What to do with forklift blades?

[ToddG]

I can get 4 sets of forklift blades for free! Now what can I do with them?

 

[fury9]

are the wide flat kind or the thicker roundish ones? How long are they?

 

[rsanter]

Sell them, they are worth money

Bob

 

[Alchymist]

Most any blacksmith will take them off your hands for good money.

 

[HubbaBubba]

Fork them.

 

[gonefirefighting]

I have made anvils and pry bars out of them, also used them for the cutter head on log splitters and used a set for door security bars in an old shop, but since you got them for free I would probably sell them.

 

[Rye425]

Make a forklift, duh

 

[machine_punk]

I would love to have one of them...great metal for forming your own tools. Of course, they are worth it just for the scrap price, if nothing else.

MP.

 

[rkevins]

I'v always wanted a set to make forks for a tractor

 

[91bronc300]

Give your work truck 'fangs' by welding them outward and upward to the front of your truck.

 

[ToddG]

They are the flat ones and are about 4' or so long. Heavy little boogers! I'd rather make something cool out of them than sell for scrap...

 

[fenderless]

add a mast and some juiceand build your self a nice lift for motorcycles or the ultimate floor jack

 

[NUTTSGT]

Wow, I never knew there was such a demand for fork lift blades.

 

[jwith68]

My F-I-L snagged a set off a scrapped out Yale forklift, and they are now lifting stuff on a QA frame for the Bush Hog 2426 loader on my IH 574 utility tractor. Cost me about 20 - 25% of what a factory made set would have, and are better built. I'd have gladly given ~$150 for a pair of bare forks, had I run across any for sale.

 

[bad_idea]

You have a couple 4' forks? Sounds like it is time to make the rest of the silverware set. Knife and spoon.

 

[CarterKraft]

If you cut eye/hook end off and then cut them at the 90* bend the left over striaght section makes good press plates for your hyd press.

 

[ToddG]

Since I don't have a press, maybe I'll make one!

 

[Dale B]

They are called FORKS...Not blades. Do they call the machine a "BLADELIFT" ??? duh

 

[CarterKraft]

They are called FORKS...Not blades. Do they call the machine a "BLADELIFT" ??? duh

Rught roh, there not actually called forklifts they are called lift trucks...
and the forks are actually tines, not forks, petty I know but it is what it is.

 

[jlckmj]

I looked for a long time for a set in order to make a fork lift set up for my skid steer.

I ended up paying $200 for a good set of 4 foot forks and the rack they slide on, bought a quick attach adapter ($120) for the skid steer, and I had what some equipment shops are selling for up to $1,000, sometimes more.

Advertise them on Craigs list under bobcat, skid steer, and skidsteer, you will get good money for them.

Jim

 

[nonhog]

Depending on the size you could make a whole bunch of dolly's for metal shaping.

 

[geologist]

Depending on the size you could make a whole bunch of dolly's for metal shaping.

..and a couple of specialty anvils.


Sell a pair, keep a pair.

 

[zmotorsports]

If you cut eye/hook end off and then cut them at the 90* bend the left over striaght section makes good press plates for your hyd press.

This is exactly how I made my arbor plates for my press. I have used them for the past 17 years on my home press and they work awesome. I scrapped the remaining part of the fork as it is tapered.

Mike.

 

[Boiler]

I would sell them as used forks, buy the right material for my project, and pocket the difference. Kind of dumb to take the value out of them

 

[zmotorsports]

I would sell them as used forks, buy the right material for my project, and pocket the difference. Kind of dumb to take the value out of them

This would be a viable option as long as the forks were not worn beyond their safe limit. Forks should be taken out of service if their thickness has worn 10% from original thickness or more.

I couldn't in good conscience sell someone a fork that was unsafe, whether they were going to use it as a forklift fork or not. When we remove our forks at work they go directly to scrap after being cut in half so someone cannot inadvertantly use them and have them fail.

Mike.

 

[ToddG]

All 4 sets were taken out of service because of wear. I can't sell them as usable...

 

[CarterKraft]

All 4 sets were taken out of service because of wear. I can't sell them as usable...

Tada!

Either way I would cut the taper off them and just store the steel, won't take up much room when trimmed up. The tapers would be good for making various tools (wedges etc) and the straight sections would be good for any thing in general. If you scrapped the tapers, maybe 3 of the 4 you might get some money to buy the used material, at the same scrap yard, to build the press to use the arbor plates for.