I happened to be at the Deere construction dealership, and the Commonwealth of Mass had a 310SL that had this hook called a Skyhook that slipped over the backhoe bucket pin to create a hook to lift stuff. Thinking it was a cool idea, I told the parts guy to give me one. He laughed, and asked if I had a can of Crisco ready? He then mentioned financial Sodomy and quoted close to $600. I put it back on the shelf. What’s the deal? $600 for a palm sized chunk of metal? What gives?
I don't know about it, but some JD factory buckets have lift eyes in them. They can be seen in this photo just below the bucket pins.
Hooks on buckets are a touchy subject. Been so much litigation over the years. Contractors weld them onto rentals/leases and the dealer cuts them off when returned. Or, the safety guy makes us cut them off when spotted. Can’t lift with chain, anyways. So, why weld a grab hook on? Lol. It’s a wonder that anything gets accomplished.
Skyhooks are illusive since every green horn is sent looking for one, hence the high price. The swivel hooks we use are self latching Crosby's rated for 15K lbs and cost around $600 a piece.
Here's what we use - https://www.uscargocontrol.com/products/crosby-s-13326-1-2-shur-loc-swivel-hook-1004431 The cast self latching part of this style hook keeps the safety guys off our asses compared to the normal lifting hooks with the flimsy pop metal latches.
I've heard that hydraulic sky hooks have a lot of trouble with their freemostats. Just sayin.