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Skid Loader Forklift Loads 21 Ft.
An industrial forklift mast mounted on a Deere 325 skid loader allows Alan Lewis of Statesville, N.C., to raise loads up to 21 ft. high.
Lewis, a residential home builder, removed the skid loader’s bucket and forks and replaced them with an Allis Chalmers forklift mast, which he bought from a local masonry contractor. He also had a local welding shop build a 12-ft. long, 52-in. wide, and 42-in. high metal basket that slides onto the forks.
The add-on mast uses the skid loader’s existing hydraulic system to lift loads on a pair of 4-ft. forks. Lewis welded a universal adapter plate on back of the mast that attaches to the skid loader arms.
“I use the forklift and basket to lift pallets loaded with plywood and other materials to the upper floors of new homes. It greatly reduces the labor involved in hauling materials,” says Lewis. “The forklift can reach up under building rafters like a telehandler, but is much more maneuverable and fits into tight spots better.
“Even with the basket loaded and the mast fully extended, the skid loader remains surprisingly stable. However, I do plan to add weights on back of the skid loader as a counterbalance.”
He paid $800 for the forklift mast and tires. “I’ve made 3 other skid loader forklift masts that raise up to 16 ft. high and sold one of them. I’ve also built other baskets, including a 4-ft. square one that I use to trim tree limbs.”
Lewis says he’s willing to build forklift masts for others if there’s enough interest.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Alan Lewis, 118 New Hope Road, Statesville, N.C. 28625 (ph 704 871-7896; alewis031956@gmail.com).


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2020 - Volume #44, Issue #2