Built a quick and dirty thumb.

[ovrszd]

Aaron, that's possible. Might also explain tearing the tab loose from the claw frame. I had it in my head that he exerted external forces on the claw beyond what the hydraulics could apply.

 

[npalen]

I doubt that's the case as the rod appears to have bent with the cylinder rod in the near retracted position. The rod would have bent further back toward the piston is it was nearly extended and the base casting hit the cylinder anchor. I'm pretending to be Sherlock Holmes here.

 

[ovrszd]

I doubt that's the case as the rod appears to have bent with the cylinder rod in the near retracted position. The rod would have bent further back toward the piston is it was nearly extended and the base casting hit the cylinder anchor. I'm pretending to be Sherlock Holmes here.

Me too. Your theory is sound though.

 

[nybirdman]

I would guess he had the cylinder(grapple thumb) partially close and rolled the bucket down on a solid object.So the force of the FEL was on the cylinder.I say this because I have done something similar;I have a shorter stroke and the cylinder was closed but was pushed beyond the stoke of the cylinder.Hard to explain but it's all in the geometry of the design.Mine is a Green's Machine.

 

[ovrszd]

I would guess he had the cylinder(grapple thumb) partially close and rolled the bucket down on a solid object.So the force of the FEL was on the cylinder.I say this because I have done something similar;I have a shorter stroke and the cylinder was closed but was pushed beyond the stoke of the cylinder.Hard to explain but it's all in the geometry of the design.Mine is a Green's Machine.

Something similar is my contention as well.

 

[aarolar]

Well thanks for all the compliments but I'm afraid I have some bad news, I've already broken it. I was trying to grab a pile of brush and had the thumb half open and pinned it against a tree and rolled the bucket down at the same time and bent the rod and tore the mount off. I was a little worried about the welds on the mount tearing out being I used AR plate and I know how to fix that issue but there ain't no fixing a bent rod. Now I gotta decide if I'll cut my losses and buy a dedicated grapple or invest in a new cylinder to fix this.

View attachment 499782

I don't know what all the speculation is I said exactly what killed it in my earlier post...

 

[ovrszd]

No worries. We're just visiting. We can stop if you like?

 

[aarolar]

No worries. We're just visiting. We can stop if you like?

No problem I'm just curious at all the confusion, the big question is how to keep it from happening again?

 

[ovrszd]

No problem I'm just curious at all the confusion, the big question is how to keep it from happening again?

Very simple, don't do what you did again.

 

[aarolar]

Very simple, don't do what you did again.

Easier said than done working blindly.