Forklift Hoisting Hook Attachment

Forklift Hoisting Hook Attachment

Back when I was getting ready for the Knuckleboom crane project, I knew I wanted a hook attachment for the forklift, as I needed a safe way to tip up vertical.  Looping some chains around the forks is not a good way to lift with a forklift, as they can slip positions, particularly if there’s a horizontal force, like when trying to lift something from horizontal to vertical.

I did some research, and I knew I wanted to build something like this:

Image courtesy of Northerntool

I knew I could make one, so I bought a hook and swivel, a clevis, and the rest I made.

A heavy 4×4″ square tube makes the cross piece, a chunk of 1/2″ steel plate with bracing serves as the hook attachment area.  I also used some 5/16″ plate to form fork pockets that has threaded rods to lock the attachment onto the forks.  I would put the rating at no less than 3500#, as that’s what the knuckboom crane attachment weighed, and it had no problem with that load.

As I was getting the knuckleboom installed, I didn’t take the time to paint it up nice, but was on my to-do list.  Finally, in Dec 2014, I got some paint, and since I was also painting the tube bender frame, I painted this too.

The above pictures shows the crane scale that I bought in China and brought back to the shop.  It only weighs in KG, so a bit of conversion is necessary, but it was half the cost of an equivalent one in the US.