Digger grapples?

[SteveA]

Great to have tucked away on your jib when using a bucket, for moving the odd log or rock.

 

Useless, however, compared to a proper grapple for the tasks you refer to.

 

I can see how useless a fixed thumb would be but wouldn't the hydraulic one work alot better? The F R Jones description says "The RSL Thumb Grab excels at logging work/brash and waste clearance"

 

....but i've not seen one in action. Have you used this one Doobin? I've also read that some grapples are crap at scrub clearing, so not sure what to believe!

[Stephen Blair]

Thumbs are excellent

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1-RtESoQiA&feature=youtube_gdata_player]mini digger with thumb - YouTube[/ame]

[difflock]

Regarding the hydraulics for a rotating grapple.

I believe the newer Kubotas come with the extra pipework and valving as standard.

i.e. they are built in the factory with double-acting plumbing to the end of the dipper arm, i.e suitable for a reversible auger, plus a free (3rd line) return for using a rock breaker.

PS

I did not (at first) realize the rather clever geometery of the simple digger grapples, i.e. the way they close both halves simulteanously, using the existing bucket ram.

Neat

[Matthew Storrs]

I can see how useless a fixed thumb would be but wouldn't the hydraulic one work alot better? The F R Jones description says "The RSL Thumb Grab excels at logging work/brash and waste clearance"

 

....but i've not seen one in action. Have you used this one Doobin? I've also read that some grapples are crap at scrub clearing, so not sure what to believe!

 

Thumbs are OK, but if you are doing mainly timber/scrub then I would definiatly get a fixed arm grapple instead. The only way I can describe it is try picking up a handful of twigs without bending your finger/thumbs then try picking up the same pile this time using your hand (like a grapple) as normal. You tend to get a better purchase on things as the tines wrap around the object. I use my grapple for ripping out gorse by the roots/pulling brambles all sorts of things. Off course a thumb is far more conveniant being tucked away all the time and a hydraulic one would be that much better but perhaps more of a jack of all trades compared to proper grapple:thumbup1:

[Stephen Blair]

Ill take some pictures of my hydraulics for you today Eddie and you can give me your thoughts.

[codlasher]

I posted some pictures of my TB175 with its new timber grapple and rotator, fitted some time ago. I'm very happy with it and the work that it does.

I was surprised at the pipework/fittings/couplings costs. This came in at £600 ish with the three port diverters. On the plus side though it has already paid for itself by the work that it has enabled me to do that I wouldn't have been able to do manually or with poking about with a bucket/strop combination.

I used to operate a roof mount County forwarder and the 360 is a different machine with its arm set much lower so the lifting height is a little less and there is no extension but I have become used to that. The power is in its ability to dig so I am being very careful when I put a piece down.

The TB hydraulics are incremental so the grab facility can be slow or fast but as it is on a thumb switch there's not much 'feel'. The rotate facility is on the joystick and I may reduce the flow with a reduced ported fitting as it has the potential to rotate like a helicopter!

This operation is ISO so an operator, used to working a timber crane, would be able to jump in the cab and work the set-up without any problems.

 

I can't comment on a 'thumb' set up as I have no experience with one. I would imagine that once you had purchased the pieces and paid for the bracket to be professionally welded onto the dipper arm you would certainly have a useful tool available. Cost wise, yes it would be considerably cheaper too but perhaps not so versatile, particularly if this is fitted onto anything bigger than a five ton machine. I think a thumb is an alternative for sub five tonners but in my opinion what drives the choice of grapple or thumb is what you need/want it to do in the first place.

codlasher.

Edited December 12, 2013 by codlasher
Addendum

[doobin]

A grapple is the same money as that hydraulic thumb. Vemac Engineering if you're wondering. Mine still going strong after three years of abuse.

 

A compromise would be to have a special bucket made which is basically the top half of a grapple, and have the thumb made curved. Then crowd the 'bucket' and move the thumb at the same time.

 

If you're putting a proper grapple onto a quick hitch, it only takes thirty seconds to change over anyway (make sure the geometry is right though, you might want a curved brace bar).

 

Even with no quick hitch, it's still quicker to change over to the right tool for the job if you're doing any amount of grab work. Thumbs do the job but are not as dexterous as a grapple.

 

You wouldn't keep a 12" bucket on for grading. Same principle, most efficient tool for the job. A couple of minutes to change the attachment is nothing in the scheme of things.

[haforbes]

I'm having a total nightmare with the company I bought the grapple from! Didn't want to start a new thread so thought I'd add it on the end of this one.

 

I bought the grapple back in November and after fitting it had some trouble with the arm on the grapple hitting the end of the dipper, probably due to my quick hitch. Then somehow ended up bending the one of the tines on the grapple so I contacted the company I got it from and they said to send it back and they would repair it and make a new curved arm that wouldn't catch the end of the dipper. After waiting 2 months it finally came back and they haven't repaired the grapple and all they've done is weld a longer piece of straight tube steel as the arm they also didn't send the pins back out! So I rang them up again, was told I would get the pins and a new extended pad to stop the arm hitting the dipper arm. 2 weeks have gone by and not heard anything, I've tried ringing every day for a week and the guy won't answer his phone

 

What can I do in a situation like this?? very very frustrating as I haven't been able to use the grapple for nearly 3 months

[BigNick]

name & shame ?

[SteveA]

Don't think naming and shaming is allowed on arbtalk. But i can imagine how peed off you are, i would be.