Grab Hooks and Clamps

[3RRL]

I thought some of the members might be interested in adding grab hooks to their loader bucket, backhoe buckets or other places. I wanted to share some pictures that show where I placed mine. I'm hoping that others will share photos of their hooks so we may get an idea for those who are interested.

I used grab hooks that are for 5/16" or 3/8" chain. Using 2 chains doubles the strength and exceeds my loader capacities anyway. Some guys use sling hooks and grab hooks for various chores and have both kinds welded or bolted to their buckets. Some hooks are facing forward and others face backward. I use AW Direct, a Towing Service store to make my hook selections. Here's a link to them: www.awdirect.com/awdirect/catalog.cfm

I started by adding 2 grab hooks to my fel bucket. I wanted to place them on an area that was re-enforced so there would be no bending of the bucket. The other things I wanted was to have the hook placement as close to the loader arms as possible but out of the way for the grapples. I also use 2 chains to distribute the load between the loader arms as equally as possible, so I angled inwards a bit. Mine are facing backwards so I can curl stuff into my bucket. Some guys have another hook in the center of their bucket too.

Anyway, here are my fel bucket hooks. They are near where the fel arms attach to the bucket. I must have 10 or 20 more of those grab hooks ready to weld on on other stuff.

[3RRL]

I also use the backhoe to lift things and I welded 2 grab hooks to each of my buckets. The larger 18" bucket has them going in both directions. The smaller 12" bucket only has them going so they hook the chain when I curl the bucket in. This lets me drape the chain over the teeth to minimize slipping and also moves the object nearer the dipper stick to give me greater lifting ability.
Here are photos of those buckets.

[3RRL]

I also added a swiveling eye bolt which is fastened to my ROPS.
It is NOT recommended to modify or do anything to the ROPS, so I am sharing this only to show another hook location for my personal use. I use it to position my heavy Cat II implements when they are out of place. All of my hook-ups occur on uneven dirt and sometimes mud, so many times I am strapped with trying to move the implement into position for hook up. I also use it for some tractor maintenance and it comes in handy for an "A" frame. Again, I do not recommend you do this, but I am sharing it to make you think of other places you may want a hook of some sort ... maybe one by the tow hitch so you can throw a chain or some thing on to yank boulders or skid logs? Maybe one or two on the box blade?

[3RRL]

These are a few other mods for hooking stuff onto the tractor. Actually for clamping stuff to take out in the field. I try to take as much clamped to the tractor as possible. Those clamps are furniture clamps or pipe clamps with short pipes attached to the ROPS (again). They hold shovels, axe, pry bar, farm jack etc. I also have a come-a-long mounted on the side.

You can also see the two tool boxes I mounted on the fenders. The red one is steel and the right one is a wooden one I made mostly to throw my chains in. But I've got some bigger tools in there too which don't fit into the red tool box.
Most of these pictures are from when I first got the Kama 554.

[3RRL]

Here is a big farm chain clevis I use for towing or pulling out brush and stumps. It's pretty beefy, like 1" diameter thick steel.



For more hooks and towing/pulling ability, I am currently working on a hydraulic winch mount for the tractor. I want to be able to switch it from the front to the rear. I'll start a new thread when I get around to finishing that project.

[GuglioLS]

Rob,

I really like the adjustable pipe clamps attached to the ROPS -very handy. Is the mounting for the pipe flange drilled & tapped or through bolted? As you said it's not recommended by manufactures to modify the ROPS, and there are those who try to "legislate" what you do with your ROPS. IMHO it's your tractor and your choice to do as you please. I would like to see a close up of the way you mounted the Swivel hook at the very top, I like that, and have seen you use it a few times.

Here are the bucket tow hooks I installed. At the time, all I had was a FEL and no Tractor - it was on the slow boat from China! I had to do something to keep myself busy while killing time waiting for my tractor to show up. I was already modifying the FEL and gathering Hydraulic parts before I even knew what the tractor looked like.
I was like a one man pit crew, all pumped up, waiting for the tractor to slide into the pit. Ready to jack it up, modify it, then get her back out on the track without skipping a beat.

These hooks are rated for ten thousand pounds - Just a tad more than the rating of my FEL. cost - 6.95 each. I reinforced them underneath with some 3/8" cold rolled plate. It's easy to use them with chain, nylon straps or rope. Sometimes I tilt (dump) the bucket and use the hooks to carry pipe, a digger bar or a shovel.






Larry

[GuglioLS]

Here are the OEM tow hooks that came installed on the tractor.

This one is mounted on the front just underneath the battery holder area. It's bolted to some pretty thick cast:



These two are welded to the draw bar pendulum bracket just under the PTO. They are close to the PTO shaft, I was worried about them being there at first, but as is turns out they are not in the way. I use the PTO for the PHD, Chipper, and Brush Hog quite often and it's never been a problem. The Bracket metal is very stout and is mounted by two bolts in front and four bolts underneath.

I use these rear hooks quite a bit:



Larry