Forks for my loader

[Kelly 1,029]

I have a Kwik way loader on my C-195 I use it a fair amount, but the bucket does not suit my needs, I need to move dead tractors, decks, snowblowers, engines ect.... stuff my old back does not like pushing or lifting any more, I've been looking for a set of forks to mount on it for a while, but most are WAY to big, I was at the scrap yard last week and they just got a little fork truck in, so I pulled a few parts off it to make my fork set up, I needed a set of side plates to mount the mast head to the loader arms, I looked and looked about ready to give up I spotted this pink looking brush guard for a truck in a pile, quick check with a tape measure I think I can make it work, so I loaded that up also, after getting home I did some closer measuring, and the mast head was 1" to narrow so I bought some 1/2" thick flat stock to make shims, the mast head already was drilled and tapped on the ends, but was metric so I had to buy bolts for that, and I picked up some 2" angle iron 1/4" thick to make the inside brackets.

First I cut the brush guard down to size, no fancy tools just a cutting torch, and a grinder, when I had them looking pretty good I welded the two plate together so I could grind the profile of them and they be the same when done, and when I drilled all the holes both plates would be the same and it saves lay out time, but when I got done with the grinding and hole drilling I found out I welded them together better than I thought it took a little grinding to get them back apart, I drilled the spacer blocks out but not before scraping a 5/8" drill bit glad it was under warranty, but had to wait a day to exchange it, but the bolts I ordered had not came in yet so it was not a big rush, I used long stainless bars to line the inner brackets up when welding, it is much easier to line up the two bars than the short pins, all together this took about 4 nights after work to do, I still want to weld some grab hooks on the top of the side plates to hook chains to, and take it back apart for paint, I have about $175 into this project with buying everything, the forks are a bit on the heavy side I'll keep a eye out for a smaller set, 90% of them are universal fit, these have a 25000 lb rating I don't think I'll need that much.

Brush guard I cut the sides out of, the sides are 3/8" thick.

Mast head before I trimmed some extras off I did not need

Side plates about done

and welded way to good

after grinding them apart

shim blocks to make the mast head wider, this is before final drilling and cutting to size

test fitting

Where I'm at right now, need to buy hooks to weld on the top of the side plates and paint it all

[Foozerush 40]

Nice job there.... Wish I had skills like that... That looks great. Hope it works out for you!!!!

[KC9KAS 4,741]

Great job!

Be careful with the forks....They stick out farther than the bucket and with the weight farther out front, the rear of the tractor may get a little light!

[1maidenfan 202]

Great fab job on those brackets!!! Look OEM. :text-coolphotos:

[smoreau 658]

Know that turned out very nice Kelly! know to get that Diesel up and running to power it :teasing-poke:

[Forest Road 594]

You saw your forks in a n old brush gaurd ? Unbelievable vision! That's just raw talent! Well done!

Now can ya make another one for my 522xi /kwik way loader ;)

[Kelly 1,029]

Scott I really need the diesel going as the power steering will be nice, I have a few things to get done here but I plan on getting the diesel up and running soon if nothing else comes up.

Forest road, I was looking for a piece of steel min. 3/8" thick and no more than 1/2", I knew it needed to be about 6" front to back and no less than 16" tall when I seen the C shape on the brush guard I took out my tape and measured it I had just a little over the 6" way more than 16" tall and it was 3/8" thick, so I had my son Ryan hold the brush guard so I could walk back a few feet and have a look at it, I had a idea in my head how to do it, and I thought I could do it with what was in the brush guard, I could have bought new steel and cut it out but this was free, new steel is not.

[kpinnc 11,866]

Very nice work Kelly! Looks like a factory-made setup!

A perfect example of why I keep things my wife thinks I should throw away: What a fabricator sees in the junk pile is impossible for many to understand!

[312Hydro 474]

Really nice fab work there. :handgestures-thumbupright:

[perry 82]

You saw your forks in a n old brush gaurd ? Unbelievable vision! That's just raw talent! Well done!

A junk man at his finest right there! .

nice setup kelly, that is deffinitly what you needed .

[SousaKerry 501]

Kelly you got my vote for the Junk Yard Wars dream team :handgestures-thumbupright:

[gomer gump 8]

kwik way made a fork attachment to fit loader ,but finding one would be difficult . nice idea an great fab job but looks awful heavy to me . the mast an forks had to be close to 1000 lbs. did you weigh them before you installed them. how much counterweight are you useing. the weight of the mast ,forks, an the tractor your picking up seems like that would put alot of stress on that small of a tractor. i done away with the rear weight box on my 520h an fab ed up a better system . the weight box always dragged the ground. useing wheel horse part no 115131-03 and 115130-03 bagger support brackets and wheel horse part no 115124-03 quick attach bracket you can make a nice set up. attach the support brackets to the tractor ,then weld a plate to the quick attach bracket an extra plate for support then just hang suit case weights on it mine worked fine for my loader . used 6 50 lb weights . hope your fork system works out for you just looks heavy to me an overkill for that small of a tractor good luck

[Kelly 1,029]

Yes it is heavy, I plan to find smaller forks or build them (tube style), it is no where near 1000lbs just under 300lbs, I have the Kwik way weight box filled with cast iron wheel weights about 400lbs, on the C-195 the box is at least 6" off the ground, I picked up a Charger tractor the other day it picks it up fine, but I can't steer, I need my Diesel done with power steering, then see what I break next.

I've been fabing stuff all my life I'm not rich so I have to make what I want, with what I have, most times it works, some times it don't, but that is how you learn.

[gomer gump 8]

if your only pickin up other garden tractors an moving them what you have should do the job . the kwik way forks had a very small lt wt mast and very thin lt wt forks maybe would be too lt to handle what your doing. i had the 520 with wt box on mine and every time i went up a slope wt box get stuck in dirt and it was about 6 " off gnd also i eliminitated it . maybe you could put a 520 fwd swept with gear reduction on your charger to help you with the steering . you can find alot of good stuff in any scrap yd to fab up supprised they let you buy anything as scrap metal is gold to them you must have good connections. maybe try aluminum forks and cut out as much steel off the mast as possible to lighten it up .or possibly drill alot of large holes in the mast . from the pict it really looks heavy but really a cool set up. great to see people in america still are inventive we need more of this in our country an less of overseas ideas. don.t flip it over just kidding good luck wheel horse buy american

[Kelly 1,029]

Well the loader is on a C-195, it is a bigger tractor than your 520, it has 15" rear wheels factory and the frame is 6" longer, it has 1" spindles with very large wheel bearings, the front tires are 18x6.5x8 I have another C-195 that I put a V twin Diesel in and added a 520 front axle with power steering that the loader will go on when I get time to finish the other tractor.

I have two local scrap yards that save all the WH for me and lots of other GT stuff, both yards sell stuff all the time, one even has racks with used steel for sale by the lb. I get car parts from them also for my race cars, they give me good deals because if I'm there and they need a hand they know I will help with no questions asked, I can run about everything in the yard, so it's not a big deal.

[Kelly 1,029]

This is the tractor my loader is on.

[gomer gump 8]

kwick way made other optional attachments to put on if you take the bucket off forks model no 43-01410 48" dirt plate model no 43-01010 48" pallet forks model no 43-01110 48" a 48" and a 60" dozer blade these all hooked up to the loader assy after you removed the bucket neat little set up i,ll send pictures as soon as i figure out how to do that im not much on computers c-195 looks nice haven,t seen one of them in yrs there a nice tractor if you set them up right an have the attachments to fit them , does yours have the 3 pt hitch . i have a friend who has a c- series tractor with a really small set of forks he says it works great . look,s like your 195 could use a coat of paint but looks complete hard to find them anymore go wheel horse go good luck with your forks

[gomer gump 8]

i found a set of forks at a local farm implement salvage yd tube steel an lt wt but forks a little heavy guy wanted 550 offered him 400 said he,d call me back ha ha probably won,t he had about 20 sets of forks with the mast all were heavy except two . i may make him another offer who knows im not going to make my attaching brackets like yours ,but more like the kwick way bucket brackets either way it,s alot of welding. i can pick the mast an forks up with one hand and slide it so i,m not sure how much it weigh,s but i think its light enough to work on a 520h just would use it for job,s around our farm . has anyone ever converted a 520h to make it a 4x4 that would be a riot also can you run more than one hyd control valve on any of the hydro wheel horses ?? will the hydro pump an unidrive work properly ???? like to know never tried it!!!! probably wont i,ll let you know when i get my forks on when it tips over ha just kidding have fun an keep up the fabrications its great to see go wheel horse and the chicago bears

[shorts 182]

Kelly

that's actually a side shift carrage attachment from a 3 to 5 k forklift, they were made to hook over the top of the std carriage and slide side to side on plastic wear pads with a small hydraulic cylinder pushing right/left. you can cut the inverted channel/hook off of the top cross bar to save weight, but you should add a couple more heavy uprights on the backside of the crossbars for structural integrity, theh don't have to be fancy just make sure to burn them in real good