Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[woody paul]

It's the driver that makes the best out of a grab, my brother uses a thumb and bucket to feed chipper for me on larger clearance jobs. 

But I am getting round to fitting a swing grab for him off my small loader. Should make it a little easier time will tell if he puts it on or just uses what his got now. 

[carlos]

we put a free hanging grab on a small hire machine, whilst it was great i did find the fact you couldnt nudge anything a bit of a pain at times, which made me wonder if those fixed grabs that use the thumb style fixing may have been more versatile but those obviously need a bracket welding on the arm so not an option on a hire machine. 

[billpierce]

Thanks that's really helpful

[doobin]

On 25/11/2023 at 09:58, billpierce said:

Any advice please- 

Want some sort grab for my kx41-2 1.7t.

 

Option 1. Simple straight cheap grab, fixed, can't rotate - £260

 

Option 2. Cheap kellfri grab, rotates, hangs on a swing link bracket so all floppy. £1200

 

Option 3 the above but fixed I.e no swing link- requires some extra hydraulic plumbing (maybe rob the boom slew?) . Increases reach and brash grabbing ability?  1200 plus hydraulic messing on. 

 

I'm not experienced enough to know the major advantages/disadvantages. Would appreciate advice etc.

Option 1- you mean a grapple with a backstay? If you make this backstay hydraulic it becomes surprisingly versatile, allowing you reach right out or bring the weight back right under the boom. You can knock lengths into the right angle to pick them up- I did five years with one and became surprisingly adept at it. Very good at handling lumps of concrete etc. But a basic fixed backstay grapple was £400 ten years ago so not sure where you get that figure of £260 from?

 

Option 2- with a dangle mount rotator, you'll still have the problems of adding a second pair of aux lines that you allude to in option 3. OK for handling timber but limited on a 1.7t. Massively increases the stack height, you won't be able to swing very long lengths about. Momentum will rock a little digger about.

 

Option 3- you will need a 'fixed' rotator- that is to say, one that is axially rated for the load. This will cost you £1200 on its own so I'm not sure where you get the overall figure from? Most versatile, you can grub out things and reach out further with it, subject to the limits of a 1.7t machine. If running a fixed rotator then you need to spend on a decent grab too, Kelfri will just bend as soon as you show it a reasonable load. The stack height is a big issue here too, 1.7t machines just don't have the lift height as they are desined to dig deep as possible. I speeced short dipper on my Bobbcat E19 and it's still a right pain the in arse compared to the same thing on the E27.

 

Option 4, which might be best for you, is something like an Intermecato TG12. Picks up on the quick hitch, you can hold it out in front of you or back under the boom (but with lots more leverage acting on it than a grapple). You can mount it in either plane, tines top and bottom or either side. Easy to share between machines. Can be used to grub out and handle concrete.

 

I run all these types, I'll try to find some pics.

Edited November 26, 2023 by doobin

[aspenarb]

Just about any type of grab on a small excavator is useful.I once knocked up a hitch bracket for a small grab on a three ton machine, it grabbed off the breaker line and it swivelled but never had a rotator. You kind of adapt to whatever is in front of you.

 

Bob

[billpierce]

8 hours ago, doobin said:

Option 1- you mean a grapple with a backstay? If you make this backstay hydraulic it becomes surprisingly versatile, allowing you reach right out or bring the weight back right under the boom. You can knock lengths into the right angle to pick them up- I did five years with one and became surprisingly adept at it. Very good at handling lumps of concrete etc. But a basic fixed backstay grapple was £400 ten years ago so not sure where you get that figure of £260 from?

 

Option 2- with a dangle mount rotator, you'll still have the problems of adding a second pair of aux lines that you allude to in option 3. OK for handling timber but limited on a 1.7t. Massively increases the stack height, you won't be able to swing very long lengths about. Momentum will rock a little digger about.

 

Option 3- you will need a 'fixed' rotator- that is to say, one that is axially rated for the load. This will cost you £1200 on its own so I'm not sure where you get the overall figure from? Most versatile, you can grub out things and reach out further with it, subject to the limits of a 1.7t machine. If running a fixed rotator then you need to spend on a decent grab too, Kelfri will just bend as soon as you show it a reasonable load. The stack height is a big issue here too, 1.7t machines just don't have the lift height as they are desined to dig deep as possible. I speeced short dipper on my Bobbcat E19 and it's still a right pain the in arse compared to the same thing on the E27.

 

Option 4, which might be best for you, is something like an Intermecato TG12. Picks up on the quick hitch, you can hold it out in front of you or back under the boom (but with lots more leverage acting on it than a grapple). You can mount it in either plane, tines top and bottom or either side. Easy to share between machines. Can be used to grub out and handle concrete.

 

I run all these types, I'll try to find some pics.

This is the cheapo 260 one I found 

Mini Digger Log Grab

WWW.WSPOWERONLINE.COM

---

Mini Digger Log Grab made from high quality steel. 25mm Pins85mm Between Pin Centres 90mm...

 

 

I was imagining I could use the kellfri grab and rotoator on a non swivel bracket but sounds like that's a no go. So either dangling rotator or normal grab or thumb? I feel like a fixed grab would be better for brash but terrible for timber stacking etc.

[doobin]

26 minutes ago, billpierce said:

This is the cheapo 260 one I found 

Mini Digger Log Grab

WWW.WSPOWERONLINE.COM

---

Mini Digger Log Grab made from high quality steel. 25mm Pins85mm Between Pin Centres 90mm...

 

 

I was imagining I could use the kellfri grab and rotoator on a non swivel bracket but sounds like that's a no go. So either dangling rotator or normal grab or thumb? I feel like a fixed grab would be better for brash but terrible for timber stacking etc.

It’s all a compromise. Even if you spend big bucks on a fixed rotating grab, then a little machine will run out of lift height quickly and will also struggle to lift much extra weight- an intermecato grab and rotator will weight in at over 100kg. 
 

A fixed grapple or intermecato type grab without a rotator will stack logs as well as you can wish for with a 1.7t. It’s a mini digger not a forwarder. Still beats doing it by hand. 
 

I’d start with a quality grab such as Intermecato. Then if you want to add either a fixed or dangle rotator (plus extra aux lines) you’re halfway there. 
 

that wsl grab will be utter shit. It’s what they sell on the wanky single cylinder Chinese micros. Won’t even fit a normal digger, don’t waste your money. Get a fixed grapple made up to fit your digger if you want to go down that route. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by doobin

[Slicer Dicer]

Stacking timber with a small machine and no rotator is all about working strategically. Work in parallel to the timber stack etc or using the offset boom to get it how you want it. As doobin said its not a forwarder but it will happily stack up timber all day long. 

I'm a big fan of a hydraulic thumb myself for general purpose work. I can stack timber, rake and grab brash, move rocks around etc and it's always there when I need it, is very robust if you go for the right one and costs little. It's a superb tool for grubbing out and moving stumps etc too. 

I have a few intermercato fixed grabs and a larger rotating grab but if I only had one it would be the thumb purely for versatility and convenience👍

[billpierce]

1 hour ago, Slicer Dicer said:

Stacking timber with a small machine and no rotator is all about working strategically. Work in parallel to the timber stack etc or using the offset boom to get it how you want it. As doobin said its not a forwarder but it will happily stack up timber all day long. 

I'm a big fan of a hydraulic thumb myself for general purpose work. I can stack timber, rake and grab brash, move rocks around etc and it's always there when I need it, is very robust if you go for the right one and costs little. It's a superb tool for grubbing out and moving stumps etc too. 

I have a few intermercato fixed grabs and a larger rotating grab but if I only had one it would be the thumb purely for versatility and convenience👍

What thumb do you have? Ta

[doobin]

10 hours ago, Slicer Dicer said:

Stacking timber with a small machine and no rotator is all about working strategically. Work in parallel to the timber stack etc or using the offset boom to get it how you want it. As doobin said its not a forwarder but it will happily stack up timber all day long. 

I'm a big fan of a hydraulic thumb myself for general purpose work. I can stack timber, rake and grab brash, move rocks around etc and it's always there when I need it, is very robust if you go for the right one and costs little. It's a superb tool for grubbing out and moving stumps etc too. 

I have a few intermercato fixed grabs and a larger rotating grab but if I only had one it would be the thumb purely for versatility and convenience👍

I've never tried a thumb but I'm convinced I'd always prefer to put a proper grab on!