Elephants are the original log grapple. I am considering building a log/brush grapple any of you fellas built one.?? They are not that complicated. Frank C.
years ago, working at a fab shop, you're right not that big a deal. Having the thumb makes handling and moving logs not only easier, but safer too.
Never built an elephant. Seems complicated. African or Asian elephant (the ears are different sizes). Will you be including tusks? ;D
I'll say as many fabricators as there are producing grapples now, unless your materials are free, it'd be hard to save much money. We bought one from Kansas Klipper and are happy with it for bunching/piling cedar and busted hay bales. Haven't tried on much else.
My grapple is the Igland-is a dedicated log grapple, very popular now...
My firewood guy/log supplier has "the beak" and really likes it. He did a modification to help pick up small diameter logs. I think he welded a tooth on it.
http://danielmfg.com/the-beak-2/
One of the best things I have ever purchased Titan 60 inch root grapple from Palletforks.com. Have had it for over 3 years have cleaned up acres and acres of down brush, vines, move logs around mill all the time. Unload trailers, would never be without it.
To date no issues, when I researched buying one it had the largest opening at 34 inches. At 1250.00 and free shipping at the time it was and has been a great deal and best time saver. They are on sale now around 1400 .00 still with free shipping.
Hope this helps, you will pay for it in time saved before you could build one.
Tim
Tim, your probably right buy not build but I have a lot of the materials and being retired ample time. In fact the Titan was a design I would like to duplicate. Frank C.
the only thing I may add to this is the angle in which this mounts up.. Knowing many loaders just don't seem to tilt back that much.. I would be inclined to match the pivots to just how much travel is on the cylinders doing the work..
"D" your correct I have built several front end loaders and the toughest part is figuring dumping and rollback on the bucket. It is very difficult without a linkage to get enough travel, you rob peter to pay paul. Frank C.
I've been using grapples on skidsteers for 18 years. In that time I've had 5 different grapples. The main things I've learned are; Use as heavy a grapple as your machine is capable of handling with its lift capacity, too heavy and you limit your machines capabilities severely, too light and you'll tear the grapple to pieces. A single grapple across the entire width of the attachment is less than ideal in my opinion (what I have at this time). The best setup is an attachment with a separate grapple on each side, this allows it to bite uneven loads and hold them securely. Next would be a single grapple located in the center of the attachment, this is good for logs, but is limited with brush.
What kind of bottom you choose is a different story. Demolition or flat bottom, root grapple, or a sifting bottom all have their place.
That's my experience, take it for what it's worth.
Tim, what sized machine are you running the Titan grapple on? I have been looking for a grapple for my tractor for quite some time and that looks like what I had in mind. Where are they on sale?
When I bought my tractor several years ago, it had a grapple mounted to it that seemed too heavy. I did not purchase the grapple and convinced the dealer to knock quite a bit off of the purchase price. I also thought about building one but as usual, I have too many irons in the fire and sometimes it is nice not to have to reinvent the wheel.
I just took delivery of a pallet fork attachment for my JD fel from Titan, in Tennessee!
The delivery came from their warehouse in Mt Pleasant, PA! Cost was $431.10, free shipping, 2 weeks before the cost was $479.00!
Titan has been having a sale on their attachments!
They seem to have most anything you'd think of, as far as attachments!
Caveman,
I have a Kubota L3130 Grand GST 30 Hp 4wd. I opted to install 3rd function valve, handle fit right onto loader joystick. Around 800.00 for that. About 4 hrs to install, worth every dollar, makes it so easy to operate grapple. Found it on You Tube had to buy it from dealer after calling company. Can't remember name will look it up if you want.
Hope this helps Tim
A good grapple is as handy as a shirt pocket.
I had some fence work to do this weekend, remove a bunch of wooden fence posts, set in concrete and also a bunch of metal "T" posts.
Grab the posts, shake them a little, pluck them from the ground without breaking or bending, concrete root ball and all. Then grab the concrete ball, squeeze er a little, and after a bit of finding the weak spot, crunch, and presto, little pieces of concrete. Then pile everything up, and carry off, all while sitting in the air conditioned cab and listening to the radio.
I use my forks for many things, but it's hard to beat a good claw when you need it. :D
From this:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_0295.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1499307250)
To this:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_0291.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1499307249)
Probably the most satisfying use for a grapple is to rip up a big clump of multiflora rose, the one with the vicious sharp thorns, and dump it on a burn pile. Frank C.
There's one called Frostbite which I have seen at trade shows. May be the same one as the Igland. I like the design and the price is not bad. I need one for handling logs and large stones, and removing brush.
yep,frostbite is the Igland-you can find it under few other names too....
You will see it at most trade shows,best there is.....
Ordering a Frostbite Grapple today. Apparently, they are built by Igland. The Frostbite has bushings where the Igland does not. Comes with Pioneer hose fittings so I had to order it with adapters to fit my Bobcat S250.
I looked at the Frostbite it's nice and heavy duty. However I didn't see that it had a depth limiter or "ground bar" behind the teeth, which I use all the time when clearing trails and lots.
These bars serve to keep the rake from over digging and spearing into the ground when root grubbing and clearing ground clutter at high speed. The teeth will dive in until the bar hits the dirt and then it will slide over the top of the earth while the teeth plow up roots and debris, and roll them into the jaws.
You can see it in this picture on mine, about 8 inches behind the teeth.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/image~94.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1423368704)
This ground bar really does a number when raking up the logyard.
YH,
They call it a rock plate and the lower forks are pre-drilled for it. It is a $40 option and, yes, it does prevent the hooks from overlapping. Most of the grapple/fork, grapple/rack, or grapple bucket combinations I found on-line were 60" wide, and up. I wanted something that I could use to set logs on my loading arms ( to easily fit between their 63" spacing).
Nice, I didn't see that option. It's always interesting to see how different configurations of a piece of equipment affect its productivity for differnt applications.
It comes back to Bandmiller's idea of building his own custom unit. Sounds like a good plan to configure it exactly how he wants.
I was clearing some branches and root raking the roads along our fenclines this week, and I took a picture an a little modification I did to my grapple. It originally came with semi pointed teeth, so I welded on one curved tooth, like a boar's tusk, about 6-8 inches long, to make a cutter for clearing branches, limbs and such. Lots of times, I'll have a branch that just keeps whacking the cab of my tractor, and just gets in the way. I could generally use the grapple to rip the branch off, but that can do a lot of damage to the tree. Which this tusk installed, I just can reach up and snip off the branch like using pruning shears. It works pretty well, and it's like hydraulic scissors.
I made it relatively small so it doesn't get in the way of everyday use but it's big enough to snip a branch a couple inches in diameter, or at least grab the branch so I can snap it off.
Here's a picture. When fully closed it closes against the bottom jaw and most branches don't have a chance. The notch makes it easier to grab the branch, as it will naturally slide into the V shape.
It's welded on the left most top tooth and looks like a cleaver. It's sharpened to a decent edge and isn't perfect, but it work pretty good, it just takes good aim.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/21488/IMG_0318.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1500002478)
Cool Idea, 8)
I can only think of about a million times that would have been useful. Thanx for the idea :)
I bought "the Thumb", that's what it's called off the web. Welded a flat bar across the top of my FEL on my M-4900 and bolted "the Thumb" to that, ran hoses to my rear hydraulics. I then bolted a tooth bar which mounts over the cutting edge of the bucket. Total cost about $600. Have no complaints and have moved 16' x 22" green hemlock with it without problem. Also use it to move 800-1000# bales of hay feeding cattle. Works slick!