Tractor 3point hitch forklift

[Rockwells607]

Anyone on here have one , used one or built one ? I currently have pallet forks and use the **** out of them for moving one ton and rockwell axles around, also been snagging all the pallets I can and been putting basically everything on them that's heavey . I have an old barn converted to a shop so the upstairs has a lot of storage room but it's hard to get bulky awkward parts up there like 44" tires etc. I'd like to build a forklift for that back of my old John Deere 430. Retro fitting one from a tow motor would be no issue but I have a few questions about the hydraulics , are people using the tractor hydraulics or running a pto pump and separate reservoir like a wood splitter? Do you set the forklift boom on the ground then lift your forks ? I googled it and have seen a few setups but no good info on them.

 

[ridered3]

For my Kubota L3010 I looked into the 3 Point Forklifts, but it was only a quick look since I don't have the rear mounted reservoirs for the hydraulics to run with a "store bought" forklift setup. Most of the ones I checked out in stores, TractorHouse type listings and Craigslist all ran off the rear hydraulic reservoirs.

I hadn't thought about the separate pump option though, but that could work quite well if everything was sized right to work well together.

 

[crawler 129]

Look on Craigslist I have seen a few on ther

 

[jmh78]

Have the front mast off a forklift mated to three point hitch on back of JD5300. Runs off of the aux hydraulic connections. One set run a cylinder where the third link would normally go and allows you to tilt the mast toward the tractor and away. The original forklift cylinder runs the vertical. Joystick on tractor controls both of those functions. You can use the three point hitch lift to pick the mast up for travel or you can set it on the ground. Tractor has a healthy front bumper and weights to counter balance (2wd tractor).

It does really well with most things without the mast having to be on the ground, engines, axles, truck beds, hay bales are no problem.

Stuff like a pallet of rock or pavestone you have to be more careful with. You can normally back up next to trailer get under the load then set the mast on the ground. You can then pick up the pallet of stone and drive the trailer out from under it. Once clear you can normally lower the load close enough to the ground that you can raise the mast up to travel. May have to use steering brakes some if it is real heavy.