grapple

joncowcare

New member
That's it, that's the one !
If only I'd have had better graphic skills that's the exact same design as I had in mind.
You can see what I mean about the ram being on the top, it's the only place for it really.
Would love to see more designs from these two if you have any or a link ?
Good luck, now you've got this drawing to work from it should be a doddle.
Would be interested to know what the costings, etc, are ?
Cheers,
Jon
 

Mith

Active member
Jon, Rob and Larry are on this site, and go by the names 3RRL and GuglioLS. Search one of their names, and be impressed! :D

I'm figuring about £60 for the ram, and up to 150 for the valve (2 spool, need a remote on the back for a tipping trailer). Hoses/adaptors will probably run about 50. Steel up to about 40, maybe more, I haven't bought steel for 6 months, and it only gets more expensive. So somewhere about 300 for the grapple, but that also includes the remote for the trailer.
 

joncowcare

New member
Thanks for the link, not a bad site eh ?
Now, you live Crewe way don't you ?!
There used to be a really good scrapyard on the Nantwich to Bickerton Hills road where I used to pick up second-hand rams and scrap metal real cheap but after calling a pal who farms up there it turns out it's now closed.
I'm sure you know the best places to go and as your doing all the work, £300 is'nt a lot really is it ? You've also got the satisfaction of knowing you've done it yourself, I look forwards to the end result !
Jon
 

Mith

Active member
Jon, I've got family in Nantwich, I live near Winchester down south.
I've pretty much given up looking or rams, they aren't right size, and most of them leak. I just get them new, they cost alot, but with the amount I'll be using them, they'll last a fair while.
 

shinnlinger

Member
Hi there,

This is my first post. Let me ask if you really NEED a grapple.

I pondered a grapple for my 34 horse for some time, but gave up on it because I found can easily overload my existing bucket and fork set up without one.

I have used my homemade forks to pick up logs, beams, brush, implements etc with good success.

Yes, a grapple would be nice, but it would only increase my convienance/capacity a small fraction and I don't think it is worth the time/$ invested.

Now if I was bored and wanted a challenge and could justify the added hydrolics for a plow set up or hydrolic chain saw or something then I might go for it, but for the time being I am letting the idea rest.

My two cents.

Shinnlinger
 

Grrrr

Member
or hydrolic chain saw

Do these exist? I want to see one :D

EDIT - I have just found a new implement that I want.

A Tele-Saw


(You can click on the images to enlarge them)

Or a video




How cool :D


URL%5D
 
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shinnlinger

Member
Grrr,

I first saw these things in a publication called Farm Show(which if you like to make your own implements, I highly recomend).

Guys take them and stick them on the side of their FEL's and use them to trim fence lines and such. I have seen some stick them on their excavators and backhoes and plumb them off the thumb circuit to do more ornate trimming.

I believe one name brand is Stanley saw. They were originally designed for underwater salvage work. New they are $2-3000usd but one just popped up in my local classified for only $450 and I might just have to get it.

Of couse you could just clamp a regular chain saw on with a string to give it gas for occasional work, so back and forth it goes. What is the end result for the time and $ invested.

Shinnlinger
 

Mith

Active member
Shinnlinger, I'll accept, I don't need a grapple. In reality, I dont even need a tractor, but I do like to live the easy life. :D

When I get round to making it I'd imagine that it will be handy for grabbing all sorts of things, wood, brush, scrap steel, concrete....
The forks are OK, but stuff slides off them I have found, and its sometimes hard to pick things up in confined areas and on slopes. A grapple would allow me to pick stuff up from above if you like, and not from underneath as forks do.
I've been distracted making the backhoe, but I've got all the material for the grapple hanging about ready.
 

tjack

New member
Your ram could be attached to the rear 6", or less, of the grapple arm. This would require that the ram be anchored further back behind the bucket, or use a very short ram. The strength of the ram is determined by the diameter, not the length, of the ram. This would also speed up the grapple and keep the ram out of the way of the load. You could also mount the grapple arms on top of the bucket or frame and increase the amount of material you could hold in a load. I am designing and building a grapple, also, and am running into the same problems. One problem to avoid is that when the ram is extending, the outboard attach point must get continually farther from the inboard end. If the curve of the attachment point on the grapple arm grapple arm ever passes a maximum distance and starts to get closer, it will not go any farther and the grapple will not close. Hope this helps. I ran into this situation on a set of hyd.ramps and had to redo everything. Good luck, and, great drawings, by the way.
 
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