Another DIY Grapple

   / Another DIY Grapple #1  

IvanS

Silver Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
124
Location
Lebanon, TN
Tractor
B3300SU TLB
Tittle pretty well says it all. This is a brush grapple that I've been working on the last couple of weekends. Ready for paint and hydraulics. Made from primarily 3/8" bar stock and sized to fit my Kubota B3300SU - 48" wide and weighs around #300 by my calculations. My LA504 loader has the Kubota quick attach system and this is designed to work with that. Sorry for the terrible picture quality, will get some better photos later this week.

I couldn't resist the temptation to have the logo water jet cut into the front plate. It wasn't very expensive - hope Kubota doesn't mind :)
 

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   / Another DIY Grapple #4  
Great workmanship. Love the logo.

Is that a 2" cylinder, hard to tell in photos?? You may want to consider some trussing on the claw. My 2" cylinder bent 1/2x4" flat bar that is trussed. When it'll bend is when one side of the claw is gripping a larger item than the other side. All that twist is concentrated in the claw design and adds stress in wierd places. Easier to fix now than have to straighten and reinforce after it's bent. Keep in mind the grapple's power to clamp is determined by the tractor's hydraulic capacity, not by the tractor's size or lift capacity. So in practical use your tractor can clamp just as tight as my M9540, just maybe not as quickly.

Another issue is that you need something to protect the cylinder. For example, if you clamped onto a stump that would fit in the "V" shaped hole under the cylinder you have a high chance of bending the cylinder.

Again, great job, looks great!!!
 
   / Another DIY Grapple #5  
Beautiful workmanship. Reminds me of how much I miss BattleBots.
 
   / Another DIY Grapple
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Great workmanship. Love the logo.

Is that a 2" cylinder, hard to tell in photos?? You may want to consider some trussing on the claw. My 2" cylinder bent 1/2x4" flat bar that is trussed. When it'll bend is when one side of the claw is gripping a larger item than the other side. All that twist is concentrated in the claw design and adds stress in wierd places. Easier to fix now than have to straighten and reinforce after it's bent. Keep in mind the grapple's power to clamp is determined by the tractor's hydraulic capacity, not by the tractor's size or lift capacity. So in practical use your tractor can clamp just as tight as my M9540, just maybe not as quickly.

Another issue is that you need something to protect the cylinder. For example, if you clamped onto a stump that would fit in the "V" shaped hole under the cylinder you have a high chance of bending the cylinder.

Again, great job, looks great!!!


You are correct, 2" cylinder and I am going to add some gussets to the side arms of the claw as you suggested. Had not thought about the cylinders expose from underneath; I will consider that before painting. Thanks for the compliment.
 
   / Another DIY Grapple #8  
You are correct, 2" cylinder and I am going to add some gussets to the side arms of the claw as you suggested. Had not thought about the cylinders expose from underneath; I will consider that before painting. Thanks for the compliment.

Not trying to hijack your thread, just demonstrating a point with pictures. See how my right set of claws is only gripping with one tooth. The outer, far right tooth isn't doing anything. When loaded like that the force of the hydraulics has to be distributed across the claw structure or it will twist it. Also in these photos you can see how I protected my cylinders with a shield.

Again, great project. Good for the Soul isn't it?? :thumbsup:



DSC05902.jpg
 
   / Another DIY Grapple
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Got some better pictures this morning:

SNB16450.jpg


SNB16447.jpg


SNB16452.jpg


Looking for a local source for sandblasting before I paint, hope that will lead to longer paint life.
 
   / Another DIY Grapple #10  
Lookin Good!!! Don't spend too much time and money on paint. You're gonna scrape it all off anyway!!! ;)
 
 
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