Skid Steer Pallet Forks

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Always wanted a set.  Now I've got some.These pallet forks are for my little Bobcat M-371.  Built entirely from materials on hand.  Quick attach is all 1/4" steel. Forks are made from 2"x3"x1/8" tubing.  Tips were tapered from 3/4" to 2" over a 12" run.  Forks are 22 1/2" wide on the outside and 36" of usable length.I know somebody is going to say the tubing is too light.  I disagree.  This skid steer has an operating capacity of 500lbs.  Tipping of 900lbs.  I can jump on the end of these forks real hard and bring the back tires off the ground.  I'm not the least bit worried about them failing.  If my little Bobcat can pick it up, the forks can handle it.Here's pics..... Attached ImagesMy name's not Jim....
Reply:Looks good. Maybe a couple of beads for wear on the bottoms?"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I did plate the bottom of the heels for that reason.  These forks will rarely touch the ground.  I need them mostly for getting stuff out of the truck and stacking stuff in my steel building.  The driveway and floor of the building are dirt so my forklift won't make it down there.If the paint gets worn off the bottom, I'll add some beads.My name's not Jim....
Reply:They look great.  I have to agree about the material and weight concerns.  Most forks for SS are so heavy that they rob the smaller machines of a meaningful chunk of their lift capacity.I found some "light" adjustable forks for my 743 that weigh in at 300-400lbs with a 2300lb rating.  The machine is rated at 1300lbs lift, 2000lbs tip weight - just don't need the super beefy forks that weigh in at 600lbs and can lift so much more.I'd like to hear how the 1/4" quick attach frame holds up - I am betting it will be fine though, I have a snow plow for mine whose QA frame is made of 1/4" angle and seems to do just fine.Hobart LX235Victor 250 Oxy-Acetylene Rig (welding and cutting)Bobcat 773F-350, 1999, 4x4, 16' 10K# trailerOutdoor Wood Burner - 10 cords/year
Reply:Yeah, I had been shopping for bare forks so I could make my own set and all of them were rated for 2000 lbs+.  More than a little overkill and a lot to man handle by yourself.  This set prolly weighs around 75 lbs. I can easily pick them up and carry them around.My name's not Jim....
Reply:I wouldn't worry too much about the forks. If I remember right these are built from the same thickness material.
Reply:double postLast edited by larphead; 04-19-2011 at 05:18 PM.
Reply:Very nice!I think the main thing with forks for the bigger machines is uses that are less than recomened and put extra strain on them... if you are just running pallets around I would never worry... now at my work we routinely pop rocks out of the ground with our 773... and when you are working outside the realm of normal uses it can get a lot harder on stuff hahahaha.
Reply:nice job man. look professional and clean.i just got "certified" to drive class 1-5 forklifts. they said making up fork attachments was a no-no unless factory made" but they never building your own forks werent!the grand ol' opry aint so grand anymoremiller maxstar 150sworking on an oxy/acet set up
Reply:Originally Posted by outlawskinnydnice job man. look professional and clean.
Reply:Nice work as always, Boostinjdm. Like I said before, I wish I had the shop, time and patients to make things perfect. I get into this rush and think function over form."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manNice work as always, Boostinjdm. Like I said before, I wish I had the shop, time and patients to make things perfect. I get into this rush and think function over form.
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmIf it makes you feel any better, the forks aren't perfect.  I'm going to rub some paint off when I mount them the first time because the quick attach is rather tight.  The left fork has a stray grinding mark on the tip I didn't want to buff out.  They've already got a boot smudge in the paint from walking too close while they were still soft and the forks are 5/8" wider at the tips than they are at the back.  All the tweaking and clamping I did wasn't enough.  I didn't have a table big enough so I had to tack them in place hanging off the skid steer.  Oh well.....nobody has noticed these things yet.
Reply:Tested out the forks. They've got some nice scratches on 'em now.  This is typical usage.  Heater weighs maybe 150lbs.  I can lift it, but I sure don't want to have to carry it too far.  Now I don't have to.... Attached ImagesMy name's not Jim....
Reply:They look nice. We found with pallet forks once you got em youll find uses you couldnt think of. We've uses ours for diging rocks chipping ice etc. Yours should be fine for that machine. If not youll know the weakness for the next setMillermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:I'd set it next to my knife and spoon! The only thing I would consider doing differently would be to fishplate the outer sides of the forks with 3/16" material, but then again, I'm overly paranoid!  It looks great! Last edited by mb_welder; 05-01-2011 at 09:18 PM.
Reply:Kool, but thats a small bobcat or should I say bobkitten?Adam MMorales Ranch
Reply:Originally Posted by ItsAdam1Kool, but thats a small bobcat or should I say bobkitten?
Reply:Originally Posted by Mick120Is that a chain drive model??I have a vague recollection of servicing those lil suckers back in the late '70's when I did field service work for Clarke Equipment in Sydney back then. ( the vague part was a result of the era   )
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmDuring my research, I found out that this model is referred to as the "mini bob". Seriously...
Reply:We've rented a Dingo a few times and they come with a light set of forks. The quick attach looks real close to the bobcat one so they might be compatible. The machines we've rented have a 500lb lift rating and a tipping weight of around 1000lb for the walk behind units.
Reply:I've replaced the drive chains in two of those... its a 3 hour job... costs $350... not bad, when they snap its a pita though.
Reply:Originally Posted by kustomizingkidI've replaced the drive chains in two of those... its a 3 hour job... costs $350... not bad, when they snap its a pita though.
Reply:Round two....My buddy got tired of paying me to come move his stuff with my forks.  So I made him a set too. Attached ImagesMy name's not Jim....
Reply:Very nice work, as always!