planning stages for a grapple

[kacole]

I'm in the planning stages for a 72" grapple. I've been looking around and it really don't look that tough for a good welder/fabricator. My main question is how thick should the tines be? how long should they be? how high should they be? I guess it will be made out of A36 steel because it's easy to get. is that a mistake? I was thinking 1/2" thick but i don't want to make it a overkill but i don't want it to be easy to bend either. would like it to be plenty heavy enough but not take too much from the tractors lifting. the tractor will be a Kubota mx5100 thanks for the help

 

[gkh7890]

Kacole,
I'm right there with you.....I've already cut my templates out. I'm planning on going with 3/8" on the tines in A36 steel. I don't have a torch to cut the material but I did find a company w/in 12 miles that can water jet cut my materials. I just have to get my templates in a "cad" file for them. So, I'm stalled until I do that. I'm planning on a 50" wide unit w/ a single lid....what are your plans? I can get a sheet (4x8) of 3/8" A36 for $250. The company I'm talking with said they have plenty of surplus and said they'd make me a deal on it.....time will tell.

 

[kacole]

I'm planning on 72" with 2 lids how much are they gonna charge you to cut them on the water jet there's a place not too far from me that has a water jet but I didn't know how much to expect to pay.I figures if it was too high I would just use a torch. Also how long are you planning to make your tines

 

[Jim Timber]

Some places charge per inch, some charge per hour. I'd rather get an inch quote as you can't mess that up with poor operator management (they can't fudge their time).

 

[Xfaxman]

Here is a good design that you can get some ideas from.

Notice the high pivot point for the lids, this is why it has a 51" opening, great for picking up brush.

The tines are 1/2" thick.

 

[2458n]

That picture sure showes a good bite. How much can a tool cat pick? Does this force you to drive backwards?Very good looking. Would you make any changes?

 

[srs]

Hey guys I was wondering what your opinions are concerning the ends of the tines? In all of the above photos posted by Xfaxman the tines are pointed upward. What are the advantages of pointing them upward vs having them point down? Other then digging into the earth I'm wondering if they were pointed downward brush, branches etc. could roll into the grapple easier? Your thoughts. Stanley

 

[2458n]

I would think that you choose the angle when picking the pile and when curling back the tips keep the items in it's grip.

 

[kacole]

I think the pictures will help in the planning the one in the pic is made out of flat bar a lot of them has the tines cut from one solid piece is there any advantage making them from one piece?

 

[DT86]

You might want to reconsider the width. I've got a 84" grapple on my M9540 and there are times I wish it was narrower. 72" seems like a lot of grapple for a mx5100.

 

[juddspaintballs]

Kacole,
I'm right there with you.....I've already cut my templates out. I'm planning on going with 3/8" on the tines in A36 steel. I don't have a torch to cut the material but I did find a company w/in 12 miles that can water jet cut my materials. I just have to get my templates in a "cad" file for them. So, I'm stalled until I do that. I'm planning on a 50" wide unit w/ a single lid....what are your plans? I can get a sheet (4x8) of 3/8" A36 for $250. The company I'm talking with said they have plenty of surplus and said they'd make me a deal on it.....time will tell.

You can download Google SketchUp for free and do your drawings in there. Then, you can download any number of free converters to convert a SketchUp file into an AutoCAD file for the shop to use. I've done this a couple of times and it worked out well.

 

[Xfaxman]

That picture sure showes a good bite. How much can a tool cat pick? I measured about 3000 pounds at the SSQA with no attachment on it.


Does this force you to drive backwards? No, you can see where you are going with the lids down. Very good looking. Would you make any changes? No changes.

Hey guys I was wondering what your opinions are concerning the ends of the tines? In all of the above photos posted by Xfaxman the tines are pointed upward. Here is one curled down.


What are the advantages of pointing them upward vs having them point down? Other then digging into the earth I'm wondering if they were pointed downward brush, branches etc. could roll into the grapple easier? Yep that is the way it works.

Your thoughts. Stanley

Just curl the tines down slightly below ground level, drive forward to rake the brush and fill the grapple. Then close the lids and drive to the pile.

 

[2458n]

I respect the toolcat much more with it's teeth.

 

[SensibleNick]

You can download Google SketchUp for free and do your drawings in there. Then, you can download any number of free converters to convert a SketchUp file into an AutoCAD file for the shop to use. I've done this a couple of times and it worked out well.

Speaking as someone who works with CAD programs and also periodically programs/runs a waterjet, Keep your CAD drawing free of clutter, and put in one or two important reference dimensions for whoever programs the machine. (maybe a hole diameter, and a length of a certain part) I can't tell you how many times people have managed to convert their drawings into half-scale or something odd - and this helps to avoid frustrating mistakes

I'd put a good wager on them wanting the file as a .DXF too.

 

[kacole]

You might want to reconsider the width. I've got a 84" grapple on my M9540 and there are times I wish it was narrower. 72" seems like a lot of grapple for a mx5100.

I was thinking 72 because that's how wide my bucket is now.

 

[EddieWalker]

My full sized loader backhoe has a 7 foot bucket and I went with a 6 foot grapple. You don't need the grapple to be as wide as the bucket and if you go a foot smaller, you will have less weight to lift, which allows you to lift more debris.

I have to two closing arms on mine and highly recommend that. It allows you to pick up uneven loads and easily carry it to where you want to dump it.

Mine is made for AR400 steel and designed for commercial use on a skid steer.

Tines bending is a problem, but getting debris stuck in the brackets to stop that is also a problem. I'm not sure of a perfect design, it's more about how rough you are with it then anything else. At first I bent them back so they where straight, but now I just ignore them and it doesn't seem to matter.



Eddie

 

[kacole]

with a 72" grapple i was thinking 9 tines but if i go with 60" how many tines would you go with 7?

 

[kacole]

just an update i called the place near my house that does waterjet work and they charge 140 per hour. i'm thinking i'll just cut it out with a torch, i also called and got a quote on plate steel(A36) 1/2" is $385 and 3/8 is $290 that didn't seem really bad to me. I was thinking about going with the 3/8 to save money and weight but i'm scared it won't be thick enough

 

[Xfaxman]

I respect the toolcat much more with it's teeth.

:laughing:

 

[Xfaxman]

with a 72" grapple i was thinking 9 tines but if i go with 60" how many tines would you go with 7?

Yep, 7 tines would handle brush just fine.