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TLB forklifts

sawerewolf

Active Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
26
Location
South Africa
Occupation
Official TLB operator and light truck driver
Who uses their TLB as a forklift and what attachment system do you use for it? I understand CAT has a quick-coupler attachment although I haven't seen it myself. What I use is a pair of forks taken from a standard forklift and slightly modified with a hooked bracket at the bottom added. The forks just get hooked over a notched plate welded to the top of the loader bucket. Simple, quick and very effective. Only thing I hate bout it is that when offloading pallets of bricks from a truck, I cannot see the position of the forks at all, cos I'm looking into the back end of the loader bucket, so need to have someone on the truckbed to guide me with up or down and angle. When the full pallet is on the ground though, its easy to judge on my own. But not from a truckbed due to the automatic levelling of the bucket when lifting.
 

MKTEF

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
1,013
Location
Norway
Occupation
Production manager
We got a bunch of Volvo 6300 BLT and they got the standard volvo q/c.
With the hydraulic lock operated from inside, u change real quick from inside.:)
With this solution u get a fearly good view of the forks.
Much bether than on the wheelloaders.(toolcarrier lifting arms style on the 6300)

And some of our 6300's is a little bit "adjusted" so it lifts like a L120.:D
When u lower the exc arm at the back.

If u choose a hyd fork u got to go out and connect the hoses...;)

We use the 6300 for all types of work inside camps.
Don't need a forklift, wheelloader or excavator.:D
 

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
6,608
Location
LaGrangeville, N.Y.
I've used two different style forks on loader buckets. One is the clamp on type that has a slot that slides over the bottom bucket edge and clamps with screw clamps. The other has a bar permanently mounted to the top of the bucket that the forks slide on and off of. With this style the forks can be folded to a store position so the bucket can be used without removing the forks.

Either style offers little visibility due to the bucket in the way. The way I compensate for this is to tip the bucket down so that I can see the fork ends underneath, get them to the right elevation to go under the pallet, then curl the forks level and lower the boom at the same time so the forks will slide in. It's a bit inconvenient, but it beats humping the load by hand.
 

Ford LT-9000

Banned
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
1,484
Location
B.C. Canada
Occupation
Rolling around in the dirt
The JCB backhoe I used to run had forks you take the bucket off and hook the forks on. It was JCBs quick connect system. It worked well you had good visabilty. The only thing you had to watch was with no load on the forks the backhoe was back end heavy. I had a few scares the first time I used the forks. With my familly being in the freight business I started running conventional forklift when I was 14 years old. I never used a backhoe with forks that took some getting used to. As you lift the bucket you have to keep tilting the forks level.

I got used to it pretty quick I had to I unloaded most of the pipe and freight off the trailers for the water main project I worked on. Nobody else wanted to run the backhoe :idontgetit
 

sawerewolf

Active Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
26
Location
South Africa
Occupation
Official TLB operator and light truck driver
Doesn't work. I'm either to tall (even with seat dropped to its lowest) or truckbed is too low. As for welding pipe on the bucket, have thought of doing something like that but so far haven't found or thought of a solution that will work. I dont see how the pipe will do the trick in this case though.
 

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
Who uses their TLB as a forklift and what attachment system do you use for it? I understand CAT has a quick-coupler attachment although I haven't seen it myself. What I use is a pair of forks taken from a standard forklift and slightly modified with a hooked bracket at the bottom added. The forks just get hooked over a notched plate welded to the top of the loader bucket. Simple, quick and very effective. Only thing I hate bout it is that when offloading pallets of bricks from a truck, I cannot see the position of the forks at all, cos I'm looking into the back end of the loader bucket, so need to have someone on the truckbed to guide me with up or down and angle. When the full pallet is on the ground though, its easy to judge on my own. But not from a truckbed due to the automatic levelling of the bucket when lifting.


Cat has the standard quick coupler setup on TLB's as well as skidsteers. Just raise 2 easy-access spring loaded handles at the rear of the coupling rack, and back away as you're tilting the (now detached,) bucket or forks forward, and go pull up to the next attachment and do it in reverse sequence. I change from bucket to forks or vice-versa in less than 30 seconds with a skidsteer or 420C, every time. Nicely thought-out system. Visibility is superb without a bucket out there too...:thumbsup
 

Electra_Glide

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2004
Messages
273
Location
Western Pennsylvania
Cat has the standard quick coupler setup on TLB's as well as skidsteers. Just raise 2 easy-access spring loaded handles at the rear of the coupling rack, and back away as you're tilting the (now detached,) bucket or forks forward, and go pull up to the next attachment and do it in reverse sequence. I change from bucket to forks or vice-versa in less than 30 seconds with a skidsteer or 420C, every time. Nicely thought-out system. Visibility is superb without a bucket out there too...:thumbsup
Or get the hydraulic coupler and do it from the seat with the flick of a switch...:drinkup.

I ran an IT38 (wheel loader version) on a job a few years ago, and it sure made moving pipe and drain structures nice and easy. Visibility was much better than over-the-bucket forks.

Joe
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,373
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
The JCB backhoe I used to run had forks you take the bucket off and hook the forks on. It was JCBs quick connect system. It worked well you had good visabilty. The only thing you had to watch was with no load on the forks the backhoe was back end heavy. I had a few scares the first time I used the forks. With my familly being in the freight business I started running conventional forklift when I was 14 years old. I never used a backhoe with forks that took some getting used to. As you lift the bucket you have to keep tilting the forks level.

I got used to it pretty quick I had to I unloaded most of the pipe and freight off the trailers for the water main project I worked on. Nobody else wanted to run the backhoe :idontgetit

Ummm - I have a 420DIT (5 years) and I have never been "scared" when using the forks. :beatsme Maybe it's a JCB thing.:rolleyes:

Or get the hydraulic coupler and do it from the seat with the flick of a switch...:drinkup.

The IT is the Cat's meow.:D It works great and is pretty much idiot proof - so far.

I'd feel guilty if I did it with a switch, E_G...:eek:

Bad enough I have my wife hand me the remote.:D

Heck - I make my old lady operate the remote - too much effort in surfing those channels.:D She doesn't want to watch what I do anyway - shooting, explosions, car chases, Modern Marvels, etc. When I was a young'un, I was the remote. Son see what's on channel 6 - and we only had 3 channels but I did get a workout.:rolleyes: That TV was a nice piece of furniture - ya know 500LB, nice fake oak grain with the big knob for the channel changer but we were uptown- it was in color.
 

LowBoy

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
1,149
Location
Southern Vt. on the Mass./NH borders
Occupation
Owner, Iron Mountain Iron & Equipment (Transport)
Ummm - I have a 420DIT (5 years) and I have never been "scared" when using the forks. :beatsme Maybe it's a JCB thing.:rolleyes:



The IT is the Cat's meow.:D It works great and is pretty much idiot proof - so far.

There's always one lerking in the shadows somewhere, CM...:D

Heck - I make my old lady operate the remote - too much effort in surfing those channels.:D She doesn't want to watch what I do anyway - shooting, explosions, car chases, Modern Marvels, etc. When I was a young'un, I was the remote. Son see what's on channel 6 - and we only had 3 channels but I did get a workout.:rolleyes: That TV was a nice piece of furniture - ya know 500LB, nice fake oak grain with the big knob for the channel changer but we were uptown- it was in color.

I'm hearing you. we had that same 500 lb. Zenith ourselves. Only we were REALLY uptown compared to the neighbors. They had rabbit ears on top of the TV with tin foil balls for better reception, but Dad had a bucket truck, so he planted a 36 ft. tall pole in the ground. He put up one of those fancy TV antennas with a "rotor" that turned the antenna 360 degrees to zoom in on My Favorite Martian episodes without all the snow and static.:cool2 That control box for the rotor was as big as a fax machine I remember, with one great big dial about 6" in diameter.:D Oh, the memories...Mr. Ed, I dream of Jeanie,(and I certainly did,) F-Troop, Grizzly Adams, Daniel Boone (remember Fess Parker in that?), and so many good 'ol shows that aren't around anymore. Now we have desperate housewives, sex in the city, Supranos, and wonder why our kids are completely nuts nowadays. Go figure...:confused:
 

fotma2008

New Member
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
4
Location
CHINA
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Squizzy246B

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We distribute well known and high quality tractors, wheel loader, backhoe loader, excavator ,motor grader ,forklift,bulldozer, ATVs, generators, water pumps, engines etc for international market.

Get free access to view hundreds of construction machinery if you go to www.china-loader.com.

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hammerdwn20

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2008
Messages
230
Location
pa
Occupation
pipeline
We have (2) JCB 212s at work and have forks that replace the bucket. With the coupler in the way its still hard to see the forks. We do the same as steve and tilt them down then level them. at ground level we usually stand up in the cab and drive into the pallet. i know its not the safest way to do things but there isnt always someone else around. The 4 wheel steering can make its feel a little funny with a lot of weight out front but it gets the job done. BTW loader is also self leveling.
 
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