as is without the forks tilting sideways. Hillsides are bad enough without help from the forks.

customsawyer · December 26, 2015, 08:00:47 AM

Dave I don't have much problem with hillsides. ;D

Quote from: jmouton on December 24, 2015, 10:37:15 AM
thats nice

jim

Jim I'm not sure how you meant this statement. If you are trying to say I have a nice machine or "That's nice" as in our other conversations. Maybe a little of both. :D

jmiller · December 26, 2015, 08:39:33 AM

Maybe drill a hole there above the slide and bolt a plate. easy to remove

johnnyllama · December 26, 2015, 04:32:19 PM

I have owned telehandlers and rented many too, mainly for construction work. The main reason for the floatinig forks is these are "all terrain" lifts, meant to be used on uneven ground. If you need to slide into a lumber pile or pallet on a slope, even with a side leveling machine, sometimes this feature makes the difference on getting those forks into the load.
I always used a combination of short chains made to hold the forks tight to the lower carriage and large wedge blocks that slipped into the side slots with a pin to keep them in place. Minutes to remove if you needed to which we often did depending on what we were doing. My machine also had a bucket for dirt and snow (perfect for back dragging stone for final grade), and a 16' straight boom attachment for truss setting. The boom gives you alot more flexibility than just hooking onto the forks.

jmouton · December 26, 2015, 09:47:06 PM

just giving you a hard time thats all,,, havent talked in a while ,,, ill have to call you one day when i slow down a bit ,,, i just got a ton of pine really long and ill have to tallk to you about cutting them ,you know,,

long log on a short mill,,, jim

fishpharmer · December 26, 2015, 10:55:29 PM

Congrats Jake, handy machines. Had one custom milling customer with two of those type of machines at my disposal. Super handy, moved logs with one and stacked lumber with the other. @bibbyman has or had a couple of tele-handlers maybe he has a solution for the float.

paul case · December 27, 2015, 04:45:47 PM

Hey Jake,
Bibbyman had the same trouble with his forks being loose on the heel. If I had any idea where to look I would but I don't.

nice machine though. Real Nice.

PC

mason44 · December 27, 2015, 04:58:53 PM

When you tilt the carriage all the way forward/down the bar will slide up in the notches on carriage so you can push the forks together inside of the carriage mounts. Its very handy when you need to pick up narrow pallets

mason44 · December 27, 2015, 05:04:10 PM

And the float helps keep you from digging into the ground, if the tips if your forks won't touch the ground you have something mis-matched

Bibbyman · December 30, 2015, 05:16:57 PM

Quote from: paul case on December 27, 2015, 04:45:47 PM
Hey Jake,
Bibbyman had the same trouble with his forks being loose on the heel. If I had any idea where to look I would but I don't.

nice machine though. Real Nice.

PC

That's a long time back.

Yes, swinging forks are useless for handling logs.

I took the forks to a metal fabricator and asked him to add bars behind the forks to clevis pin them in place. He talked me into welding a big chunk of metal on front like some here suggested. I didn't think it would work and it didn't. Took them home and mounted them and set the points on the ground and lifted the machine front off the ground. The bars bent. Loaded up the forks and took them back and went back to plan A.

Bars 1" thick by 4" wide bent. Weld is where they were.

The clevis pin can be pulled and forks moved to some other locations - but not anywhere.

Satamax · December 30, 2015, 08:15:05 PM

In europe, we have thoses type of forks too. I always thought they were like that, so they could be put backwards over the apron (is that the right word for you? ) when going on the road. It's forbiden to ride your telehandler on the road with the forks pointing forward over here. I like Bibbyman's solution.

4x4American · December 30, 2015, 10:25:20 PM

I like Bibby's solution by far. Leave it to Ole Bibby to have the best idear IMO on the forks

customsawyer · December 31, 2015, 04:09:53 AM

I have much thinking to do on this one. Bibby I am worried about welding at the 90° bend of the forks seems to be one of the worst places to weld. Yet it looks like it has worked fine for Bibby.

Kbeitz · December 31, 2015, 04:16:47 AM

Would you need to weld ? You could have a bracket made that would slip over
the forks just like that with out welding. It's hard to see in that picture if
it's welded on.

customsawyer · December 31, 2015, 04:23:40 AM

Anything that you slip onto the forks is going to effect the way the back of them contact a pack of lumber.

Bibbyman · December 31, 2015, 08:02:09 PM

Quote from: customsawyer on December 31, 2015, 04:09:53 AM
I have much thinking to do on this one. Bibby I am worried about welding at the 90° bend of the forks seems to be one of the worst places to weld. Yet it looks like it has worked fine for Bibby.

This machine weighs in at some 14,000. Rated at 6500 lift. Forks are 2x5x42? I've put the machine to hard use and maybe some abuse and the forks have held up fine. But it's a gamble. Maybe you can weld the clevis plates on somewhere besides the corner?

I actually wanted and instructed the welder to put the plates on higher. The fork hanging system has about 2" of float. I wanted the forks at the lowest float point and that's what I went over with the welder. But he welded them on where the forks are at the highest point.

I wanted the forks at the lowest point so there would be more clearance between bottom of fork and fork frame. As it is, you pick up a pallet of lumber with blocking that falls between the forks and sticks out past the bundle, the fork frame hits and pushes the blocking. I cursed this welder a number of times.

This welder had all the right equipment and had the skill to do a good job but he screwed every project I took to him. He went out of business and took a job welding at a factory.