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pallet forks --- will my mag drill with annular cutters touch them?

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sk farmer

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someone in another thread mentioned just torching a hole in them to mount a hitch ball or clevis and pin.

i won't do it for a couple reasons. one, i think it looks like a hack job and two not sure if it will damage the strength of the fork.

so..... the question is. will my mag drill and annular cutters touch them? i don't want to ruin one as an experiment if someone has tried it and either failed or succeeded.
 
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jh87

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4 FN 27 said:
I have drilled them using regular High-speed Drills.

FYI if OSHA sees a hole in the Fork you will get a fine and have to replace it. Ask me how I know. If for personal use...go for it!!!
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Agree with this!

Forks aren’t that hard. However it’s still not a good idea to put a hole in them. Also, depending on the weight of the trailer and the rating of your fork, you may bend the fork. It’s very annoying trying to use the forks when one is bent. I know because the clowns where I work have bent one fork on every forklift we have. Not to mention, when you’re turning your trailer, it’s going to limit how far you can turn in one direction without the other fork contacting the trailer. You’re better off fabricating an accessory to put on your forklift. Doesn’t take much, a couple pieces of rectangular tubing for fork pockets and an old drawbar and you’re set.
 
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dr_clyde

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We always just made a thing that would slip over the forks with a ball on it. Not worth cutting a hole in the forks.

You could make something with a 2" hitch receiver on it and just use the reese hitch insert if you really wanted to get fancy, then you could use pintles or whatever.

If you really want to cut a hole in your forks, an annular cutter should do it fine, we used to just use a torch.
 
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seber

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I had no trouble drilling one in the end of my fork for the same purpose. slide the forks together to avoid turning radius problems. It worked fine for decades with my tractor. Most of the time though, I had the bucket on and had a 2" receiver welded to the top of the bucket.
 
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B_Bimmer

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I got a big cobalt bit off ebay when I did mine. Works amazingly on the skid loader for tucking equipment away.
 
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Zewnten

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Had forks with the hole, bent tine every time from under thinking coworkers. Had the chain and pocket to slid a fork into, usually same cowrkers damage the tongue of the trailer when the pocket jams against the tongue. After using a quick attach plate with a hitch that's all I want to use anymore.
 
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sk farmer

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obviously, it would not pass inspection. i don't need any inspections and i doubt when i am done with them anyone else will be inspecting them either. both of my sets are on front end loaders so no lift trucks either.

funny thing. i went to pick up a couple tires i had mounted this afternoon. the skid steer pallet forks sitting behind the shop were tweaked. cut about 8 inches shorter with a torch and had a hole torched in the end. to say they had been abused was an understatement.
 
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sk farmer

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well, i am not going to question your torch abilities,

that said, i couldn't cut a hole with a torch that "hardly looks any different" than one cut with an annular cutter and neither could my friend matt who is the local expert on metallurgy and is close to a modern day blacksmith as you will find. he has about 35 years of milling, drilling, cutting, torching and grinding under his belt and works in a shop with about 5 other guys who are damn near as good as him.
 
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dr_clyde

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sk farmer said:
well, i am not going to question your torch abilities,

that said, i couldn't cut a hole with a torch that "hardly looks any different" than one cut with an annular cutter and neither could my friend matt who is the local expert on metallurgy and is close to a modern day blacksmith as you will find. he has about 35 years of milling, drilling, cutting, torching and grinding under his belt and works in a shop with about 5 other guys who are damn near as good as him.
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Eh, with a circle cutting template you can get damn close.

A machined hole will have nicer edges but I’ve seen some oxyfuel cutting that is almost indistinguishable from a machined surface. Track torches, guides and jigs go a long way. The pipe beveler we had at welding school made a cut so nice you only had to bump the scale off with a file and it was as smooth and straight as a milled bevel.

Hand cutting is a different story, takes a damn steady hand to cut a straight and square circle.
 
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Renegade1LI

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Renegade1LI

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Wrench97 said:
What holds that on the blades?
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Just found this, also 30$ cheaper on amazon
  • Easy to Install:First,slide the adapter onto the forks, then attach your hitch. Next, drill 1/2-inch holes directly through the arms of the pallet blades. Finally, secure the system in place by locking the pins in. You could also use a chain to hold the adapter in place.This part will convert your pallet forks into a heavy-duty towing machine quickly and efficiently.
  • https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXPLQBF/?tag=atomicindus08-20
 
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