[dixie460]

36” here.
No regrets. Only would have if tractor was capable of lifting anything heavy. Then would of went longer.

Interesting thought. How much lighter are the 36" forks over the 42"? Maybe 20 lbs less, each?

My Titan 42" forks are I believe 89 lbs each. It's all good though, I gave my tractor a little boost in hydraulic power. Bought a test gauge setup from Kenny and set my implement relief at 2300 psi. From the factory it's about 1900 psi.

 

[jerry.barbero1]

Has anyone that gotten 42" pallet forks wished they would have went with the 48" ones instead? How easily can you unload a pallet from a truck bed with the 42" forks?

I have 42" and have found that if I can get the tip of the forks under the edge of the pallet you can lift it slightly and drag the pallet to the tailgate of the truck you can then lift it easily.
p.s. I really didn't want the weight of 48" forks.

 

[driveguy]

48" here on a 4310. no regrets. especially when moving limbs and trees etc.

 

[number3456]

48” on my 1025R. Wouldn’t want any shorter for my use.

 

[rcooley4]

The bigger the tractor the bigger the forks. On the 4000 series the 48” are a better fit. On the smaller tractors with lower lift capacity the 42” will be just fine.

John Deere 4066R Lifting 2000lbs With Self Leveling Loader This is a fifteen thousand dollar air compressor, having the longer forks was worth every penny, just for the peace of mind.

Self Leveling Loader & Why You Should Get One!!! I wouldn't have been able to reach the second one with the shorter forks.

 

[Jd5Vt]

48" length forks are definately to long for a series 2 JD's. You will make the tractor work harder and in some cases NOT be able to pickup what you want if yhe weight is at the end of the forks. I had a JD dealer sell me 48" and I had trouble lifting pallets/objects for this reason. Got 42" and solved a lot of issues lifting.

 

[arvidj]

Add me to the list of 'have the 42" forks on a 1025TLB and have never thought they were too short' crowd.

Also belong to the 'I can get it off the truck, but would never be able to lift it if I put it down, and I wonder if I'm going to turn the loader into a pretzel as I do this' group.

No, I could not lift it after I set it down exactly where I wanted it ... and did not bend anything in the process.

Note also that if the pallet is not in the right place in the truck then a nylon tow strap may resolve the issue. And the 42" forks will lift the pallet jack into and out of the truck if that is needed to solve the problem.

 

[TwoAcherFarm]

42 has worked well on my 1025R. Only case I 'could' have used more was grabbing the narrow end of a 300 lb 7 1/2 foot load. I had just enough length to get it tipped and off the truck then put it down and got it from the side. Should have just thrown a tie strap around the load and fork frame then would have been easy enough to handle just from the end.

 

[jdforever]

I've got 36" forks and wouldn't want anything longer for my 1025R. In 7 years that I've had them, I haven't run into any situation that I needed longer forks. I also work a lot in tight spaces, lifting pallets onto my shelving in the garage. I'd probably poke holes thru the walls with longer forks. If my 36 inchers can't pick it up, a 1025R won't, no matter what length of forks you have.

Just my opinion.

 

[retired8610]

Has anyone that gotten 42" pallet forks wished they would have went with the 48" ones instead? How easily can you unload a pallet from a truck bed with the 42" forks?

It all depends on the size of your tractor which you did not specify. I have a 4 series with 48 inch forks, which is the proper size for a 4 series. I just recently lifted a 2ft x 9ft box off my trailer weighing 1120kgs (2469lbs) with no trouble using a R440 MSL loader. I did curl it a little before lifting. 48 inch forks would be too much for a 1 series or 2 series. The 48 inch forks are considerably heavier. In my case, I am using skid steer forks that weigh around 450#.

 

[treepotato]

I went with 36" forks, mostly to save weight...both for the limited tractor capacity, and my old back's limited capacity. Anything my tractor can lift can be lifted with 36" forks. I'm happy and would get 36" forks for a 1025R if I had to do it all over again.

The only drawback for me is that one of the free pallets I have is a unique 7 feet wide and the 36" forks don't reach the center bar of the pallet, but 42" forks might also be just a smidge shy of reaching it. My solution is to slip a 2x4 between the forks and the pallet top (and keeping the weight on the pallet close to the tractor).

 

[RadarDon]

I have a 2032R and 42" forks. They serve my needs well. They go through a standard pallet with some to spare, which allows me to go for the next pallet back with the tips to move it back to get it off my Texas utility trailer (5x8' bed) with no issues. To me 48" were too long and 36" too short. Ah, just right.

 

[hobo350]

Has anyone that gotten 42" pallet forks wished they would have went with the 48" ones instead? How easily can you unload a pallet from a truck bed with the 42" forks?

I bought 60" forks for use on my JD-5055e, and am glad. They are long at times But I am more glad of the length.

 

[fishnjim]

I think it's more about how much your tractor can lift and not tip.
There's a long side and short side on the common pallet, so depends how it's oriented how to lift. short side - 42 is good, 36 won't cut it. Long side - 48 reqd.
If it's not too heavy then the boards won't separate with the 42 but the 48 covers it.
I didn't think I'd need one with the bucket, but every now and then a delivery or moving equipment it comes in handy. I bought mine to change out my compressor tank. I use it to lift the 72 deck, better than paying for the deck lift kit, more uses. Used it today. The non JD ones that my dealer sold me are a good value (US made) and lighter frame.
The difference in weight for a 48 v 42 fork is neglible since Xtra length is down at the thin end. But increases the lever arm for tipping a tad.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

There's a long side and short side on the common pallet, so depends how it's oriented how to lift. short side - 42 is good, 36 won't cut it. Long side - 48 reqd.
If it's not too heavy then the boards won't separate with the 42 but the 48 covers it.

Not exactly correct...

I've been operating forklifts (standard riders, narrow aisle, and turret trucks) in a warehouse environment for the last 45 years. A standard 4-way pallet is 40" wide by 48" long with the stringers being 48". Typically there's 3 stringers, sometimes more. They have cutouts for the forks, thus the 4-way designation.

You want a minimum of 75% fork penetration so technically a 36" fork can be used on a 48" pallet but loading and load center become more of a factor.

From the short side, you can use 36" forks through the stringers (only 2 however) but again loading becomes an issue; 42" forks will grab all 3 stringers. Most forklifts being used with standard pallets are equipped with 42" forks since they work from either side without excess blade length hanging out the blind end.

The main reason we use 42" forks in our warehouse is not the pallets, but the pallet racking we utilize. A forklift with 48" forks cannot safely swing in our 9' aisles.

Now, forks on a tractor are very different (in how they're used) from forks on a lift truck, but the principles are the same. In my opinion, when working with standard 4-way pallets, 42" forks are the preferred length. 48's will work but limit you from the side. 36's are too short to handle everything.

 

[fishnjim]

I suppose then you've seen some accidents over those 45 years when the pallet came apart, etc. when not properly engaged. Lift truck has a better turn radius than most tractors, too. If there's a warehouse space limitation, that's a separate issue. I just don't see the "big" difference of 6" as described for general use.
As I understand it, from being in charge of logistics for a number of years, the standard pallet size came from how many you can load on a standard semi trailer without wasting space.
There are other sizes and custom pallets for equipment, etc.
If your tractor can't lift the weight or without tipping, then both are the wrong size. I don't think it has anything to do with one personal preference. Buy what you want, but beware of the limits. I got what came with the unit, just happened to be 48". I don't use it much for pallets, not why I bought it. But I know too short isn't good.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

I suppose then you've seen some accidents over those 45 years when the pallet came apart, etc. when not properly engaged.

Surprisingly, not many thankfully. Now, idiot operators taking out crossbeams has happened a time or three.

Lift truck has a better turn radius than most tractors, too. If there's a warehouse space limitation, that's a separate issue. I just don't see the "big" difference of 6" as described for general use.

In my opinion, an extra 6" of fork length is very noticeable when turning and trying to avoid things. Moreso on a tractor because it's much harder to see the fork tips at ground level. If you're using the forks for things other than standard pallets then that's a different story.

 

[Sinktip]

I'm a fan of 42" forks. I've not found a need for longer. If I was using them primarily for digging, I might go shorter but with mine, that use is a rarity. Note, these are on a 4044.

 

[Hp2425]

I have 48" forks, all that they had available when I ordered. I use them mainly as a poor man's grapple. I think I would rather have the 42" ones. That would be easier for dumping and stacking brush. They would still be capable of handling pallets. I have on occasion considered cutting mine down.

 

[mo1]

Has anyone that gotten 42" pallet forks wished they would have went with the 48" ones instead? How easily can you unload a pallet from a truck bed with the 42" forks?

My forks are 48" since any fork frame I've seen that will fit my loader comes with 48" forks unless it's custom ordered. Longer forks make it easier to catch part of the pallet and scoot it toward you if it's in the very middle of a car hauler trailer where you have to load/unload from the end and don't have enough reach to fully seat the forks under the pallet on the first try. A pickup bed is shorter than that so I doubt I'd have had any issues if my forks were 6" shorter. Worst case, just pop the tailgate off and you just bought yourself about two extra feet of reach.

The 48" forks poking out a little beyond the far side of a standard pallet hasn't been an issue either. Even when putting a pallet right against a wall, setting the pallet down and repositioning the forks a little before "final placement" will fix that issue.

I'd really base the fork length on the size of the tractor that will handle them. A 1-3 series unit would do best with a set of light duty 42" forks, a 5 or 6 series will get a much heavier set of 48" forks, and a 4 series could use either.