Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[Scotty2809]

On 30/04/2023 at 21:32, Malus said:

I wonder if there's a difference in idler/roller design between brands that's better or worse. The little Kubotas are usually pretty good until the tracks get a bit stretchy. Have had issues with the Kubota u48 though, that used to throw off brand new tracks with no noticeable wear on the idler. Also had issues with the check valve on the track tensioner on a u48 so it wouldn't let grease in after putting the track back on.. may have lost a grease gun or two in a similar fashion to you 😂

 

I'm not the best at taking photos but here are a few from this job 

 

some nice switchbacks there... 

May i ask where this is? My Mrs is a big rider, also loves dirt jumping and gets a hand in digging and building at the local spot. 

 

[Malus]

On 25/10/2023 at 08:18, Scotty2809 said:

some nice switchbacks there... 

May i ask where this is? My Mrs is a big rider, also loves dirt jumping and gets a hand in digging and building at the local spot. 

 

It's up at Glentress forest near Peebles, Scottish Borders. They just opened to the public a couple of weeks ago so should be reasonably fresh still if you're up that way. Always good to hear of people digging trails, there's nothing better than riding something you've built!

[Malus]

Digger is now set up a bit better for "arb" - enough to join the thread anyway. Got an intermercato grab and rotator - drags brash a lot quicker than by hand and came in handy clearing some overstood hedging growing up through power lines. Doesn't feel nice to use under the tilting hitch so better to pin it direct to dipper, bit of a pain to change bit not too bad. Also pretty handy for holding logs to be cut of for firewood back at the yard.

 

When I get some time in the new year I'm planning on making a little log trailer to pull along with the digger, anyone got one? Pros and cons? 

 

Picked up a used femac flail for it too. I've used a flail head in the past so knew what to expect in terms of cutting capacity etc. This one's got boot flails which I think are preferable to the hammer flails I've used in the past. The boots seem to cope a bit better when you hit rocks or metal, and every now and then a hammer would get stuck folded back on itself and put the rotor out of balance. 

 

How are you all protecting the cab when using grabs/flails? I doubt I'll be getting marguard but was thinking of making a removable bar guard for the windscreen.

[Malus]

I managed to bend one of the tines on my grab this week. Bent it back with a sledge ok but it took a bit of beating. Was a bit surprised it bent tbh, has that happened to anyone else? It's an intermercato tg16.

 

Basically I was moving a lump of willow and I was rotating/dropping it off and when I slewed away one tine was lodged in a hole in the log. The log rotated and landed as expected but it just levered the tine and bent it.

 

 

[swinny]

Someone posted up on the fb arbtalk a few weeks back k how they had snapped a tine off one of the intermecato grabs and posted a pic. A few other folk saying they're made out of cheese now and quality gone down....

 

I suppose with anything. They can break and bend etc

[Slicer Dicer]

1 hour ago, swinny said:

Someone posted up on the fb arbtalk a few weeks back k how they had snapped a tine off one of the intermecato grabs and posted a pic. A few other folk saying they're made out of cheese now and quality gone down....

 

I suppose with anything. They can break and bend etc

I have 2 fixed intermacato. I give them shit. Pulling roots out, levering boulders than I can just fit in side the grab etc, how I haven't managed to bend one yet is beyond me. quite surprised it bent so easily. But mine is has all the tines plated together so couldn't happen like that...

[Malus]

5 hours ago, swinny said:

Someone posted up on the fb arbtalk a few weeks back k how they had snapped a tine off one of the intermecato grabs and posted a pic. A few other folk saying they're made out of cheese now and quality gone down....

 

I suppose with anything. They can break and bend etc

That's a bit disappointing to hear after buying one recently based on everyone saying how good they are 🙄 to be fair though it's a brilliant bit of kit, very handy and speed up a job massively compared to moving stuff by hand or pushing brash with the bucket. Just would expect it to last.

 

4 hours ago, Slicer Dicer said:

I have 2 fixed intermacato. I give them shit. Pulling roots out, levering boulders than I can just fit in side the grab etc, how I haven't managed to bend one yet is beyond me. quite surprised it bent so easily. But mine is has all the tines plated together so couldn't happen like that...

Yeah exactly, I couldn't believe you lot use them for digging stumps out etc 😂 are they joined as in a log grab then as opposed to tines? The tines are pretty handy for brash and the few rocks I've moved have been easy to grab and position.

Edited November 19, 2023 by Malus

[monkeybusiness]

The individual tines will bend if you are rough - they are only as strong as the thickness of steel will allow and you are putting all of the force of an excavator through them at unusual angles…

They bend back though - just learn from the experience. 

[swinny]

Surely you could just weld some 16mm solid bar in between the tines half way down maybe just for support. That's what I'd do

[Slicer Dicer]

25 minutes ago, Malus said:

That's a bit disappointing to hear after buying one recently based on everyone saying how good they are 🙄 to be fair though it's a brilliant bit of kit, very handy and speed up a job massively compared to moving stuff by hand or pushing brash with the bucket. Just would expect it to last.

 

Yeah exactly, I couldn't believe you lot use them for digging stumps out etc 😂 are they joined as in a log grab then as opposed to tines? The tines are pretty handy for brash and the few rocks I've moved have been easy to grab and position.

Yes this is mine it's the TG16 light selector grab they call it I think more for general purpose work than timber handling but far stronger than it looks I have to say.