Grapple Bucket/Rake

[Koa Man]

I know putting a longer cylinder would lessen the opening, but I don't think the opening needs to be quite as much. I must admit the design was rather poor and I would not have bought it if someone had shown me pictures like I took. After paying $250 to have it shipped to Hawaii, I wasn't about to send it back.

I don't like the big openings between the tines either. I tried scooping up broken concrete and a lot of it fell through, coupled with the fact that the grapple could not close down enough. I have 2 standard mini skid buckets, so I may take my torch and arc welder and play with it when I have some time.

 

[lumberjack]

Getting the geometry right would be a bit of a PITA, IMO it would be easier to start from scratch.

 

[sotc]

or roll the hinge down to the front instead of the top. that would give enough "overbite" along with dropping the original height of top clamp and not need to get a new cylinder. wouldnt solve the whole issue but would help immensily

 

[stehansen]

Why do you need to squeeze the log. Once it's in the jaws it can just ride there, no?

 

[squisher]

But it could bounce or slide out.

 

[stehansen]

True, it could. My grapple bucket doesn't grip anything smaller than about 2' 6"' in dia. and it isn't a problem. I'm just so glad that I don't have to lift it by hand.

 

[brendonv]

It looks like Toro makes a grapple rake that is truley bypass, or able to grab smaller peices for that matter.

 

[sotc]

that looks nice!

 

[brendonv]

that looks nice!

It does!

I just found out it's around $2500!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I would custom paint cool fangs into it!

 

[No_Bivy]

It does!

I just found out it's around $2500!

only money...will you use it?

 

[brendonv]

only money...will you use it?

I don't know. If I was to buy one I'd almost rather buy the e-bay one and mod. it. Grapple works tits for now, just gauging interest in the rake.

 

[No_Bivy]

yea....would be nice....looks better for rock handlin' though

 

[brendonv]

Ya I think so too. I do some landscrape stuff here and there, might come in handy. It's not going anywhere and I don't need it right now anyway. Gotta save save save, with this housing market where it is, I'd be stupid not to pick something up within 2 years. The average home around here was 500K+, acre of land and a cookie cutter home. I've seen 8 acres with a nice little house on th market for only 275k.

 

[No_Bivy]

go buy the house and the 8 acres.......sounds like a deal

 

[brendonv]

I'd love to, trust me.

Need a wee bit more $ thouugh.

 

[sotc]

definatly try for the house.
2500 sounds steep for those but they look like a great tool

 

[Koa Man]

I examined my grapple bucket very closely today and I figure the way to mod it is to cut the back section and lower it by 7 inches. Also cut out the piece between the tines that the upper section hits against and weld a support further back. The jaws should open just as wide (but 7 inches shorter) and squeeze down to about 6 inches.

I remember taking a load of several short (2-4 feet) logs ranging in size from 3 to 6 inches and when I hit a bump, half the load fell off because the jaws weren't squeezing the load. You gotta have tight pressure on the load or it will fall off when you are moving.

 

[darkstar]

Nothing against Dave but we bend the crap out of our BM so now ive reinforced it with 3/8 plate.
My guys can and will break anything.
Im not to bad at that either
I have a two in one bucket that would be easy to mod into a grapple but the BM seems the way to go IMO