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

[MossflowerWoods]

Guys,

This was shocking and I MUST share.

I was clearing land behind the 300hp Mulcher today and I was experimenting with the most effective methods to move dead slash, wood chips, root balls & stumps, etc.

Well the other thing I was moving was 3 large downed hardwood trees I wanted for fire wood. I had moved them once out of the mulchers way, and he was going so fast I needed to move them again.

I trundled off across the field to the trees, moved one an when I went to grab the next my grapple just FELL OFF the Kioti SSQA brackets.

It appears that somehow (I believe it was a twisted cedar stump) had UNLOCKED the SSQA lever, and then a branch ot the tree I was lifting hit the lever again nd fully disengaged it.

CRASH the grapple fell to the ground WITH THE TREE IN IT!

Luckily I had it almost closed with the teeth pointed down. I also had plenty of slack in the HYD lines. I opened the grapple gently so it would kind of stand, and I lowered the FEL to slack the HYD lines.

Everything was caddywompass & all I could do was manage to hook one side of the FEL just enough to stabilize the grapple and lift it slowly while opening it slightly so the tree would drop out.

I backed up a few feet, opened the grapple, and managed to rehook both sides of the SSQA, lock the lever, and go back to full function (and lower my pulse rate).

I started taking it easier after that.

The moral of the story seems to be watch that LEVER! And make sure there is some slack in the HYD lines. My dealer explained he had done that so when taking the grapple on/off the Hyd lines can be attached longer than the grapple is attached (so that you can use the grapple hydraulics to help you connect/disconnect it. Seem he was flipping brilliant!

Has anyone else ever seen their SSQA lever become "Unlocked" like that. Kioti uses a single lever. The Bobcat's use 2 levers (I think they use Rhino FELs). I am not familiar with any other tractor designs.

Be well Packmates,
David

 

[The Haymaker]

Not sure it applies or not, but I painted the QA levers of my boom fluorescent green. MUCH more obvious if one has become unlocked, or never was locked.

 

[grsthegreat]

Guys,

This was shocking and I MUST share.

I was clearing land behind the 300hp Mulcher today and I was experimenting with the most effective methods to move dead slash, wood chips, root balls & stumps, etc.

Well the other thing I was moving was 3 large downed hardwood trees I wanted for fire wood. I had moved them once out of the mulchers way, and he was going so fast I needed to move them again.

I trundled off across the field to the trees, moved one an when I went to grab the next my grapple just FELL OFF the Kioti SSQA brackets.

It appears that somehow (I believe it was a twisted cedar stump) had UNLOCKED the SSQA lever, and then a branch ot the tree I was lifting hit the lever again nd fully disengaged it.

CRASH the grapple fell to the ground WITH THE TREE IN IT!

Luckily I had it almost closed with the teeth pointed down. I also had plenty of slack in the HYD lines. I opened the grapple gently so it would kind of stand, and I lowered the FEL to slack the HYD lines.

Everything was caddywompass & all I could do was manage to hook one side of the FEL just enough to stabilize the grapple and lift it slowly while opening it slightly so the tree would drop out.

I backed up a few feet, opened the grapple, and managed to rehook both sides of the SSQA, lock the lever, and go back to full function (and lower my pulse rate).

I started taking it easier after that.

The moral of the story seems to be watch that LEVER! And make sure there is some slack in the HYD lines. My dealer explained he had done that so when taking the grapple on/off the Hyd lines can be attached longer than the grapple is attached (so that you can use the grapple hydraulics to help you connect/disconnect it. Seem he was flipping brilliant!

Has anyone else ever seen their SSQA lever become "Unlocked" like that. Kioti uses a single lever. The Bobcat's use 2 levers (I think they use Rhino FELs). I am not familiar with any other tractor designs.

Be well Packmates,
David

I haven't had mine long enuf for that to happen, but i can see how it could happen moving trash. It probably cant happen with a bucket cause the solid steel back of the bucket will protect the lever. A grapple is all open faced.

Guess you'll have to tie the lever back with trusted and true bailing wire.

 

[k0ua]

David I have never heard of that, but I suppose it could happen to anyone. The Kubota has 2 levers, that take some force to open, but not really all that much. When you get to working hard and fast, sometimes "stuff" happens. Take care, and how is that hand/wrist coming along?

James K0UA

 

[dstig1]

Heard of it? I lived it:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/179052-grapple-width-7.html

So did Jay:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/195968-everybody-loves-guessing-game.html

I fixed mine this way:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/206260-gator-grapple-fix-kubota-ssqa.html

I'm not sure if the issue is the same on Kioti's as Kubota's SSQA but it could be. The handles are another issue. I watched them like a hawk after my incident. Once in a while I would see one had moved some, so I would stop and push it closed all the way. Since I added the mesh I have seen ZERO movement of the handles.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

David I have never heard of that, but I suppose it could happen to anyone. The Kubota has 2 levers, that take some force to open, but not really all that much. When you get to working hard and fast, sometimes "stuff" happens. Take care, and how is that hand/wrist coming along?

James K0UA

James,

Wrist is better, the numbness, pins&needles, and pain from carpal tunnel is gone. But the incision is not healing as well as I typically heal. I got the stitches out yesterday and it bled a little.The nurse goope it up and put a huge bandaid on it. When I came in from tractoring, either the goop, or my sweating inside the wrist splint, or??, the area was all soft, white and far too "open" for me. In fact after a short time I was afraid it was REALLY coming open so I grabbed my kit and some steri-strips and tightened the whole thing up. I may need to go back to the DR today... I don't want them to re-stitch it...

There are other issues. I've developed tendonitis in my ring finger on theback of my hand where it hurts to straighten my fingers. This is from some over compensation due to my carpal tunnel. He gave me a shot of cortizone, I hope that helps. "Taking it easy" does not work for me very well.

We accelerated the left hand surgery by a month and it is now on 11/14.

Thanks for asking,
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Not sure it applies or not, but I painted the QA levers of my boom fluorescent green. MUCH more obvious if one has become unlocked, or never was locked.

I believe a can of that fluorescent yellow/green is in my shop SOON.

I haven't had mine long enuf for that to happen, but i can see how it could happen moving trash. It probably cant happen with a bucket cause the solid steel back of the bucket will protect the lever. A grapple is all open faced.

Guess you'll have to tie the lever back with trusted and true bailing wire.

That seems like a good temporary fix. especially with the stuff I'm moving...

I fixed mine this way:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/206260-gator-grapple-fix-kubota-ssqa.html

I watched them like a hawk after my incident. Once in a while I would see one had moved some, so I would stop and push it closed all the way. Since I added the mesh I have seen ZERO movement of the handles.

On my Kioti, the SSQA fits very well. the mesh is what I need. Soon as I can weld I will cover the holes for the lever, and where debris broke my hyd line also.

I plan on watching it like a hawk too!

Thanks all,
David

 

[MotorSeven]

DST, very nice mod to "fix" the QA plate. I have found mine unlocked once when using forks to move flitches from the sawmill.

Mosss, I swear, sticks are like mice....one little teeny opening is all they need to wreak havoc on a tractor.

 

[The Haymaker]

I believe a can of that fluorescent yellow/green is in my shop SOON.



That seems like a good temporary fix. especially with the stuff I'm moving...



On my Kioti, the SSQA fits very well. the mesh is what I need. Soon as I can weld I will cover the holes for the lever, and where debris broke my hyd line also.

I plan on watching it like a hawk too!

Thanks all,
David

I did mine after starting to raise the boom and realizing I hadn't locked them in. I'm only going to guess, but I am figuring raising to a high extension and watching the bucket or a fork attachment come barreling back at me at a high rate of speed would be bad?

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I'm only going to guess, but I am figuring raising to a high extension and watching the bucket or a fork attachment come barreling back at me at a high rate of speed would be bad?

I suspect so!!!

I was mostly worried about how I was going to stand up almost 700 lbs of grapple with spewing hyd fluid everywhere!

David