Mécalac wheeled excavator Grapple and cone splitter.

[Satamax]

Hi everybody!

Guys, this the ever first try on the mecalac with the grapple moving reclaimed wood. I shamelessly borrowed the idea of the small jib, from the videos of Aggeler in Switzerland.

This is how we move logs on  sawmills over in France. But the swiss also use it in conjunction with a trailer, as a sort of forwarder.

Premier essai grappin mécalac. - YouTube

Thanks a lot to all the guys who replied to my silly questions over the years.

It is a hydraulic quick attach, with quick attach hoses too. A solenoid to choose from tilt or rotation. A bit fast. I need to put flow limiters on the rotation lines.

@mike Belben

@mudfarmer

[mudfarmer]

Oh yeah!! Very nice 8)

Have a grapple to go on my exc but not ready, need to get a shaft made to fit one of the salvage hydraulic motors for rotator and come up with a coupler mount. I like the jib!

Keep up the good work

[Satamax]

Grappin sur mécalac 2 - YouTube

Adrien, a friend testing it.Video up shortly!

[Satamax]

I'm a fan of the grapple. The yellow T is very handy stabilizing the load. Doubling up with being the grapple hook, when i drive around or store it. 



 

[Satamax]

Well, this one above, was last year's mod. I got the cylinder refurbished this spring. Too complicated for me, as it was a weird model.

This is the new mod on it's way. Needs hydraulic lines now. New oil, and i'll see what it does.

[Satamax]

Functioning.

[Satamax]

Few weeks later. We made the hydraulic drain for the motor. Which functions better, without overheating now. Two more lines for the second hydraulic cylinder. And it's back on duty. (wasn't really off, just for the splitter) 

Splits all right. I'm filming, and not in the excavator. I split the first one after the mod, far faster than this. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQQmzjdISc

[Satamax]

Hi everybody. 

Just to tell you that i love this machine. We have a wood communal allowance (affouage) every year. But since the town council has chickened out, and we can't go fell our own trees. They pay a logger for butts and rotten'ish wood. The land where they dump this is about 1/2 or 3/4 miles from me. on the road. 

After a few cuts on long logs, I broke the starter cord, and was kind of stumped. We loaded the truck with what i had cut to length, and few bits and bobs. 



Got in the excavator, and thought, dang, why not. Grabbed the remaining logs, crossed the stream to the other side of the plot. Asked nicely a guy, if i could borrow his chainsaw to cut a whole tree in two. Proceeded. Then re grabbed the four pieces. And off i went on the road, with the cabin at an angle to carry my few pieces back home. 


In the position i drove on the road.