Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[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

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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

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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!

[Slicer Dicer]

10 hours ago, billpierce said:

What thumb do you have? Ta

I have the RSL ones. They're very strong and are the same width as dipper so doesn't get in the way on any other operations. You see some thumbs that are quite wide but there isn't much benefit for this and in fact makes it more prone to having twisting forces against it.  it's incredible how much of a "lump" can be lifted with. A dedicated fixed grab has more benefit in the sense that you can articulate the whole grab and work in closer to the machine. A thumb does have a sweet spot in the distance out from the machine where it works best due to geometry, but I always find I want a bucket on and I want to grab too so its the most convenient solution for me- when I'm using just the proper grab theres alot more changing over attachments .

[billpierce]

so it seems that a decent hydraulic thumb from jb equipment or digbits is about the same as a decent tined grab from the same.  am i correct thinking a grab will be slightly better at grabbing? charging into brash with etc....i imagine a thumb wont be as useful for gripping brash? i got the digger to do a load of jobs on the farm - i dont do any landscaping so imagine if it comes on a job itll be doing arb only

 

thanks

 

appreciate everyone input

[aspenarb]

57 minutes ago, billpierce said:

so it seems that a decent hydraulic thumb from jb equipment or digbits is about the same as a decent tined grab from the same.  am i correct thinking a grab will be slightly better at grabbing? charging into brash with etc....i imagine a thumb wont be as useful for gripping brash? i got the digger to do a load of jobs on the farm - i dont do any landscaping so imagine if it comes on a job itll be doing arb only

 

thanks

 

appreciate everyone input

 

It depends on what you are doing Bill, a rake and hydraulic thumb on a machine can group up/load brash much quicker than just a grab/rotator.Grab/rotator is a great tool if everything is ready to be grabbed.

 

Bob

[tree_beard]

Have had a digits thumb on a 2.5t machine for the last few years. Always intended to upgrade to a fixed mount rotating grab, but so far I've always had more pressing things to spend 3k on and never not managed to grab and manipulate something I've pointed a 12" toothed bucket and thumb at...

 

Gathering and moving/loading brash not a problem, very good for big lumps and trunk manipulation, more cumbersome at handling and stacking short roundwood neatly, loading a chipper do-able with practice.

 

[Slicer Dicer]

5 hours ago, aspenarb said:

 

It depends on what you are doing Bill, a rake and hydraulic thumb on a machine can group up/load brash much quicker than just a grab/rotator.Grab/rotator is a great tool if everything is ready to be grabbed.

 

Bob

Definitely this. If your chucking brash around you'll get alot more in a bucket and thumb combo. But that's likely more favourable if brash raking and scrub clearance where bulk shifting of material is required . Arb work being more organised and refined by its nature a  grab is very good at precision stuff. Tbh there's nothing I can't do with a thumb  that I can with grab but grabs articulation can be more preferable for certain tasks. As said if your needing to do anything with a bucket too than it's always there when you need it. A grab is another thing to take in the trailer and time will be spent taking it on and off when it's not needed. 6 of one half a dozen of the other . ...