Loader-Mounted “Forklift” Also Does Other Big Jobs

2020 - Volume #44, Issue #3, Page #24

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“I used scrap steel to build a low-cost, multi-purpose attachment system that quick-taches to my tractor’s front-end loader. I’ve found a lot of uses for it,” says Kevin Wideman, Russellville, Mo.
    He uses the system on his 2013 Deere 1025 R compact tractor. It consists of a big steel frame with a pair of slots for forks, a receiver hitch in the middle, and a 3-pt. hitch which lets him also mount the frame on back of the tractor.
    “I use the tractor with a drive-over lawn mower and also to work in our woods,” says Wideman. “I came up with the idea because I wanted a set of forks that would let me haul brush as well as pallets. I decided I might as well add other attachments to the frame to make it more versatile,” says Wideman.
    He used 4-in. channel iron to build the 5-ft. long, 3-ft. high frame. He bought quick-tach brackets from Deere and welded them to the frame’s upper corners, then closed up a hole in each bracket’s reinforcement plate by welding a bolt into it.
    Wideman uses the system with a pair of home-built rippers - a receiver hitch-mounted “horizontal ripper” that’s used to dig out rocks and tree roots, and a 3-pt. mounted “vertical ripper” that can dig narrow trenches up to 1 ft. deep to install underground lines. “Both rippers were built out of used chisel points off road graders,” he says.
    He also built a 1 1/2-ft. long, 10-in. wide V-shaped “shovel” with 1-in. high sides for the receiver hitch. “I built it by cutting up part of a dump truck frame. It can dig 2 ft. down and works great to remove rocks and to make holes for planting trees. Saves a lot of back work,” says Wideman, who notes that a 10-ft. long boom made from 2 1/2-in. square tubing can also be used with the receiver hitch.
    He built the forks by slicing the cutting edge off a grader blade in half. Each fork is secured with a turn-down bolt that’s welded to a mounting bracket.
    A pair of hitch pins runs through metal brackets that are welded to the frame and serve as the 3-pt.’s lower lift arms. A longer pin serves as the top link. “I bought the pins at a local farm store for about $3 apiece, compared to $20 for similar pins available from Deere,” says Wideman, who notes that he also plans to build a snow plow blade for the receiver hitch.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kevin Wideman, 41716 Highway V, Russellville, Mo. 65074 (ph 573 694-0113; krklwideman@gmail.com).

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Loader-Mounted “Forklift” Also Does Other Big Jobs MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Forklifts “I used scrap steel to build a low-cost multi-purpose attachment system that quick-taches to my tractor’s front-end loader I’ve found a lot of uses for it ” says Kevin Wideman Russellville Mo He uses the system on his 2013 Deere 1025 R compact tractor It consists of a big steel frame with a pair of slots for forks a receiver hitch in the middle and a 3-pt hitch which lets him also mount the frame on back of the tractor “I use the tractor with a drive-over lawn mower and also to work in our woods ” says Wideman “I came up with the idea because I wanted a set of forks that would let me haul brush as well as pallets I decided I might as well add other attachments to the frame to make it more versatile ” says Wideman He used 4-in channel iron to build the 5-ft long 3-ft high frame He bought quick-tach brackets from Deere and welded them to the frame’s upper corners then closed up a hole in each bracket’s reinforcement plate by welding a bolt into it Wideman uses the system with a pair of home-built rippers - a receiver hitch-mounted “horizontal ripper” that’s used to dig out rocks and tree roots and a 3-pt mounted “vertical ripper” that can dig narrow trenches up to 1 ft deep to install underground lines “Both rippers were built out of used chisel points off road graders ” he says He also built a 1 1/2-ft long 10-in wide V-shaped “shovel” with 1-in high sides for the receiver hitch “I built it by cutting up part of a dump truck frame It can dig 2 ft down and works great to remove rocks and to make holes for planting trees Saves a lot of back work ” says Wideman who notes that a 10-ft long boom made from 2 1/2-in square tubing can also be used with the receiver hitch He built the forks by slicing the cutting edge off a grader blade in half Each fork is secured with a turn-down bolt that’s welded to a mounting bracket A pair of hitch pins runs through metal brackets that are welded to the frame and serve as the 3-pt ’s lower lift arms A longer pin serves as the top link “I bought the pins at a local farm store for about $3 apiece compared to $20 for similar pins available from Deere ” says Wideman who notes that he also plans to build a snow plow blade for the receiver hitch Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Kevin Wideman 41716 Highway V Russellville Mo 65074 ph 573 694-0113; krklwideman@gmail com

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