Bucket forks have come a long way. Now, there is even one that is multipurpose - i.e., able to perform 4 different utilities - "avoid buying a separate forklift, use your existing equipment to move materials, share a fork attachment among several machines and attach our forks easily in seconds at a work site." (www.ctiattachments.com)

Also, the bucket forks are easily mounted and dismounted, while some forks have been designed in such a manner in which the driver has greater visual range.

Lastly, safety is of utmost importance when operating any kind of heavy equipment. Here are some safety tips to follow when working with bucket forks.

Bucket forks work in such a manner that will allow you to use them in instances where a forklift would normally be required to transport equipment or debris. With forks that are easily mounted and dismounted, by hand, this feature will save you a few hundred bucks.

The purpose of a bucket fork is to move stuff - i.e., construction materials, debris, logs, limbs, hay and pallets, to name just a few, from one point to another and where long distances are not involved. This not only saves backbreaking man-hours but, also makes full use of your employees - i.e., instead of using 4 guys to do the work manually, you use one guy to drive the tractor and work the forks.

The benefit of some bucket forks is that you may interchange them with other equipment - i.e., the tractor bucket forks will fit on to a John Deere tractor as well as a Caterpillar. This feature saves you money in that you do not have to buy any additional equipment or, depend on the use of only one piece of machinery on your site.

Bucket forks "use the clam mechanism to hold the forks securely in position so they don't swing or shift sideways... Bucket forks require no welding or screws, are easy on/easy off, and the operator can see the forks from the cab for easy positioning. They can be loaded and unloaded from trucks as well as repositioned with the bucket." (www.ctiattachments.com)

What fits best, where and why

There are numerous uses for tractor and skid steer loaders with buckets. By adding loader bucket forks attachments such as pallet and debris forks, hay bale spears, receiver hitches, manure and silage forks, rock forks, wood post and tree pullers and tooth bars with bucket teeth you will find that you will obtain more bang for your buck.

Quick Attach

Almost all skid steer loaders come with the standard quick attach style loader. Some of the benefits of universal quick attach "clamp-on" tools and products include the fact that these products fit most tractor and skid steer loader buckets. Also, there is no need to remove the bucket upon installation. They simply slide over the lip of any tractor or skid steer loader bucket and are easily tightened, by hand, without the need for expensive tools; no additional modifications to your loader or bucket are required. These clamp-on tools are also cheaper than traditional quick attach style attachments making them the perfect low-cost solution to almost every need; professionals as well as part-time farmers and the occasional user will both benefit from the use of these tools. Last, but certainly not least, these products are manufactured from high quality heavy duty industrial grade steel.

Exceptions include most compact tractors, utility tractors and farm tractors. That is where the universal quick attach clamp-on style pallet forks and all their other tools and products - i.e., including pallet forks, hay bale spears, debris forks, manure, silage and rock forks, wood post, tree pullers and tooth bars with bucket teeth are better suited.

(video courtesy of bucketsolutions.com, youtube.com)

Clamp on

When it comes to clamp-on attachments such as pallet and debris forks, hay bale spears, manure and silage forks, post pullers, receiver hitches and tooth bars, there are also multiple uses for them.

Some of the attachments that come in the clamp-on design include moving pallets and hay bales, relocating debris, silage, manure, rocks, trash, trees, shrubs, posts, rail road ties, trailers and fences. These attachments also simplify work such as digging, busting up concrete, lifting garbage dumpsters and any other type of material handling, shelving and more.

Other names by which these attachments are known by include loader bucket forks, tractor forks, clamp on pallet forks, bucket forks, loader forks, bucket mounted forks, tractor bucket forks, utility bucket and compact tractor attachments.

These attachments are perfect for personal as well as commercial farmers and ranchers. Other professionals such as landscape and general contractors also find that these attachments make their jobs much easier and faster.

Some bucket forks have been designed, when installed, to allow the driver of the tractor to see beyond the forks. This is a definite plus in the Safety Department. Normally, drivers' vision is limited to the immediate load in front of them.

An obvious benefit, for instance, when rolling bales of hay it is possible for an animal to get tangled up in the bale. The body will decompose and harm the animals with botulism when they are fed this same hay.

It is recommended that the following steps be observed, for safety purposes, when handling bucket forks:

• Know the lift capacity of the machine you are using and know the weight of the load. The weight of the load should never exceed the lift capacity of the machine.
• Use of bucket forks can be extremely dangerous. You or others can be hurt by tipping the machine or losing the load.
• Know your safety rules and use extreme caution when operating.
• Always keep the load centered on the tines and machine, even when stopped.
• Never roll back bucket forks so that the load can fall on you or others.
• Place forks on the ground before dismounting from the machine. Never leave the machine with a raised load. Always follow machine manufacturers' recommend-dations for dismounting and parking the machine. Always store the forks securely so they cannot fall over when not in use.
• Use of bucket forks will reduce machine stability. Use extreme caution when lifting and transporting loads. Follow machine manufacturer's recommendations for use of counterweights and other ballast. Keep bucket forks as low as possible when driving with a load on the forks.
• Ramps, grades and bumpy or soft ground will greatly reduce a machine's stability and lift capacity. Lifting and transporting loads under these conditions is extremely dangerous. Do NOT lift loads that exceed the back-height of the load guard or bucket. (www.ctiattachments.com)