Loader GOOD GRIEF!! My GRAPPLE FELL OFF today!!!!!

[Brokermike]

I have a DK40 and a grapple and it did the same thing, multiple times. I now keep a heavy duty bungee cord wrapped around the lever...never had a problem since

 

[dstig1]

I thought about tethering the handles, but I wanted to see if the expanded metal would do the trick in blocking stuff from that area. It did a perfect job of it, so I never bothered with locking down the handles.

 

[Fixemall]

I thought of this thread today when servicing my neighbors bobcat, I asked him about the handles coming loose and he said it has happened on more than one occasion. I decided to make a fix...I drilled a 3/8" hole in each handle and ran a bolt thru both of them, double nutted both sides and cut a length of flat stock to fit between both handles, to preserve the speed of the disconnect I drilled small holes in the bolt ends and put small linch pins thru, now the levers stay closed and the flat stock comes off in seconds after removing the pins.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I thought of this thread today when servicing my neighbors bobcat, I asked him about the handles coming loose and he said it has happened on more than one occasion. I decided to make a fix...I drilled a 3/8" hole in each handle and ran a bolt thru both of them, double nutted both sides and cut a length of flat stock to fit between both handles, to preserve the speed of the disconnect I drilled small holes in the bolt ends and put small linch pins thru, now the levers stay closed and the flat stock comes off in seconds after removing the pins.

Pics? Please? Sounds brilliant!

FYI - Kioti only has one lever.

David

 

[foggy1111]

I had a similar experience....but in my case the JD QD hooks gave-way as a result of no gusset plates on my Gator Grapple. Cost me $450 to make things right.

If you have a JD and a Gator Grapple......you need to add the re-enforcing top hook gusset plates. Gator tries to cut corners without these plates....IMO.

 

[dstig1]

Foggy - Same corner cut on the SSQA version of the Gator, IMHO... You see what I had to do...

 

[Fixemall]

Pics? Please? Sounds brilliant!

FYI - Kioti only has one lever.

David

Did not grab any pics but I'm considering doing something similar to my 4510. For a one lever setup I might consider making a holding bracket lined up with the closed position and run a padlock thru the lever/bracket making it a holding/anti theft device all in one...might require a little welding/fab work but might be slick.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Did not grab any pics but I'm considering doing something similar to my 4510. For a one lever setup I might consider making a holding bracket lined up with the closed position and run a padlock thru the lever/bracket making it a holding/anti theft device all in one...might require a little welding/fab work but might be slick.

No, it WOULD be slick! :thumbsup:

I'm watching that lever like a hawk now. Once I can weld I will rig something... I will try to take a picture of mine now, but it might be as easy as welding a single piece of flat iron, drilling a hole in it and the lever, and then running a pin or padlock though it.

I think it was backdragging though. I was watching yesterday and because all of the debris is any which way, some of the pieces take interesting trajectories when disturbed. I think it got hit by a decent sized stick and once unlocked, the rest was history.

If my FEL had been higher, it would have ripped the HYD lines right of the tractor... I feel very blessed that it was not worse AND that I was able to get it back on quickly.

Be well,

David

 

[jake98]

Reading this makes me glad my grapple is 'pin-on'.. It takes longer, but it ain't gonna fall off..:laughing:

 

[dstig1]

It shouldn't happen to any of them. As long as there is a solid plate behind the SSQA plate, you should have no issues. It is the fact that these are open there, coupled with an inadequate design for holding the upper tab in place that causes the issue. They saved $10 in steel...wheee. Properly design grapples (or anything else SSQA) would NOT be a problem.