Opico Skidster or sherpa mini loaders

[Mark Bolam]

I have the Klou grab on mine and can’t fault it.

Went for the hitch and capstan as well, as demo’d in this vid.

 

The free rotation is great for dragging brash.

 

They are pricey, and I do need to get a bucket as well at some point.

 

 

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, Mark Bolam said:

I have the Klou grab on mine and can’t fault it.

Went for the hitch and capstan as well, as demo’d in this vid.

 

The free rotation is great for dragging brash.

 

They are pricey, and I do need to get a bucket as well at some point.

 

 

I’d never noticed the hose routing on those. Looks like you could pull the rotate lock pin and the grab could safely go 90 degrees either direction? Mine come out of the side somewhere  so if I’m snake dragging, I have to be more careful around left hand bends than rights. 

[AHPP]

4 hours ago, doobin said:

I'm still a big fan of the bucket grab for logs etc. You'll not be carrying chunks longer than the grab is wide on such a small machine anyhow, and it's useful for lots of other things.

 

I'll try to find the thread, @ahpp and I had quite the debate!

I was carrying six or eight foot logs in battering ram configuration the other week. Mainly just me and the 90kg counterweight. A fat kid helped with some bigger ones. 
 

I also put it to you, doobin, that since we last discussed this you made a bracket to put one of your digger grabs on your Sherpa. Why on earth would you bother…

[Mark Bolam]

16 minutes ago, AHPP said:

I’d never noticed the hose routing on those. Looks like you could pull the rotate lock pin and the grab could safely go 90 degrees either direction? Mine come out of the side somewhere  so if I’m snake dragging, I have to be more careful around left hand bends than rights. 

Exactly that Alex.

[doobin]

3 minutes ago, AHPP said:

I was carrying six or eight foot logs in battering ram configuration the other week. Mainly just me and the 90kg counterweight. A fat kid helped with some bigger ones. 
 

I also put it to you, doobin, that since we last discussed this you made a bracket to put one of your digger grabs on your Sherpa. Why on earth would you bother…

Because you told me it was a good idea! 🤣And the plate also fits all the other digger stuff like the auger, breaker and post knocker.  

 

I tried it but prefer the bucket grab. 

[AHPP]

2 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

Exactly that Alex.

Major advantage.

[AHPP]

2 minutes ago, doobin said:

Because you told me it was a good idea! 🤣And the plate also fits all the other digger stuff like the auger, breaker and post knocker.  

 

I tried it but prefer the bucket grab. 

Because it is good idea! What grab do you use on your articulating loader?

[doobin]

5 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Because it is good idea! What grab do you use on your articulating loader?

I’m usually lifting big butts with pallet forks on the multione. For lots of brash the big clamp type ‘curved forks’ grab is good but cumbersome for domestic work. Generally if you can fit the large loader into a job then you can fit the chipper in too, so why make a mess dragging? Chip into the bucket and keep all the mess next to the tree. I don’t even have a pincer type grab set up for the multione. Although I do need to make a backplate for it like I did the Sherpa. 
 

Last week we were using a bucket grab on the multione- best compromise🤣 all sorts of cut and ripped out stuff to be  transported to the customers woodland for future burning. 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by doobin

[Mick Dempsey]

You can’t beat the Klou type fixed grab for the big stuff.

[AHPP]

55 minutes ago, doobin said:

I’m usually lifting big butts with pallet forks on the multione. For lots of brash the big clamp type ‘curved forks’ grab is good but cumbersome for domestic work. Generally if you can fit the large loader into a job then you can fit the chipper in too, so why make a mess dragging? Chip into the bucket and keep all the mess next to the tree. I don’t even have a pincer type grab set up for the multione. Although I do need to make a backplate for it like I did the Sherpa. 
 

Last week we were using a bucket grab on the multione- best compromise🤣 all sorts of cut and ripped out stuff to be  transported to the customers woodland for future burning. 

 

 

Fair enough. Whatever works for you. You’ll have the option when you make the plate anyway. I assume the Multione has enough piping for grab AND rotate?
I’d certainly try a clamp bucket for mixed materials but I’m almost exclusively trees atm. Certainly open to a bit of pikey work though. You make it look easy.