Loader-Mounted “Forklift” Also Does Other Big Jobs

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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