«Previous    Next»
Stone Fork Loader Bucket
This "stone fork" mounts on the front edge of an 8-ft. loader bucket and pivots up or down, powered by a pair of hydraulic cylinders. When scooping up rocks, I hold the bucket close to the ground, tilting the front of the bucket up and the 3-ft. long forks down so they just skim the surface. Rocks roll up onto the forks, then slide down into the bucket.
It works much better than rigid mounted stone forks because the bucket can be tilted back to keep rocks from rolling. It works best on a Ford-Versatile Bi-Directional tractor or a skid steer loader because they give you a good view of the forks. I've made a half dozen stone forks for farmers in my area. Two farmers liked them so much they went out and bought Bi-Directional tractors just so they could use them to pick stones.
The spring steel tines bolt onto a pair of steel plates that bolt to hinging brackets on the front of the bucket. The cylinders are hooked to brackets welded to the sides of the bucket. The steel tines are spaced about 4 1/4-in. apart. Total cost is about $300 per foot, including cylinders. A stone fork for an 8-ft. bucket sells for about $2,400. (Robert Adelmeyer, N2247 Hwy. K, Campbellsport, Wis. 53010 (ph 414 269-4937)


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



  Click here to read entire issue




To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
1994 - Volume #18, Issue #6