[robpm]

Chris,

I was on Cascade's site and saw this. Is this something that could be added to the Artillian forks? i realize it would add weight but if it truly works and people are adjusting their forks constantly and if they had a 3rd hydraulic function on their FEL then this could be an option that someone might like. I know on Saturday and also today I adjusted my forks probably 6 times or more depending on what I was dealing with from Rocks to piles of wood which I was putting in the trash truck this morning. Of course I don't own a set of Artillian forks but again the idea is intriguing.

The link is here Cascade Corporation - Sideshifters

 

[has15]

Chris,

I was on Cascade's site and saw this. Is this something that could be added to the Artillian forks? i realize it would add weight but if it truly works and people are adjusting their forks constantly and if they had a 3rd hydraulic function on their FEL then this could be an option that someone might like. I know on Saturday and also today I adjusted my forks probably 6 times or more depending on what I was dealing with from Rocks to piles of wood which I was putting in the trash truck this morning. Of course I don't own a set of Artillian forks but again the idea is intriguing.

The link is here Cascade Corporation - Sideshifters

This link is for a side shifter that moves both forks left or right a the same time. I think what you would be talking about is a fork positioner that will slide each fork indivugally and you would need a 3rd & 4th funcion for that.:drinks:

 

[robpm]

Jeff, I thought that I understood it to move both forks close together and further apart at equal distances but I obviously could be wrong. It looked like the hydraulic cylinder worked that way. but I understand what you are saying that this could require two different valve controls.

 

[Kennyd]

Sideshifter's move the whole carriage left and right, not the forks. Fork positioner's OTOH adjust the forks to different width's.

 

[Artillian]

Mechanically, a sideshifter or a positioner can be added to any forklift carriage. It simply takes the place of the forks, and then the forks mount onto it. Sideshifters and positioners are very common on forklifts today and can be found on Craigslist often. However, be prepared. They can make the cost of your set of forks the cheap part. And, they aren't made to be lightweight since they get mounted on forklifts with thousands of pounds of lift.

I have pondered an economical way to include this functionality. It won't likely be an easy or a quick project but hopefully someday it will be a reality. Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Zebrafive]

This link is for a side shifter that moves both forks left or right a the same time. I think what you would be talking about is a fork positioner that will slide each fork indivugally and you would need a 3rd & 4th funcion for that.:drinks:

Two cylinders that are connected, so no 4th function needed. Problem would be if one fork hung up the easiest to move would move until it's resistance matched the other fork.

 

[arlen]

Two cylinders that are connected, so no 4th function needed. Problem would be if one fork hung up the easiest to move would move until it's resistance matched the other fork.

You could use a flow divider block, then both would always get equal flow.

 

[Artillian]

I know on Saturday and also today I adjusted my forks probably 6 times or more depending on what I was dealing with from Rocks to piles of wood which I was putting in the trash truck this morning.

By the way, there's a trick to adjusting tractor forks more easily. Raise the fork set up about 3-4 ft from the ground then tilt the tips DOWN to about a 45 degree angle so that most of the weight of the fork tine is hanging by its upper clip. At that point, you should be able to just unlock and slide it along with one hand, even with little or no lubrication.

It works like a charm although for those who have a backrest, watch your head. And of course, never stand under any objects that could potentially drop or fall, such as one of the forks.

 

[robpm]

This brochure from Cascade shows both a shifter and a positioner which can run off of one valve. Interesting stuff.

http://www.cascorp.com/downloads/links/6089795/$FILE/REVOLUTION-Brochure-USA_web.pdf

 

[Zebrafive]

You could use a flow divider block, then both would always get equal flow.

That's probably how they do it. It would be more complicated to have separate valves. I figured there must be a way to do this. Thanks for posting

 

[robpm]

Here is some information from Cascade regarding a fork positioner that they sell. I thought this info could be helpful if anyone was interested in a fork positioner run by a 3rd SCV and wanting it on a JD mount. The negatives are the price and probably the weight. One would really need to be doing a lot of fork work and needing to be changing the position of them on a regular basis in order to probably justify this kind of capability. However it would make life easier when you need it and if you have a 3rd SCV available.

Maybe Chris, as he hinted, might come up with an add on to his Artillian forks that would make good sense both weight wise and economic wise in the future.

Hello and thanks for your interest. We do make a "Fork Positioner" which is hydraulically operated and has been used quite successfully on skid steers and front end loaders.

Although the price page attached is for Universal Skid Steer applications, we can build the unit with your John Deere style mounting for the same price. However, I must tell you we do not sell directly to end users. We sell our products only through equipment dealers (your local John Deere dealer is included as are all agricultural and construction dealers selling new equipment as an OEM authorized dealer). Any are welcome to contact us to discuss the unit you are interested in.

Hope that helps you work through the process of evaluating.

Best regards, Terry

Terrence Chitwood
Cascade Corporation
Marketing Manager
AG/ Light Construction Group
Cell (503) 720-6582
Fax (503) 669-6247

,

 

[Artillian]

Good work, sleuth!

Given the weight and lift capacity of those units, they would only really be useful for the 3000 series at a minimum, better on the 4000 series and up, I think. I'd be happy to look into getting them for you fellas if there were enough interest but I suspect that there would be some sort of a minimum quantity requirement which would make it a difficult situation.

Hopefully, I'm not misunderstanding the intent of mentioning them...

 

[robpm]

Hopefully, I'm not misunderstanding the intent of mentioning them...

Chris, No bad intent on my part towards you and your company. I just thought that here is an idea for the auto positioning of the forks and it only came up because of the other day and how many times I had to adjust them for the different applications from almost full width to almost right next to each other and a couple of widths in between. I cannot justify that amount of money. However it would be a great capability. I also noted that it sounded like you possibly have some ideas down the road so I thought that you might like to know about this if you didn't. Also this might give you some ideas for your Artillian forks as well for that future potential.

If someone did want to buy them it seems that you could probably sell it since they only sell through a dealer and you are already buying Cascade forks as well. The way that I understood the guy from Cascade it sounds as though you only have to buy one at a time. But my interpretation could be wrong.

So again no bad intentions on my part. Also, I am not looking at selling them, that is for sure. I was just thinking that others might have a need and if you can help them in this area then that would be good for you and your business.

 

[FormulaB]

I had a load shifter on my forks on my 5420. Came in handy, bu that tractor (81 hp) and like 12 gpm Hydraulics, could lift a lot of weight easily. The shifter had its own forks one cylinder and rollers. ( used one extra valve and double line ) It was scary though moving loads so far out "on the arch". I feel these are much better suited for a fork truck that keeps weight close by to lift vehicle. I almost flipped over my tractor on its side with this thing. I cant see it on a sub, or a CUT smaller than a 4005. Even just a fork moving ( unladen) automated unit has a lot of mass to it. just my 2 cents