Shop-Built Loader Pallet Forks

Shop-Built Loader Pallet Forks Roger Gutschmidt built his first set of tractor loader pallet forks more than 30 years ago. Soon after, he crafted similar sets for his brother and several customers. The frames were fitted with 4-in. by 1 1/2-in. forks. They were tough, but not tough enough for Gutschmidt. A decade later, he made a replacement for himself. “I found tougher forks that were 4 in. wide by 2 in. thick,” says Gutschmidt. “My brother and the others never replaced theirs. Every once in a while, they bend a fork tine and bring it back to be straightened. If you get pallet forks, they have to be strong. You never know what you’ll try to lift.” The forks themselves weren’t the only strong component. The mast posts were made from 6 by 2-in., 3/8-in. channel iron. At the bottom of the posts, Gutschmidt used 4 by 6-in. angle iron for the kick plate that the forks rest against. “That bottom plate has to be really strong as it takes the force of the forks and ties the mast together,” he says. “The upper horizontal is also strong. It’s 2 by 4-in., 1/4-in. thick rectangular steel tubing. The pipe the forks pivot on is 3 1/2-in., 1/2-in. thick pipe.” Gutschmidt notes that pipe is often superior to solid shaft because it’ll give a little under extreme pressure, whereas the shaft may snap.  The pipe rides in sockets at either end and in the center of the 2 by 4-in. tubing. He gusseted the horizontal to the verticals with angled pieces of the same rectangular tubing. He further reinforced the mast by welding a 4-in. wide piece of 1-in. flat steel to the backs of both horizontals, centered on them. A 1-in. steel piece welded perpendicularly to the flat steel adds extra strength.  Gutschmidt notes that the mast uprights tilt slightly backward just above the upper horizontal, making them perpendicular to the angle of the objects being lifted. At the top of each upright is a horseshoe-shaped piece of steel rod. “I heated them red-hot with a torch, welded one end, bent the other over, and welded it,” says Gutschmidt. “It’s easy to do, and they’re handy for securing tarp straps and such.” As a final touch, he painted the pipe with Slip Plate and attached short chains to the forks where they rest against the mast. “Slip Plate lets the forks slide easily, and it doesn’t wear off,” says Gutschmidt. “The chains prevent the forks from tipping too far forward, which can be a problem when trying to slip away from a pallet or odd-shaped loads.” While Gutschmidt built the frames for the front-end loader pallet forks back then, he wouldn’t recommend others do the same today. “It was complicated to weld all the tubing square and straight to match the loader,” recalls Gutschmidt. “My brother is an engineer, and I don’t know if I’d have built them as well without his help. Today, there are lots of sources for pallet forks for tractor loaders and skid steers. Just make sure the one you buy is strong enough for what you expect to lift.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roger Gutschmidt, Gutschmidt Manufacturing, 6651 Hwy. 56, Gackle, N.D. 58442 (ph 701-698-2310; shopdoc@drtel.net).

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