What size steel

[colinh1301]

We have a few acres of land and fatten up a few pigs each year. As we move the pigs around the land I need to move their arks too. I have made all our arks and they are all different sives and shapes.

I was considering making some sort of wheeled dolly to move them around but the land is steep and rough. I have a small tractor which has a 1 tonne three point hitch so now fancy making some oversized forks so I can simply lift the arks to move them.

The arks range in size up to 8 by 8 feet. They are in the main made out of 4by 2 and shhet ply. I have one which is 7 by 5 feet and made from curved corrugated steel.

I have no idea what they way but I have a maximum lift of 1 tonne.

What size of box section would I need for the forks. I was thinking of rectangular say 120 by 40 by 3 thick.

 

[pedrobedro]

The tine extensions we used to use were made from U section not box, just a strap welded across the end which slid over the fork to hold it in place. Like these.

 

[Paul.]

Or like these, same thing just heavier, I have seen box section fork sleeves but unless the ends are tapered down are awkward to use, 120 x 40 is not a standard section, 120 x 60 is available, extending forks seriously reduces the lifting capacity of the machine.

 

[astro_al]

There's no such thing as a 'maximum lift of 1 tonne'. Since its a cantilever lift, what you have is a maximum MOMENT. So you have 1 tonne at 'x' load centre. You need to find out what the load centre is for your machine at that mass, then you can use that to work out the max load at a longer load centre. Is there not a plate or label on it somewhere?

Your problem is worsened by the obviously significant gradients you need to drive on.

As the houses are pretty big, you might be better off (read: safer) making an axle with some nice big wheels to attach to the 'rear' end of a house when moving it, and then just make a lift / tow hook for the front end.

Personally, given the inclines / machine size / unknown weight / unknown safe load centre / lack of safety belt / lack of significant roll-over protection / existence of kids(!) etc I wouldn't take the risk of trying to lift them clear of the ground.

Good luck, Al.

 

[thinfourth]

Make some skis for the pig arcs and just slide them around

 

[SwissTony]

Could you make a bracket with wheels on, jack the arc up at one end, bolt/ratchet strap the bracket on in the middle of the structure.
At one end mount a bracket which could fit onto a tow hook or tow pin.
Then you could drag them round like a trailor