# Front end mounted forklift rather than a front loader?



## Goshawk

Greetings,
Ok. I can either build a front end loader for my 6600, or build a forklift mast that would mount up on the front end. The more I look at a front end mounted forklift the more it makes sense. Instead of a multi stage cylinder, I'd just go with a direct mount single ram for down pressure. Obviously it would be taller than a front end loader even when lowered, but so what? As long as it's low enough for the barns why wouldn't it work for farm use? It sure would be nice to have that 100% accessible engine compartment not hidden from the front end loader rigging. 

So, reality check. What am I missing?
Thanks,


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## marc_hanna

An FEL is obviously more versatile and you would have less clearance issues top and bottom, but if your tractor is purpose-specific the vertical forklift would be more efficient, stable and probably have better capacity and vertical reach. 

The FEL has more horizontal reach and if it was a self-leveling type, it would have very nice control and stability.


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## pogobill

I guess it is just a matter of personal preference, and what chores you will be doing with the tractor. I think they make a forklift for a three point hitch.
https://shawbros.ca/Tractor-Attachments/adid/13462575/3-Point-Hitch-Forklift/
With the FEL attached, I can check pretty much anything I need to under the hood. When I do a complete service I just take 10 minutes and take the Front End Loader off.


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## BinVa

I used 1 attached to the FEL for awhile stacking big bales...and found it unstable at the upper reaches because of the front tractor suspension. Personally I feel it's better suited on the ridged rear axle if lifting more then 10-15'. If something you're going to use often enough...go with a shooting boom handler which will also accept a bucket or forks. B.

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## marc_hanna

Yes, stability is always going to be an issue with a forklift an the steer-axle end of the machine. This is why purpose-built forklifts are designed the way they are.

Maybe @Goshawk can describe his application a little more specifically?


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## Goshawk

The purpose would be to do everything with the front mounted lift as what we do with a FEL. The mast would be non telescoping, so much more rigid and attached directly to the vertical hydraulic cylinder for down pressure, which you can't do with the chain lift system. The mast would have a mounting plate on it similar to skid steer for a separate fork attachment, bucket, blade, and grapple. The bucket attachment would stick out just a bit further to allow placing the load in the center of a truck.

I have a forklift style 3-pt for moving hayleage around in the rear, so this would allow me to move two at once.


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## marc_hanna

Are you using this only on decent level ground? Do you plan on using the tractor for other purposes such as loading the TMR, moving earth or gravel, etc?

My main concern is, if you are running this around the yard and driving on some uneven surfaces, you’re going to catch the bottom of the mast on stuff.

Not that it’s about cost, but you could save a lot of time and effort just getting a ready-built self-leveling FEL. You’d probably end up with much better weight distribution, and if you needed more vertical reach or side movement, you could add on a hydraulic slide onto the fork assembly at any time.


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## Goshawk

I would mount the mast at least as high as the front axle, and have the implement offset to allow ground contact.


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## marc_hanna

This is really the set-up you want for a dedicated forklift - with an added fork or bale spear on the back. This would be far more stable than anything you mounted on the front of a regular tractor.


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## Goshawk

Yeah,,, Nope.


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## marc_hanna

I just saw your pic. I would just keep it simple and find an FEL that fits you tractor. There should be plenty out there. That way you’re not always wrestling with visibility when your not using the the forks.


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## BinVa

Lift I had was similar to the one Mark_H shows. Was 3stage cylinder w/24’ reach mounted to FEL which gave additional reach if wanted. I found it very unstable on the front of the tractor and the additional reach beyond the loader mounted forks (+/- 12’) was not worth the trouble. Your results may be different especially if used on firm ground... but maneuvering in a field with 1800lbs...17’+ in the air can be very disconcerting on ag tractor!! B


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## marc_hanna

BinVa said:


> Lift I had was similar to the one Mark_H shows. Was 3stage cylinder w/24’ reach mounted to FEL which gave additional reach if wanted. I found it very unstable on the front of the tractor and the additional reach beyond the loader mounted forks (+/- 12’) was not worth the trouble. Your results may be different especially if used on firm ground... but maneuvering in a field with 1800lbs...17’+ in the air can be very disconcerting on ag tractor!! B


If you consult your forklift safety training, you will find that you’re not supposed to traverse any significant distance with your load raised.


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## Goshawk

That "Triangle of Stability" thing. I get it. 
Thanks all.


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## Groo

Fork mast on the 3 point would be my vote if you want that style.


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## Hoodoo Valley

If you can afford it, get one of these! 40 feet of stick, and you can also attach a bucket. You've got leveling control which makes it where you can put the load right where you need it.


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## Ed Williams

We used the lulls, as pictured in Hoodoo's post, in the construction industry. It was always the first rented item on every jobsite. It was the most versatile piece of equipment I have ever seen. Small enough to work inside the buildings and large enough to set Air Handling Units on the roofs. Excellent stability for loads up to 15'. Above that height, the outriggers were mandatory by company policy. Traveling loads were limited to 3' elevation, by company policy. Never had any accidents with these machines on any jobsite in the 18 years I worked construction. Rental was the only viable option as we normally ran 12-15 jobsites at a time.


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## Groo

Ed Williams said:


> We used the lulls, as pictured in Hoodoo's post, in the construction industry. It was always the first rented item on every jobsite. It was the most versatile piece of equipment I have ever seen. Small enough to work inside the buildings and large enough to set Air Handling Units on the roofs. Excellent stability for loads up to 15'. Above that height, the outriggers were mandatory by company policy. Traveling loads were limited to 3' elevation, by company policy. Never had any accidents with these machines on any jobsite in the 18 years I worked construction. Rental was the only viable option as we normally ran 12-15 jobsites at a time.


I knew of those machines existing for quite some time, but for the longest time I thought they were just weird rough terrain fork-lifts. Imagine my surprise when one unloaded the full length of my 53' trailer at a construction site some years back.
I see some European "farmer special" tele-handlers have 3-points and PTOs. To me that would be the perfect replacement for a tractor. Tractors are machines designed for pulling, and yet actual pulling is becoming less and less of a primary focus of their use. Even when pulling with a tractor, soft ground pulling is less common that it used to be with all the no-till farming going on.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Can't begin to tell you how much seat time I had on these, doing air plane hangers. I've used them doing hospitals, conveyor galleries at a mine, to turning an osb plant into the second fastest planer mill in my state at that time, to building town houses. I even spent time on an antique 1974 unit, the owner said was the first one ever brought to Spokane Washington for setting up the world's fair. It was stone sto compared to the joy stick controlled, air conditioned and heated cabs with stereo units they offer these days!


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## LouNY

If you are contemplating putting a front forklift on that Ford you will need to be adding a sub frame and bracing back to the rear end.
Also if it isn't very hard ground those front tires are going to sink.


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## rocket

What we have in Australia is FEL with a shaft across the inside of the top of the bucket to which tines are attached. You can rotate the tines up over the top of the bucket to use the bucket as normal and then rotate them back down to use the bucket as a forklift. The shaft allows you to change the spacing of the tines as well.










This image shows the L shaped tines that you would use as well as two shafts, one for each tine. However, in the bucket you would have one shaft going the full inside width of the bucket. You just rotate the tines back over the bucket when you want to use the bucket, something like in the picture below.


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## rocket

I tried putting this image in my reply above but it didn't work for some reason. Not quite the same, but you may get the idea.



https://northstarattachments.com/assets/products/attachments/[email protected]


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## Busted Tractor

Don't know what amount you want to lift but you could exceeded the load limit of the front axle. As for stability I used to work on Sky Trak s and they had cylinders on the front axle that locked the pivot once the boom was shot out effectively making the front axle non pivoting. Also plenty of counter weight would help. Another issue may be visibility of the forks, even on rear mounted forks they can be hard to determine "where they are" at times. Somethings to consider.


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## LouNY

We have a set of those type forks on the farm that we used when the farm loader tractors didn't have quick attach buckets.
Once we got quick attach buckets I ended up making an adapter and frame for them to fit the Global quick connects.
While those forks are a lot better then nothing you need a second person to guide you all the time as there is no visibility
from the seat to the forks.
And the original poster doesn't have a loader bucket to use them with.

As others have mentioned a rear mounted forklift is more stable.
Here is mine and with







with a pallet of coal;


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## BinVa

Lou,
That Looks like the lift I had mounted on my FEL at one time...as you mention much better suited for 3pt hitch applications but still has away at the upper reaches due to slack in lower lift arms. B

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## Grandpasghost

Why not have both? Don’t have pictures of it any more but we had a 3 point lift on one of our JD tractors. Made it out of an old lumber yard fork lift with a laundry list of mechanical issues our neighbor had. My grandad being a former mechanical engineer for New Holland decided the rear mount was the easiest build and safest way to go. As long as you grabbed a scoop of something in the loader bucket for counter weight you could get western loading round bails 2 at a time.


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