Opico Skidster or sherpa mini loaders

[Little Butch]

I’ve managed to find an older Opico skidster fitted with a yahnmar diesel engine for a good price. Very tempted to take a punt! Doesn’t come with a grab though, where can I buy a reasonably priced grab?

[Mark Bolam]

This is where people f up.

The grab makes the machine.

 

No one sells them ‘due to upgrade’ because any grab on these titchy machines is maxed out already.

 

Any grab is better than no grab, but if you find anything for less than £2k you’ve done well.

[Little Butch]

I better get saving then! The grab will almost cost me the same as the machine 🤣

[woody paul]

10 hours ago, Little Butch said:

I better get saving then! The grab will almost cost me the same as the machine 🤣

You should be able to find cheap grab as they are not that powerful machine, even a cheap Chinese one may do. 

[Field Builds]

On 25/10/2025 at 04:48, Little Butch said:

I’ve managed to find an older Opico skidster fitted with a yahnmar diesel engine for a good price. Very tempted to take a punt! Doesn’t come with a grab though, where can I buy a reasonably priced grab?

A grab won’t cost a fortune if you shop around. I’d check local dealers for second-hand units first. 

Just confirm the hydraulic flow and pressure so it works properly.

[Blah]

On 19/06/2025 at 12:20, doobin said:

I didn't realise that about Holmbury! Bastards!

 

Hydraulic fittings are often referred to as '3/8' or '1/2' body but this is a terrible way of doing things and it drives me nuts that people do. Basically, no part of a '3/8" body' quick fitting measures at 3/8". The thread may indeed be 3/8" bsp, but it could just as easily be 1/2" bsp, metric 12L, or 7/8 JIC on the same fitting!

 

Two main standards are used to ID the body- or rather, should be used. Even buying from 'hydraulic specialists' I've had the wrong thing sent. These standards are ISO and DN.

 

For a Sherpa you need to ask for a pair of DN06/ISO10 couplers with a 3/8bsp thread.

Right, so coming back to this, my hydraulic couplings haven't got any easier. I can see some writing stamped on some of these parts: DNP PLT 4 ISO10M - M19 ITALY and DNP PLT4 ISO10F - I19 ITALY.

 

What's confusing is that the two sides don't look the same. This might be because my grab isn't a standard part; it was fabbed up to fit my Sherpa from an Intermercato grab by the previous owner.

 

 

I'm looking at buying 

Manuli Female Half Only 3/8" BSP 3/8" Size Quick Release Coupling

WWW.LSENGINEERS.CO.UK

---

Overview: The Manuli Female Half Only 3/8" BSP Quick Release Coupling is a genuine Manuli part for reliable fluid transfer in hydraulic and pneumatic circuits. Built from...

 and 

Manuli Female Half Only 3/8" BSP 3/8" Size Quick Release Coupling

WWW.LSENGINEERS.CO.UK

---

Overview: The Manuli Female Half Only 3/8" BSP Quick Release Coupling is a genuine Manuli part for reliable fluid transfer in hydraulic and pneumatic circuits. Built from...

 

 

Anybody care to comment on whether they will or will not do the job? What's going at the black bracket end there? Is that a different part I will need to replace as well?

 

Also @doobin and other Sherpa owners, does this look familiar or are your couplings different?

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 18:16 by Blah
spellings

[Blah]

Sort of answered my own question there, by getting some spanners out and taking the fittings apart. Turns out one end is 3/8" BSP and the other (grab) end is 1/2" BSP. I think. And, in case it helps someone else, these fittings are all female; at one end (bottom of the picture) on mine there's a male to male adapter. 

 

Ordered some stuff. See if it fits.

[Dan Maynard]

 I was meaning to photograph mine, pretty sure they don't even match each other, but suddenly I didn't.