Grappling fun - A Picture Thread....

[TomSeller]

Any idea how much it weighs? You seem to get a very good sized load considering your loader's lift capacity.

 

[rswyan]

Any idea how much it weighs?

Well, I said I wasn't going to ... but here goes:

My guess would be somewhere around 450 - 475 lbs ... probably closer to 475.

That's based on a couple of things:

1. Some (very) rough calculations I did late in the design phase, before I actually started building it, and

2. Just manhandling it around, while I was working on it.

But that's just a guess and may be way off ...

Without the hydraulic cylinders mounted and the jaw closed, the grapple is bottom-heavy and will sit back at an angle on the QA plates.

I can lay it all the way over on it's back onto the floor and then stand it back up by myself ... barely ...

You seem to get a very good sized load considering your loader's lift capacity.

Factory spec for the relief on my loader is 1991 psi ... I have it set to around 2100 - 2200 psi IIRC ... so that may account for some of that.

 

[lostcreekranch]

We'll let rswyan decide where the weight pool should occur. I somehow missed that entire grapple building thread so just saw his grapple for the first time yesterday here.

I think it's over? Sorry!

 

[IslandTractor]

Any idea how much it weighs? You seem to get a very good sized load considering your loader's lift capacity.

Most of the loads he has been lifting are brush and single bigger trees. I was able to lift loads like those with my 1070lb capacity CK20 loader with a 300-325lb grapple. I'm sure he can lift more but until he decides some big boulders or much bigger tree trunks or stumps need lifting we won't know. Also, in practice we literally never lift a grapple load to full height so if he can lift a load 24" he still has a practical way of moving debris.

 

[rswyan]

I think it's over? Sorry!

Rick,

My guess is really that: just a W.A.G. ... I could be way off ...

If I am, I'm bettin' it will be in your direction ...

 

[lostcreekranch]

Ok RS, just PM me after you weigh it so I can win. I want to win IT's cash prize!

Your design and fab is excellent! I've followed your thread since you started it back in 1874. We all look forward to seeing it painted before you pre-test it to death!

I have a HD 84" dual lid Blue Diamond grapple and a 73" single lid EA Wicked Utility grapple which are nothing like your design. I envy your 55" opening. I bought the EA specifically for brush / limbs and 42" jaw opening.

Thanks for sharing your build!

 

[rswyan]

Ok RS, just PM me after you weigh it so I can win. I want to win IT's cash prize!

I'll get right on it then ...

Your design and fab is excellent!!

LOL ... Compared to what ?

I'd settle for it being merely serviceable ... :wink:

I've followed your thread since you started it back in 1874. !

Good one.

Lemme tell ya about the time I started to build a log splitter ...

:laughing:

We all look forward to seeing it painted before you pre-test it to death! !

Could be a while ... Got to get all them bugs worked out before we start going and purty-fying things ... :laughing:

I have a HD 84" dual lid Blue Diamond grapple and a 73" single lid EA Wicked Utility grapple ...!

The ones in the face-off pic right ?

Nice equipment.

... which are nothing like your design.!

LOL ...

Yeah, yours were designed and fabbed by actual professionals ...

I envy your 55" opening. I bought the EA specifically for brush / limbs and 42" jaw opening. !

How do you like it?

Thanks for sharing your build!

My pleasure ...

Hopefully it was of some use to someone out there ...

 

[Tomtint]

That's a real nice set up. Looks great

I really like how wide it opens, I spent a couple days working with mine last week and often wished it could take bigger bites into brush piles.

 

[rswyan]

Most of the loads he has been lifting are brush and single bigger trees. I was able to lift loads like those with my 1070lb capacity CK20 loader with a 300-325lb grapple. I'm sure he can lift more but until he decides some big boulders or much bigger tree trunks or stumps need lifting we won't know.

Yup.

Interestingly enough, I almost started pickin' some boulders day before yesterday. We have about a half dozen or so out in the circle in front of the house that are kinda submerged in the plants ... was thinking about relocating them to a better place in the landscaping but decided to wait until I had the big ballast block on, rather than just the box blade.

Also, in practice we literally never lift a grapple load to full height so if he can lift a load 24" he still has a practical way of moving debris.

Yeah ... I won't be lifting anything that's very heavy real high.

Surprisingly, I have had the grapple up a ways (4' or 5') while motoring around when it's empty and the tractor seems pretty stable ... which kinda makes me really wonder about how much it actually does weigh.

 

[rswyan]

I really like how wide it opens, I spent a couple days working with mine last week and often wished it could take bigger bites into brush piles.

That was something that I had read a number of comments on from various folks, along with IT's comments about width and I tried to take both into account when I came up with the final design.

So far it seems to be working out fairly well.