Grapple build

[fiddler kelly]

Nice job. Yeah it would be nice to have a close up of how you hooked up the controls for the hydraulics.I will have to make one for the fel and bh over the next year . Have too many things on my plate just now.

 

[2310 guy]

Here is a pic of the plumbing.

 

[Berniep]

I thought your cylinder looked very large for your application.
If you have trouble strengthening your bucket enough you might consider a smaller diameter cylinder.

 

[2310 guy]

I thought your cylinder looked very large for your application.
If you have trouble strengthening your bucket enough you might consider a smaller diameter cylinder.

The cylinder is 1.5" dia. I'm going to weld a 2 x 2 x 1/4" piece of angle iron to the bucket along its whole length. If that doesn't work I was thinks of messing with the pressure relief setting.

 

[SkunkWerX]

The cylinder is 1.5" dia. I'm going to weld a 2 x 2 x 1/4" piece of angle iron to the bucket along its whole length. If that doesn't work I was thinks of messing with the pressure relief setting.

2310, A suggestion, when you extend your piece of angle (great idea, by the way) try to find a way to mount it to the sides. A lot of people make a flange using flat steel, so that it bolts to the sides of the bucket. Just search "grapple" and you will see some of the examples.

You also hit on great topic, the relief valve. I would think on a grapple, if anyone has an adjustable relief, they would set it to relieve before the point where it is bending/stressing the bucket or hinge points.
This sounds like a very good idea. Unless you are intending on crushing cinder blocks, I would think most of us with smaller set-ups can protect against damage by by making this adjustments.

Sounds like you have the issue under control, good luck, let us know how it goes.