Grapple --- 1 Lid or 2

[CDN Farm Boy]

Thanks for that link. There is a lot of valuable info there. I really like your table, especially with all the features you designed in to it. Very well thought out.

Thanks for the complement. I've got a few more features to add yet once it warms up.

 

[Hilbilly]

What you could do, is weld on 4 hinge positions with equal distance between each adjacent hinge point. Then a cylinder mount in the middle. Then you would be able to mount one lid on the center two hinge points and see how it works. If you then thought you needed two lids, you could fab up another lid and weld on two more cylinder mounts, mounting the lid on the outside hinge points. I am surprised grapple companies don't do this in the first place. "Would you like one lid or two with your grapple today?"

That's a great idea and would make a lot of sense on a wider grapple but I'm going with a 50" so I don't think 2 lids would work unless they were quite narrow. It also means more fabricating and my progress so far has been MUCH slower than I thought it would be. So I think I will carry on with a single set of brackets for the one lid. If I find later that I really want something wider than the 50" then I'll add 2 more tines and probably switch to 2 lids.

 

[Hilbilly]

Well I finally made some more progress on the Grapple. Man I'm slow at this. Still enjoying it though, except for my knees. They're getting sore from kneeling on the ground when I'm grinding and welding. Anyways here are the pics.

I'm getting better at OA cutting and the last pic shows one of the cuts I made for the gusset plates at the front end of the tines.

 

[IslandTractor]

Very nice Hilbilly. That's actually a lot of progress. Just the mount and upper arm/mounts to go. Definitely on the home stretch.

Your next project has to be a welding table to save your knees.

 

[Xfaxman]

I recommend that you add some gussets where I put the white lines on the mount in your picture.

This is what can happen if the top lip isn't strong enough. Note that it is bent above the straightedge.

Replaced with thicker metal and braced.

This is how my grapple is braced.

 

[IslandTractor]

Additional gussets are always kinda nice but I wonder if Xfaxman's experience with a heavier duty FEL is relevant here. I know that my grapple just has the "standard" unsupported cleat/top lip and that there has been no hint of failure at that point in eight years of vigorous use with a 2700+lb lift capacity loader on my tractor.

 

[Hilbilly]

I recommend that you add some gussets where I put the white lines on the mount in your picture.

View attachment 411261

This is what can happen if the top lip isn't strong enough. Note that it is bent above the straightedge.
View attachment 411262

Replaced with thicker metal and braced.
View attachment 411263 View attachment 411264

This is how my grapple is braced.
View attachment 411265 View attachment 411266 View attachment 411267

Your timing is perfect!! I was looking at that top piece tonight and thinking this is the weak point in the whole grapple. That top piece is only restrained on the outside edge but the inside is open. I thought about adding another restraint on the inside edge but I like your idea more. I'd rather add them now, than maybe have to cut out a bent one later and then add them. I'm in the middle of adding some gusset plates to the back edge of the tines too. I was also thinking that maybe there should be another stiffener between the pipe sections at the front of the tines and the back and then I see that yours has them. I'm still on the fence about this though since I don't see this grapple getting much hard use. As a matter of fact I'm not sure it will get much use at all, but I had to have one after reading all the threads about them and seeing the pics.

By the way what rod did you use for those welds on the braces and what amperage. I'm using my wire feed for almost all the welding because I have a hard time with the stick. Still working at it though. I want to get better with it though.

 

[Hilbilly]

Additional gussets are always kinda nice but I wonder if Xfaxman's experience with a heavier duty FEL is relevant here. I know that my grapple just has the "standard" unsupported cleat/top lip and that there has been no hint of failure at that point in eight years of vigorous use with a 2700+lb lift capacity loader on my tractor.

Thanks IT but in my mind this is a very simple add on at this time. If I screw up that top piece some time down the road, it will be a LOT more work to fix then, than it will to add a few pieces now. Besides my welding is not the best so this add on will be cheap insurance.

 

[Xfaxman]

Your timing is perfect!! I was looking at that top piece tonight and thinking this is the weak point in the whole grapple. That top piece is only restrained on the outside edge but the inside is open. I thought about adding another restraint on the inside edge but I like your idea more. I'd rather add them now, than maybe have to cut out a bent one later and then add them. I'm in the middle of adding some gusset plates to the back edge of the tines too. I was also thinking that maybe there should be another stiffener between the pipe sections at the front of the tines and the back and then I see that yours has them. I'm still on the fence about this though since I don't see this grapple getting much hard use. As a matter of fact I'm not sure it will get much use at all, but I had to have one after reading all the threads about them and seeing the pics.

By the way what rod did you use for those welds on the braces and what amperage. I'm using my wire feed for almost all the welding because I have a hard time with the stick. Still working at it though. I want to get better with it though.

We moved about three years ago and I don't have a welder in my shop now. That was done at a local welding shop.

You will be surprised how much use your grapple will get. :thumbsup:

 

[Hilbilly]

Didn't get much done today but I did get the gussets in. Had other things that needed attention.

 

[Xfaxman]

Didn't get much done today but I did get the gussets in. Had other things that needed attention.

:thumbsup:

 

[dirt ditch]

Looks really good Hilbilly. If you have not thought of it already I would suggest deciding how to run the hydraulic hoses through the frame before welding on the grapple mounts. This is how the hoses on my grapple are run.

 

[k0ua]

Much easier to strike an arc when you can see where the end of the rod is.

Ain't that the truth!:thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

Didn't get much done today but I did get the gussets in. Had other things that needed attention.
View attachment 411407View attachment 411408

Man, you are doing great! :thumbsup:

 

[Hilbilly]

Dirt Ditch, I like the way your hydraulic hoses are run but I think I will do it the simple / easy way for now. It looks like the back of the upper frame has been cut out to gain access to the inside of the cross tube. If I have problems with the hoses in the future, I could still do the same thing.

k0ua, thanks for the compliment.

I'm still learning a lot with this build, plus I'm getting better with OA cutting (lots of practice). Still not good with the stick welder but just love my wire feed. I thought I wrecked it at one point because I couldn't keep a weld going. It would just kind of fizzle and not produce a proper weld. So I was forced to use the stick and man those welds don't look very nice. I did find a rod that was easier to use though. It was the 7014. I eventually realized what was going on with my wire feed and got it going again. For some reason the drive roller tension wasn't tight enough and wasn't feeding wire properly. It's all good now.

Today I tackle the lid and hopefully the mounting brackets. It will take some time though since I need to drill a bunch of big holes in 3/8" material and get the hole locations precise. For that I will need to extend and retract the cylinder and I'm not sure I have the right fittings for it. May have to run into the city (there's most of a day shot).

 

[Hilbilly]

Almost done with the fab work.

 

[TomSeller]

Where do I buy one?

 

[IslandTractor]

Really nice job.

 

[Oldpath05]

I finally got here, and I'm a little on the late side because I went down to many rabbit trails. Did I miss it or is there any pics. of just adding a middle grapple to a tractor bucket? I really don't want to take mind off, my L3400 does not have a quick disconnect type bucket, just want an add on.

 

[IslandTractor]

I finally got here, and I'm a little on the late side because I went down to many rabbit trails. Did I miss it or is there any pics. of just adding a middle grapple to a tractor bucket? I really don't want to take mind off, my L3400 does not have a quick disconnect type bucket, just want an add on.

Pretty straightforward project to add a single grapple arm to a bucket. You can either buy a grapple arm and then weld a mount to the bucket or weld some
Mounts to a plate and bolt or weld the plate to the bucket.