Free Shipping on Branch Manager Grapples

Sorry this is the best I have on this machine. If you look at the back of the horizontal piece of arm/frame you can see the bollard behind the hoses. I'll check my other machine to see if I have a better shot of it.
 

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You can see where the hanger bends 90*... there is the bollard. At the bottom of the square vertical tube is where the receiver plugs in.

Screen Shot 2014-12-06 at 5.40.31 PM.png
 
I think most struggle trying to understand it's not straight like a pickup receiver. The bmg receiver points straight down so the part that plugs into the bmg had to 90 degrees in order to hook up to a trailer. Hope that helps clear the confusion
 
OK, I can't draw but...let's try this.
 

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thankyou. good pics and explanations.
 
Only reason I have is 20kg more = 20kg less on a pick.
I get by just fine with the dangle feature. Once you get a few hours under your belt you never have to get off the machine to manually spin it.
But it's all personal preference.
 
I wanted a rotating grapple. Carl argued convincingly to do without it and have more lift capacity. Glad I listened to him as I am very frequently doing max lifts with my Avant 528 and within just hours of operation could easily wiggle, tilt, drag, etc. grapple into proper orientation.

The yellow version of that unit appeared to not have a heeling plate. That is a must for carrying logs and brush lengthwise. I use that so much.
 
Cheers, the yellow one just looks like a prototype.

I don't know, what harm can having it rotate do?

20kgs neither here nor there really.

It would make feeding the chipper easier, no need for moving the loader around to get the brush pointing the right way.
 
No harm. And those benefits might be worth it to you Mick. I haven't used mine to feed chipper.

I do know that I paid extra to get counterweights for more lift capacity, and extra to foam fill tires partially to get more capacity and I am still frequently lifting at and over capacity.
 
Carl has a video of an articulated loader with power rotate. Looked like it killed it for manipulating pieces. Interesting to hear him say not to get it.


You lose loading height by inches. Consider that, now and into the future, and if you will be able to remove the rotator easily enough if needing the extra loading height. Do you load wood into your own rigs?
 
You're never NOT going to try to get as big of pieces as you can. Counterweights sound good. I've wondered about undue stress on the machine, if not designed as OEM.
 
Yes I loads trailers and trucks, I have to load heavy pieces onto the trailer by the rear as dropping large sections from the side ruins the bed.
 
You're never NOT going to try to get as big of pieces as you can. Counterweights sound good. I've wondered about undue stress on the machine, if not designed as OEM.

It already has counterweights, part of the reason for getting this is the robustness of the pumps, if it'll lift it, it'll lift it (in theory!)
 
You're going to lose more than 20kg of lift capacity due to the leverage applied by the grapple. This isn't 20kg at the pin, this is 20kg dangling out there.
 
Still brewing coffee here so probably haven't worded it right. Lol .

What I'm meaning for you to consider is if you lift say 800with a regular bucket (no idea just numbers) then with the bmg swing grapple putting the load out there you will have significant loss of capacity just over the weight of the grapple alone due to the lifting point, say down to like 500pds. Are you ok to lose another 50?

Hopefully Carl will chime in at what size/capacity point he's found it to be negligible.

Regardless. Happy for you to have found soemthing. Now I'll go back and read the actual link. lol.
 
Leverage. Pick up a hundred pound weight and hold it against your chest. Not too hard. Now hold that weight with your arms straight out. Your lifting capacity is lower with the weight further out.

Same with the machine. If it can lift (let's say) 800 lbs at the pin (the quick release attachment point for accessories. Forks, bucket, grapple, etc.) then the capacity will be reduced not only by the weight of your attachment but also by how far out it carries that weight.
 
Think of the machine as the lifting power, the plate as the fulcrum and the grapple as the load. 20kg at the plate requires less lifting power to hoist than 20kg out on the dangle grapple. You can say that's either wood or rotator out there on the grapple and what's 20kg either way but IMO you'll quickly wish it was 20kg of wood or more capacity.

Running machines efficiently is all about pushing them to their capacity, and ime with a grapple you'll quickly find that point and wish their was more. What capacities are you playing with on that lifter of yours?

Don't discount the loss that a dangle grapple will have. My little ramrod could do about 800pds in a bucket, about 500 with the bmg 50pds less would've been sucky for me. But I imagine you have much higher capacity?

Lastly I'd consider the robustness of the rotator and the extra hoses and switch for changing between rotate/clamp. I know I beat the living hell out of my grapple but maybe I'd have been a little less aggressive if things were exposed like on that avant.

Hopefully Carlito will pipe in, and others with their experiences.

I doubt you'd hate either one.
 
I'd say that's one thing that sticks out for me in the design difference between the Bmg and that avant is that the hydraulics look less protected.

IMG_0570.jpg
 
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