Green Tractor Talk banner

Loader Arm to 3pt conversion For pallet forks anyone?

2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  Oncebitten 
#1 ·
So I have the 1025R with FEL and also a set of Titan pallet forks. The two most used attachments on my tractor by a far margin to date. If you caught my other recent thread you also know I have a new-to-me 54" snow blade that I am anxiously awaiting the brackets to arrive so I can hook 'em up and start pushing this white stuff around!

All that being said, I can see a winter/summer configuration change (loader to front quick hitch) becoming part of my routine. I have a fairly small shop and am trying to keep the majority of my attachments inside. And my question revolves around moving the pallet forks around when the loader arms aren't attached.

I have two schools of thought so far:
The first would be to build an adapter plate of some type that would allow me to pick up the forks with the 3pt. This would/could, depending on strength and weight, even allow the movement of smaller pallet loads without having to change back over to the loader arms for a 10 minute job. Moving a small palleted amount of split firewood from the tree line up nearer the house is the first thing that comes to mind. But even just being able to move and reposition the pallet forks themselves might become a fairly common occurrence. A side bonus, if the bracket were generic enough, it could be used to move the bucket around as well, independent of the loader arms.

The second option I have mentally considered is to permanently affix the equivalent of 3pt pins to the pallet forks back plate. This would be slightly less useful in that it would not allow the bucket to be utilized. But would likely be more convenient in that it would be available at a moments notice without searching for and affixing an adapter plate. And could be used quite often even while the bucket is in place on the loader arms, allowing the forks and an available pallet to act as a carry all. My mental exercise on this adaptation has been somewhat stalled, I haven't had enough free time to sit and seriously explore all the possible interference and clearance issues invovled in both positions. It seems pretty easy to avoid any interference when using the forks on the 3pt. There isn't a lot back there (full disclosure, I also have the Harbor Fright quick hitch on the rear). Picturing the extended pins in place while the forks are attached to the loader arms is quite a different matter.. There are several cross bars between the loader arms that I need to ensure clear whatever I add to the back of the fork frame.

Just wondering if anyone else has contemplated such an endeavor and how successful you were, or what finally might have made you abandon the idea.

I will of course try to talk pics and update this thread if it moves forward beyond the thought experiment it currently is.

Dave
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Mount your plow on the loader and you can switch between the plow and forks in a few seconds. :good2:

Alternatively, you could also pick up a Carry All. That will pick up a pallet using your 3pt. If you keep your other implements on pallets it works. But you have to keep everything on the floor/ground because of the very limited lift height of the 3pt.
 
#3 ·
I swap between the quick hitch and loader. It's not that bad. But I think putting the plow on the loader is the better answer, at least for my uses. I need the lift height for my Firewood pallets. I built a plow to fit the loader out of an ATV plow and some square tube for cheap. Manual angle but works great for quick clean up when I don't want to take the loader off. The artillian quick hitch mount is on my dream list.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the responses guys! I do like the idea of putting the plow on the loader arms, and the Artillian seems the obvious choice for that. But that isn't in the budget right now, and not sure it would work with my Titan fork frame.

I would agree with you, Switching loader to quick hitch doesn't look too bad, but I'm not sure I want to be doing it all the time out in the snow and the muck, just to go move one thing, and then have to put it back cause there will inevitably be more snow! I have a small shop, and not enough space to do both.

Hmmm maybe just leave the wife's car out in the driveway and leave the loader in that garage bay ready to go with the forks... (no one tell my wife I said that!! :nunu:
 
#5 ·
I do keep mine in the garage. And since i keep the backhoe on for weight, I can back into the loader and it doesn't take up that much extra room. The hoe nests well into the loader. But you are right, I wouldn't want to have to swap it over in the driveway. I have, but I try very hard not to! Consider building a second plow set up for the loader. Mine is super simple. Cut the ATV arms off after the pivot, weld up a rectangle with the loader mounts on it, weld the ATV arms to the rectangle and put a diagonal to brace back to the rectangle frame. I have to manually angle but I only use it for the small storms. And the time I save switching stuff around makes it worth it. If I know a real storm is coming I switch it out ahead of time - and fill up the wood racks before I pull the loader off!
 
#9 ·
While not what you're asking about, I have a Heavy Hitch with the Heavy Hitch forks on my 3 point and they are extremely useful!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top