I have forks for the 3pth. I don't have them for the front. I'm seriously thinking of calling JD to see what they get for their quik-attach fork setup for my machine. I was talking it over with another brother (he doesn't heat with wood) and suggested perhaps get the front forks and a grapple too. Simply pick up a log onto the forks and use the grapple to hold it in place while driving to the area where I'll be splitting the wood, put the loader at a level where it's comfortable for me to saw away. When I'm done, repeat the process until the load is bucked into 24" long pieces to be split to desired diameter. This may the cheapest way to get my log pile cut and take the pressure off my back and neck.
My tractor is a JD 4500. It's 40Hp. I'm wondering if the loader can handle 2000Lbs. I guess I'll have to look. It would be nice to move the pallets (each pallet when full is a 1/2 cord weighing approx. 2000Lbs) from the front as opposed from the rear due to my neck problems.