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That one will do it. Much better. Still will want to stay off the grass or any unpacked ground.
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Need forklift advice
- Thread starter strantor
- Start date
That one will do it. Much better. Still will want to stay off the grass or any unpacked ground.
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I don't have a need to lift that much weight that high so have little insight to the problem. From an imagineering perspective, what comes to mind is linking a forklift mast to the 3 point base. Hydraulics would be standalone, with the pump driven from the PTO. Counterweights hung from the front of the tractor et al. Just look at the way a full time back-hoe is constructed.
What it comes down to is that most machines were primitive early on. Then as specific needs were recognized or developed, the modified machines were fine tuned for each specific application. That's the beginning of the industrial forklift, as well as most any highly developed machine. To retrofit such a machine to another application would be much more difficult(and likely more costly) than to start with the primitive machine and figure out how to adapt it to the job. Just look at the overall generalized frame of a forklift, it greatly resembles a tractor. Mast on one end, steering and counterweight on the other. Engine and aux stuff in the middle.
Hence my reference to a farm tractor as a starting point. Yes, it's bigger. But the front bucket concept is not the best answer. It will lift a half ton (actually 600 Kg) to a height of some 16 feet, for my tractor. Small as farm tractors go, some 27 HP, but much larger footprint than the fork lift. But as a starting point, a whole nuther matter..... If one is interested enough to buy (cheap) a forklift that doesn't work as well as thought, what would it take to do the job?
Let us start with the mast, which would give the necessary lift. A scrapped out forklift would provide that. Remove the 3 point lifting bars and make a frame to fit between the tractor and the mast. Bolted (or pinned) to the frame, welded to the mast. Hydraulic pump from the PTO, don't try to tap into the average tractor system. An 18 to 20 HP tractor would have sufficient power but wouldn't weigh enough by itself. So, counterweights... But the front axle wouldn't stand up to that. So, beef up the front axle and add some counterweights. Starting to look like a forklift, huh? Actually I used to have a 15 HP machine that would handle that half ton without counterweights. The mast and forks would be a part of that half ton though. No tilt, but on an inside job not really necessary. Outriggers, Feet? Couple of tons there.
That would be my perspective for the problem, anyway. Just imagine what was wanted and build a contraption to do the job. When finished, unbolt the contraption, rehang the 3 point bars, and loan the tractor to a neighbor. Or plow the back 20. Assuming the front 20 was the shop. And dwelling......
What it comes down to is that most machines were primitive early on. Then as specific needs were recognized or developed, the modified machines were fine tuned for each specific application. That's the beginning of the industrial forklift, as well as most any highly developed machine. To retrofit such a machine to another application would be much more difficult(and likely more costly) than to start with the primitive machine and figure out how to adapt it to the job. Just look at the overall generalized frame of a forklift, it greatly resembles a tractor. Mast on one end, steering and counterweight on the other. Engine and aux stuff in the middle.
Hence my reference to a farm tractor as a starting point. Yes, it's bigger. But the front bucket concept is not the best answer. It will lift a half ton (actually 600 Kg) to a height of some 16 feet, for my tractor. Small as farm tractors go, some 27 HP, but much larger footprint than the fork lift. But as a starting point, a whole nuther matter..... If one is interested enough to buy (cheap) a forklift that doesn't work as well as thought, what would it take to do the job?
Let us start with the mast, which would give the necessary lift. A scrapped out forklift would provide that. Remove the 3 point lifting bars and make a frame to fit between the tractor and the mast. Bolted (or pinned) to the frame, welded to the mast. Hydraulic pump from the PTO, don't try to tap into the average tractor system. An 18 to 20 HP tractor would have sufficient power but wouldn't weigh enough by itself. So, counterweights... But the front axle wouldn't stand up to that. So, beef up the front axle and add some counterweights. Starting to look like a forklift, huh? Actually I used to have a 15 HP machine that would handle that half ton without counterweights. The mast and forks would be a part of that half ton though. No tilt, but on an inside job not really necessary. Outriggers, Feet? Couple of tons there.
That would be my perspective for the problem, anyway. Just imagine what was wanted and build a contraption to do the job. When finished, unbolt the contraption, rehang the 3 point bars, and loan the tractor to a neighbor. Or plow the back 20. Assuming the front 20 was the shop. And dwelling......
Bill Hudson
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- Oct 29, 2012
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I can picture everything you're describing and it sounds badass, albeit a little involved. I was originally thinking of something like a pallet stacker attachment that would bolt to the front of my big 60" zero turn mower, turning the mower into a limited capacity forklift. I have most of the stuff to do it, and it would probably suit most of my needs inside the shop, but what I don't have is time. that's why I decided to buy instead of build. I bought badly, and wasted even more time that I can't afford to waste any more. If I were going to buy a tractor and immediately start modifying it, i would probably do something quick & dirty like hang couterweights off the ass end and put higher volume, higher pressure cylinders on the existing bucket, weld plates all over it to beef it up, and just turn it into a more capable lifting machine trying to make the most use of what is already there and the most use of my time.
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Is it possible to just put larger dia. wheels on it that have some tread. will that get you out of trouble?
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My go to machine is what we call a dingo over here. a small skid steer machine smaller than a bobcat you don't sit in it, you stand on the back on a small platform, your body weight is part of the counterweight. I hire it from the local machine hire shop. comes with a variety of attachments including fork blades, a bit limited on lift height, only about 6ft. but enough for me. Got it for the weekend for $100 when I picked up my lathe from the freight depot. used it to lift the lathe off the trailer and position it on a subframe I had already made. Worked a treat.
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I don't think so. The bigger problem as I see it is the differential and (lack of) suspension. it's like when you go to eat at a restaurant and they put at a table where the ground is unlevel or the legs aren't all perfectly the same length, so the table teeters back and forth, only ever having 3 legs on the ground.
As soon as the ground gets unlevel enough for one of those wheels to come off the ground, it's one of the front drive wheels, because all the weight is in the back. That drive wheel comes off the ground and then the diff starts doing what a non-LSD diff does, and spinning the wheel that's up in the air. And when I say "up in the air" I mean like 1/4" off the ground. This thing can literally get "stuck" on pavement if it isn't level enough. A small pothole is the end of the road. I don't see how bigger tires are going to fix that.
P.s. I have tried the old "power brake" trick to "lock" the diff and it does work to a limited extent, but the lift barely has enough power to overcome its own brake, and it makes weird noises and smells.
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1. If the bigger wheels will work should be easy enough to lock the diff, or fit an LSD kit to it and if the tyres were a bit soft , aka low pressure would that cope I guess it depends on how rough your ground is and how far you have to go.
2. Someone mentioned converting an old tractor to a forklift, this is done quite a bit over here where contractors have to deliver house bricks and other building materials to building sites that are all chewed up and muddy, etc.
They get an old tractor and set up a forklift mast (probably second hand) onto the rear of the tractor and attach a suitable hydraulic pump and set of control valves, they work a treat handle really rough ground can lift a few tons and get good height,all depends on the size of the forklift mast you use.
One trick is the closer you can mount the mast to rear wheels the more you can lift without going overboard on counterweights.
I've seen some that get real sophisticated and fix it so the seat will swivel around to face the rear and have the fork controls set up there.
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How do you mean lock the diff? Like as in open it up and weld it? The turn radius on these things is crazy and that's owed in part to the diff. I can't imagine how it would respond to tight turns with a locked diff.
The tires are solid rubber BTW. I don't know if it is possible to put pneumatic tires on it. But if it is possible, I imagine that would make an an appreciable difference. But honestly I'm just disgusted with this lift and I don't feel like it deserves any special attention.
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- Dec 31, 2010
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Another $0.02 worth. I cannot get my tractor through the doors so all my forlift usage is out side and either pipe rollers or a 1000# furniture mover (4 casters on a low frame) do the machine moving. I like the machine Downunder Bob described if you could find one here. It seems the decision maker is how often the machines must be moved and to where. Good luck
Ray
Ray
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That one will run around on packed gravel, but don't try to take it in the grass unless the ground is really hard and flat. To really run off road, you need much bigger tires or the balloon tires that you see on the turf delivery forklifts.
Something like this would be in the ballpark of having some off hardpack capibility
