Titan clamp on bucket forks any good?

[ammoaddict]

I have an older Massey Ferguson tractor with a 232 loader and need some forks. It is the old style pin on bucket and all the pallet forks I can find are the quick attach. I called the MF dealer and he said they could have a set made but it would be about $1500 and take 1-4 months to get them. I saw the clamp on forks online and wondered if any of you have any real world experience with them.
Thanks.

 

[Bryan Newton]

I dont know about them but I have made a set of hay forks and drilled holes into the bucket to mount them

 

[Ryan Browne]

What do you need them for? If it's light stuff and you need to lift it up high and visibility is not important, then they might work great. The bucket gets in the way of seeing what you're doing and since the forks are so far out, it limits how much you can lift. I don't think anyone will tell you that they love theirs compared to a regular set.

If you'll be keeping the tractor for a long time, it might be worth looking into having an SSQA setup welded to the loader so you can swap bucket, forks, or run around without any attachment.

Another thought is a 3 point set. If you don't need to lift real high, a set on the rear gives you good visibility, good weight capacity, and you can usually get a set for fairly cheap.

 

[Stump Shot]

I have a set of clamp on forks here I used to use on a bucket loader. The biggest dislike is how they would always end up getting twisted askew on one side or the other while trying to pick up something. And yes it was blind because of the bucket. They were better than nothing and tougher than advertised load capacity after loaning them out once and finding out after what they were used on. Another thing to think on is it puts the load out way ahead of the bucket and can make your machine tip easy even without much weight. The good part was the cost was low and made sense for a machine that was borrowed.

 

[ammoaddict]

What do you need them for? If it's light stuff and you need to lift it up high and visibility is not important, then they might work great. The bucket gets in the way of seeing what you're doing and since the forks are so far out, it limits how much you can lift. I don't think anyone will tell you that they love theirs compared to a regular set.

If you'll be keeping the tractor for a long time, it might be worth looking into having an SSQA setup welded to the loader so you can swap bucket, forks, or run around without any attachment.

Another thought is a 3 point set. If you don't need to lift real high, a set on the rear gives you good visibility, good weight capacity, and you can usually get a set for fairly cheap.

For right now I want them mainly to move brush and logs. I'm sure they would come in handy for other things. I have a bunch of downed pines and right now I have to cut the limbs off and pile them in the bucket and hope they don't fall off and haul the to my burn pile. Then cut the rest in pieces I can pick up and haul them off. So with forks I was hoping to just cut the tree in 6-8 foot sections and fork one up and haul it and save all that bending as it's hard on my old back.
I looked at a quick attach conversion plate online but it was $1100. Then it wouldn't work with my bucket. The forks aren't something I would use all the time. So I didn't want to spend $1500 on them. I will call the dealer back and ask them about a conversation but Im sure getting the forks made would be cheaper than a conversion and buying forks and a bucket conversion. Thanks for your response.

 

[ammoaddict]

I have a set of clamp on forks here I used to use on a bucket loader. The biggest dislike is how they would always end up getting twisted askew on one side or the other while trying to pick up something. And yes it was blind because of the bucket. They were better than nothing and tougher than advertised load capacity after loaning them out once and finding out after what they were used on. Another thing to think on is it puts the load out way ahead of the bucket and can make your machine tip easy even without much weight. The good part was the cost was low and made sense for a machine that was borrowed.

Thanks for your input. I realize it wouldn't be the perfect setup. I'm just hoping it won't be a total waste of money. They set I was looking at are $250 with a stabilizer bar that goes between them and rated for 4000 lbs when is alot more than the tractor can lift. They also have slots for chain and binders so you can wrap chains around the bucket and make them more stable So probably another $100 for 2 binders and some chain. $350 is better than $1500 if they will work.

 

[Stump Shot]

Thanks for your input. I realize it wouldn't be the perfect setup. I'm just hoping it won't be a total waste of money. They set I was looking at are $250 with a stabilizer bar that goes between them and rated for 4000 lbs when is alot more than the tractor can lift. They also have slots for chain and binders so you can wrap chains around the bucket and make them more stable So probably another $100 for 2 binders and some chain. $350 is better than $1500 if they will work.

If you have a spotter to guide you, that helps immensely.
A trim guide on the bucket helps when by yourself.

 

[ammoaddict]

If you have a spotter to guide you, that helps immensely.
A trim guide on the bucket helps when by yourself.

Thanks. I'll be working alone. I'll figure something out if I go that route. I saw an add on backup camera in the auto parts store that wasn't that high. Something like that might work. Who knows.

 

[Ryan Browne]

For right now I want them mainly to move brush and logs. I'm sure they would come in handy for other things. I have a bunch of downed pines and right now I have to cut the limbs off and pile them in the bucket and hope they don't fall off and haul the to my burn pile. Then cut the rest in pieces I can pick up and haul them off. So with forks I was hoping to just cut the tree in 6-8 foot sections and fork one up and haul it and save all that bending as it's hard on my old back.
I looked at a quick attach conversion plate online but it was $1100. Then it wouldn't work with my bucket. The forks aren't something I would use all the time. So I didn't want to spend $1500 on them. I will call the dealer back and ask them about a conversation but Im sure getting the forks made would be cheaper than a conversion and buying forks and a bucket conversion. Thanks for your response.

I think they'd work pretty good for brush, especially if you don't mind some gouges in the turf where you are working. You'll just have to take it easy on how much log weight you try to lift. Certainly better than no forks. One thing I've seen people do is to add some protection from logs rolling back over the top of the bucket when the loader is high.

I've even seen just a couple pipes welded in the corners of the bucket to stop a log rolling back onto the hood.

 

[ammoaddict]

I have a big dent in the hood of my tractor from a block of wood rolling out of the bucket.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I started out with clamp ons for my 1025r. I bought the 1500 pound versions to save weight vs the 4000s. If your machine won’t pick 1500 don’t buy the 4000s. I wanted a cheaper option to see how much I would use them. They don’t lift enough being that far out from the pins but I could see they were very useful. I sold them and bought the titan quick attach forks. They’re still heavy but absolutely amazing, I have used them for countless projects. I wouldn’t waste your money on clamp ons.

 

[blades]

have any fabracation skills / welding ability. it is not real had to make a set and the hanger- light duty no need to remove bucket bar across top of bucket welded on, notched or bolt holes for locator pins to hang forks from. slider bar bolted to sides of bucket about 3/4 down . forks tall enough to catch bottom of bucket. some angle iron on the back side of up right of fork to catch slider top and bottom with some wiggle room. forks can be made from 3/16" wall rectangular tube 4" wide by 1"-1.5" as long as you want (42" is good ). You want the horizontal part of the fork to extend to back of bucket which helps take the pull of the top bar. just a rough idea of how to.
Got watch out with those clamp on ones - they do not seem to have much support under the bucket - which can bend the bottom and cutting edge of the bucket.
I am a little better off than some as I have my machine shop full of big boy toys to play with, down side is I never seem to have time for me.

 

[Steve]

Thanks for your input. I realize it wouldn't be the perfect setup. I'm just hoping it won't be a total waste of money. They set I was looking at are $250 with a stabilizer bar that goes between them and rated for 4000 lbs when is alot more than the tractor can lift. They also have slots for chain and binders so you can wrap chains around the bucket and make them more stable So probably another $100 for 2 binders and some chain. $350 is better than $1500 if they will work.

Just spend a bunch of money and get a grapple. You will cry all the way home untill you use it.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

That’s definitely something my next (larger machine) will have. Factory extra ports front and rear for hydro hookups as well.

 

[Bryan Newton]

Just spend a bunch of money and get a grapple. You will cry all the way home untill you use it.


View attachment 352494 View attachment 352495

I like that
What size tractor is that

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Guessing a 40 horse based on the model number.

 

[Steve]

Guessing a 40 horse based on the model number.

Correct! 40hp on a compact frame makes a powerful nimble machine. It can handle a 6 foot cutter in 8 ft Johnson grass no problem!

 

[Steve]

I like that
What size tractor is that

Same physical size as a Kubota 01/02 series. Or a John Deere 3038.

 

[Bryan Newton]

Correct! 40hp on a compact frame makes a powerful nimble machine. It can handle a 6 foot cutter in 8 ft Johnson grass no problem!

I can't tell from pic what brand and model I am in the market for one if I can offord one

 

[Steve]

I can't tell from pic what brand and model I am in the market for one if I can offord one

That is an LS MT240HE. Hydrostat trans. I went with LS because they are feature rich and a quality machine. Almost half the price of a comparable green or orange tractor. Just make sure you have a good dealer because the only down fall to them is a thin dealer network.