Homemade Attachments for Forklifts Skidsteers and Other Equipment

[aczlan]

What make/model is your tractor (or how much weight is the loade rated to lift)?
As I recall it's a smaller 30 to 40 horse tractor, if that's the case I wouldn't go with much over 3/8 unless you're planning on putting the attachment on a larger tractor in the future.

Aaron Z

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

What make/model is your tractor (or how much weight is the loade rated to lift)?
As I recall it's a smaller 30 to 40 horse tractor, if that's the case I wouldn't go with much over 3/8 unless you're planning on putting the attachment on a larger tractor in the future.

Aaron Z

His question cannot be answered, at least not with the info given.

Shapes have strength, not materials.

 

[arse_sidewards]

What make/model is your tractor (or how much weight is the loade rated to lift)?
As I recall it's a smaller 30 to 40 horse tractor, if that's the case I wouldn't go with much over 3/8 unless you're planning on putting the attachment on a larger tractor in the future.

Aaron Z

It handles 2k nicely and picks up the rear around 2500. They left me room for much bigger lift cylinders so there's a pretty clear upgrade path.

His question cannot be answered, at least not with the info given.

Shapes have strength, not materials.

We're replacing the bucket pictured with an SSQA adapter

 

[aczlan]

His question cannot be answered, at least not with the info given.

Shapes have strength, not materials.

A SSQA adapter has a shape...

It handles 2k nicely and picks up the rear around 2500. They left me room for much bigger lift cylinders so there's a pretty clear upgrade path.


We're replacing the bucket pictured with an SSQA adapter

Are you talking about the loader side SSQA coupler, or the bucket side SSQA attachment plate?
If its the bucket side, I would use 3/8" or 1/2".
If its the loader side, I would probbaly use 1/2" to tie into your "ears" and weld the coupler to that, especially if you plan to add lifting capacity in the future.

Aaron Z

 

[arse_sidewards]

A SSQA adapter has a shape...


Are you talking about the loader side SSQA coupler, or the bucket side SSQA attachment plate?
If its the bucket side, I would use 3/8" or 1/2".
If its the loader side, I would probbaly use 1/2" to tie into your "ears" and weld the coupler to that, especially if you plan to add lifting capacity in the future.

Aaron Z

Loader side. I'm going to make replacement ears that fit my pin diameter and spacing and weld those to the SSQA coupler.

The OEM ears are 1" thick material.

The bucket is 1/4 so that's what the SSQA plate it gets will be made out of.

 

[bgaidan]

1" is overkill for ~2500lbs. I've seen smaller on much, much larger loaders.

1/2" will probably cover whatever max weight you can beef that thing up to.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Considering that 0/3 people have said I'm gonna kill a bus load of nuns if I don't go 3/4 or better I think I'll go with 1/2.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Considering that 0/3 people have said I'm gonna kill a bus load of nuns if I don't go 3/4 or better I think I'll go with 1/2.

Keep in mind, most of us don't care about the nuns!

I agree, 1/2 would be plenty.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

I end up with a ton of snow at my warehouse, more than I can store sometimes, especially during years when I have to snowblow the roof.

I have property 1 block away (1000 feet) where I can store ten times the snow I need to.

Been looking at these goofy things. I've considered a dump trailer, but too much $$$ and additional maintenance. These skidsteer wheelbarrows seem to fill a very specific need, but might work out for me. I could probably even do without the wheels if I build the bottom with a curve at the front and skin it with HDPE.

 

[rockota]

I end up with a ton of snow at my warehouse, more than I can store sometimes, especially during years when I have to snowblow the roof.

I have property 1 block away (1000 feet) where I can store ten times the snow I need to.

Been looking at these goofy things. I've considered a dump trailer, but too much $$$ and additional maintenance. These skidsteer wheelbarrows seem to fill a very specific need, but might work out for me. I could probably even do without the wheels if I build the bottom with a curve at the front and skin it with HDPE.

I don’t get it. I know… surprise, surprise….


Use the skid to fill the small wheel barrel with the bucket… disconnect the bucket, attach the wheel barrel, drive 1000’, dump… detach from skidsteer, attach bucket, fill…. Repeat.

Seems like it’s a solution that doesn’t solve much (with the snow example)??

 

[arse_sidewards]

I end up with a ton of snow at my warehouse, more than I can store sometimes, especially during years when I have to snowblow the roof.

I have property 1 block away (1000 feet) where I can store ten times the snow I need to.

Been looking at these goofy things. I've considered a dump trailer, but too much $$$ and additional maintenance. These skidsteer wheelbarrows seem to fill a very specific need, but might work out for me. I could probably even do without the wheels if I build the bottom with a curve at the front and skin it with HDPE.

Self tipping forklift hopper, $500 or less used depending on condition.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

I don’t get it. I know… surprise, surprise….


Use the skid to fill the small wheel barrel with the bucket… disconnect the bucket, attach the wheel barrel, drive 1000’, dump… detach from skidsteer, attach bucket, fill…. Repeat.

Seems like it’s a solution that doesn’t solve much (with the snow example)??

Yeah, that's pretty much it. As I said, it's got a pretty specific market, probably why you never see them.

Would be nicer if I add electric actuators to my Q/A.

I like that it's a nice, dumb piece of gear that doesn't require any hydraulics, engine, separate tow vehicle. My machine isn't very fast, so if I could move 5 buckets of snow per trip then I'd be 3 or 4 times faster.

Keep in mind that premade one is made for gravel/rock so it's small. I could make one for moving snow that would be 3x as big. Probably so big I'd have to drive in reverse to see. I also came across an interesting one that had a gooseneck style hitch that fully cleared the cab and hooked into the bucket so you could drive forwards. It was ridiculous, and unfortunately I can't find a trace of it on the net.

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Self tipping forklift hopper, $500 or less used depending on condition.

Pretty much yeah, but...

When I'm hauling snow, it's usually halfway through the season, and I'm hauling packed snow that's super dense. With that fence thing I added to my dirt bucket I can pick up a ball of ice big enough that my rear wheels come off the ground. What I'm trying to say is my bucket already maxes out my load capacity, thus the wheels of the wheelbarrow deal. I tip over at 5000lbs. The wheeled thing might allow me to haul 10,000+lbs?

Maybe it's a stupid idea and that's why you never see them, or 99% of places just use bigger machines instead of doing everything with one.

I've also got a narrowed mobile home axle that's been kicking around forever without a use. I don't really think I'd need the swivel feature of those tires, considering I'd 100% of the time be on ice. I've also got a conveyor belt cassette (welded steel fixture built to hold an oval-shaped coil of conveyor belt, looks like a skateboard half pipe). Wouldn't take much to weld the axle under it, at about the 1/4 way mark. Could add a little hitch at the other end and pick it up with a ball welded in my bucket. It's even 75% skinned already with sheet metal.

Flip the whole thing sidewards once I get to the destination...

 

[aczlan]

Pretty much yeah, but...

When I'm hauling snow, it's usually halfway through the season, and I'm hauling packed snow that's super dense. With that fence thing I added to my dirt bucket I can pick up a ball of ice big enough that my rear wheels come off the ground. What I'm trying to say is my bucket already maxes out my load capacity, thus the wheels of the wheelbarrow deal. I tip over at 5000lbs. The wheeled thing might allow me to haul 10,000+lbs?

Maybe it's a stupid idea and that's why you never see them, or 99% of places just use bigger machines instead of doing everything with one.

Most places either push to/restack a pile with a larger machine (ie: backhoe if plowing with a pickup, wheel loader otherwise), or have to move it far enough that they just use the dump trucks that they already own.
What would it cost to rent a dump trailer for a day if you get to the point where you need to move snow to the other property?

Aaron Z

 

[[486]]

All I know is a lot of dump trailers have trouble with snow, it likes to stick in them and doesn't dump good at all

 

[aczlan]

All I know is a lot of dump trailers have trouble with snow, it likes to stick in them and doesn't dump good at all

Spraying the inside down with PAM before starting will help.

Aaron Z

 

[[486]]

Spraying the inside down with PAM before starting will help.

Aaron Z

That's a good idea, prolly use motor oil instead, but yeah... Could see doing it before the first snow and it working okay
Doesn't help with the layer of ice that's already frozen in there from the snow, though lol

 

[Pocahontas]

How often do you actually need to move snow in a year? If infrequent just rent a dump trailer for a few hours? I'm all for owning the most amount of shit you can but something that is going to take up that much space has limited uses and is going to sit for that long I would think long and hard about.

Also if there's a market may be able to rent out dump trailer. Usually 200 a day here for a drop and dump or 75 a load of mulch/stone depending on how advanced you want to get.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Spend the $300 and have a guy with a loader do it. Wheel borrow is retarded. I can’t see the casters lasting too long in the snow.

Or make yourself a 3yd light duty snow bucket for your skidsteer

 

[Dethmachinefab]

I end up with a ton of snow at my warehouse, more than I can store sometimes, especially during years when I have to snowblow the roof.

I have property 1 block away (1000 feet) where I can store ten times the snow I need to.

Been looking at these goofy things. I've considered a dump trailer, but too much $$$ and additional maintenance. These skidsteer wheelbarrows seem to fill a very specific need, but might work out for me. I could probably even do without the wheels if I build the bottom with a curve at the front and skin it with HDPE.

Sounds like you just need a snowblower that can huck 1000'.

Snowball trebuchet maybe?

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

Sounds like you just need a snowblower that can huck 1000'.

Snowball trebuchet maybe?

Ha! Would have to be pretty accurate.

One of the guys at work told me to just start plowing the snow inside the warehouse and let the sewers carry it away.

 

[Beast]

One of the guys at work told me to just start plowing the snow inside the warehouse and let the sewers carry it away.

Been years since I've come across one, but used to see portable setups for doing just that.

Basically a 3 sided box with a set of propane burners running up the sides, that got set over a storm drain, light 'em and start feeding snow into it. Worked pretty damn slick.

 

[AlxJ64]

Picked up this Ramsey 12k PTO winch for a steal... and then found out something is way wrong in the release clutch and I can't get the damn thing apart. In the for sale photos the handle wasn't visible and the seller even said "it was working but the handle was removed when it was pulled off the old power company truck". It was dark and starting to snow when he dumped it in the bed of my truck. I now see that the freespool handle was torched off and even welding a nut on the thing, I can't get it to budge.

Anyways, I plan on mounting this thing on the back of my grapple bucket. I keep getting stuck on the sides of slimy hills this time of year with my T190... and there are a bunch of nice logs I want to recover out of a greasy and very ditchy area of my property. Will hook up a hydraulic motor to run the PTO drive.

 

[Smithy]

Have any of you all added hydraulic side shift to your quick attach pallet forks?

 

[bgaidan]

Have any of you all added hydraulic side shift to your quick attach pallet forks?

The frame I bought came off a full carriage with side shift, but I left it behind. It would have added too much weight for my little tractor. If you're doing what I did and just robbing a carriage off a scrap lift, it'd be really easy to do.

 

[PAE]

I have a rectangular tube front bumper that will most likely fit that bumper from a square body chevy truck,

Look to Ramsey website or customer service phone # to get a breakdown on how to disassemble.

Picked up this Ramsey 12k PTO winch for a steal... and then found out something is way wrong in the release clutch and I can't get the damn thing apart. In the for sale photos the handle wasn't visible and the seller even said "it was working but the handle was removed when it was pulled off the old power company truck". It was dark and starting to snow when he dumped it in the bed of my truck. I now see that the freespool handle was torched off and even welding a nut on the thing, I can't get it to budge.

Anyways, I plan on mounting this thing on the back of my grapple bucket. I keep getting stuck on the sides of slimy hills this time of year with my T190... and there are a bunch of nice logs I want to recover out of a greasy and very ditchy area of my property. Will hook up a hydraulic motor to run the PTO drive.

 

[AlxJ64]

Look to Ramsey website or customer service phone # to get a breakdown on how to disassemble.

Scrounged around on the internet and found some parts break downs. Evidently it wasn't just the shift handle itself that was torched off. The fork ears must have broken so they torched the rest off and then there was a spacer installed between the drum end and the freespool clutch to keep the clutch dog engaged. Obviously this was set to be a power in and power out only operation. Internet sources want $150 for the fork so I think a little screwing around on the plasma table with the ratio's might be in order for just making the part as I don't even have that tied up into this thing yet. I kinda beat the snot out of the clutch drum getting it to come apart also so a quick trip around the milling machine to flush up the drum to spool face might be in order also.

Part 37 has seen better days...

 

[Grendel]

I've been thinking I may take a 12K electric winch I have for a tractor implement.

 

[ANGELO]

Custom extension to get a piling up 15'

 

[Grendel]

Nice use of ratchet straps.