Loading bulk with industrial forklift

[melted welly]

For reasons I can’t be bothered going into, I’m wondering if anyone has experience loading bulk grain with industrial masted forklifts? Specifically larger size.

We have a 4.5t capacity dual wheeled machine that I’m wondering if would suitable for using with a bucket.

also interested in options in fitting buckets to such a machine, specifically in getting enough crowd to both level a full bucket and also fully crowd forward to empty.

realise that whilst it may be able to lift 3 or 4t, it may lack the traction to actually drive the bucket into the heap to fill it in the first place.

Any views, thoughts or pointers gratefully received.

thanks.

 

[idgni]

cant resist

https://twitter.com/x/status/1349389396555001856

 

[melted welly]

cant resist

https://twitter.com/x/status/1349389396555001856

what a plonker

 

[essexpete]

Many farms managed with masted forklifts of probably less than 2ton capacity fitted with a toe tip bucket.

 

[7610 super q]

A neighbour used a small industrial forklift to load lorries for years. Equipped with a toe-tip bucket better than a telehandler IMO.

 

[ewald]

Can be fast if you can get the lorry close to the heap - need less room than a telehandler

 

[melted welly]

Can be fast if you can get the lorry close to the heap - need less room than a telehandler

That’s what I’m thinking, the things only done 6000hrs, got an a/c cab, new engine at 4500hrs and it’s only got a trade value of £3500. Bit of money on a bucket and it’ll do the job of a £30k handler

 

[yellow belly]

I use a front end loader 1to 1.3 tonne toe tip bucket 20 minutes to fill 29 tonne
use a 2.5tonne counter weight on the 3pl

 

[kiwi pom]

The first farm I worked on years ago had an old Sanderson fork lift that did everything on a 230 acre dairy/arable farm. We had a very big bucket on it for the engine size and loaded everything with it. Fed out silage, carrots and beet, loaded grain trucks, shifted round bales and had a flat 8 for little bales, loaded spreaders etc.
It was a bit gutless being about 60hp and it only had a 2 stage mast so was a pain in low sheds and was awful in a wet field but all in all a great machine.

Was very similar to this. Don't know what an ordinary Fork lift would be like with one though.

 

[7610 super q]

Still got mine as backup when the Manipoo breaks down.

 

[melted welly]

Still got mine as backup when the Manipoo breaks down.

What bucket do you use, is it the standard Sanderson one?

 

[KennyO]

What bucket do you use, is it the standard Sanderson one?

We used to load everything with forklift here before manitou (20yrs ago) and still put the bucket on our Toyota for cleaning up. Ours has an old tipping plate and approx 1 tonne bucket. Smiddy made bucket modified to tip back level.
When we had a 4t lift Toyota you could drive into heap and crowd back easily. The 3 tonner needs a run at it and use main lift to lift and crowd.

Look on Murray Machinery website. They make a drive in toe tip bucket which would be good.

Your forklift will be as fast as a 3 tonne telehandler if you can get lorry close to heap.

 

[7610 super q]

What bucket do you use, is it the standard Sanderson one?

No I've got an Evans & Reid toe tip bucket for it. I'll get a pic tomorrow.

 

[melted welly]

We used to load everything with forklift here before manitou (20yrs ago) and still put the bucket on our Toyota for cleaning up. Ours has an old tipping plate and approx 1 tonne bucket. Smiddy made bucket modified to tip back level.
When we had a 4t lift Toyota you could drive into heap and crowd back easily. The 3 tonner needs a run at it and use main lift to lift and crowd.

Look on Murray Machinery website. They make a drive in toe tip bucket which would be good.

Your forklift will be as fast as a 3 tonne telehandler if you can get lorry close to heap.

Cheers Kenny,

when you say tipping plate, is that fixed to the carriage or on the tines?

I did see the drive in ones, I just wondered about the pivot point on them being a bit further out the front reducing capacity.

In the fantasy world that my mind often frequents, I’d get something that’d hold 3.5t of wheat, I’m sure they used t have something similar on the big Lindes at the docks.

 

[KennyO]

Cheers Kenny,

when you say tipping plate, is that fixed to the carriage or on the tines?

I did see the drive in ones, I just wondered about the pivot point on them being a bit further out the front reducing capacity.

In the fantasy world that my mind often frequents, I’d get something that’d hold 3.5t of wheat, I’m sure they used t have something similar on the big Lindes at the docks.

You won't get away with 3.5t. Once used a 2t bucket on a masted rough terrain. A Coventry Climax Conveyancer I think (basically a jcb). I never had to load a lorry but it had an extra set of tractor weights bolted to the counterweight as a student once caved in the side of and artic when the braked too hard.

I think it will be similar to a telehandler eg 3t handler is happy with a 2t bucket.

On our forklift we take off forks and fit the tipping plate. I think it once came off a rough terrain and netherton made the bucket for Dad about 35 years ago. You can un hook the bucket of the carriage. This has the downside of moving everything further forward.

Will get a pic tomorrow. You are welcome to borrow it if you want to try it on your forklift. Fits a standard fork carriage.

 

[Renaultman]

Many farms managed with masted forklifts of probably less than 2ton capacity fitted with a toe tip bucket.

One of the intervention stores, either Ely or Sandy (it's a long time ago) had a fleet of Hysters. Could sometimes get 4 of them loading you, front and back, both sides.

 

[melted welly]

You won't get away with 3.5t. Once used a 2t bucket on a masted rough terrain. A Coventry Climax Conveyancer I think (basically a jcb). I never had to load a lorry but it had an extra set of tractor weights bolted to the counterweight as a student once caved in the side of and artic when the braked too hard.

I think it will be similar to a telehandler eg 3t handler is happy with a 2t bucket.

On our forklift we take off forks and fit the tipping plate. I think it once came off a rough terrain and netherton made the bucket for Dad about 35 years ago. You can un hook the bucket of the carriage. This has the downside of moving everything further forward.

Will get a pic tomorrow. You are welcome to borrow it if you want to try it on your forklift. Fits a standard fork carriage.

Cheers, I’m sure we used t have a dung graipe for an old manitou rough terrain, it was on a tipping frame that fitted to the backplate, held on by a couple of cam twist lock type fixings. I think it got made into something else when the telehandlers came on the go. Definitely wouldn’t of been thrown away

 

[Sparkplug]

Your 4.50 ton forklift by the time you take into account the lost load centre, and weight of High Tip Bucket inc rams it will probably lift 3 tons of grain -- go for wider bucket as possible (less resistance than pushing deeper into the pile) - to crowd back properly you really need a Backplate with rams built in - say something off a Sanderson 70/75 with a class 3 carriage (20 in deep) may drop straight on your carriage with QR on bottom fixing. Measure the depth of your carriage it could be class4 (deeper). Lots of old backplates lying in the nettles as TH took over

 

[essexpete]

Still got mine as backup when the Manipoo breaks down.

What a tidy old Sanderson. I'll bet there are not many around like that! Is that a 3 or 4 cyl engine?

 

[Sparkplug]

When Manitou and JCB plus others were selling lots of RTFLT with Buckets on the carriages were mainly 50mm Thick square Bar - so thats why I say Sanderson as they always used ITA Classification Carriages (Castleated)