Root Grapple with shears

[classacthollow]

I am thinking about getting a root grapple with my new tractor, but was wondering if anyone has ever done this. I want to add a set of side plates that could be raised and lowered and used as shears on the limbs as you grab a big bite of the brush pile. Would the hydraulic cylinder be strong enough to cut through a big mouthful of brush? just add them to one side. I don't even have my tractor yet and I'm modifying the stuff for it.

 

[Egbert]

I'm thinking this messes up the usefulness of your grapple. What you'll have will be more like adding a grapple to a bucket, in that the end (shear) will be in the way of the load. Otherwise, I would say - yes, it will have the strength to cut.

 

[classacthollow]

if I put it on with a heavy spring pin, it could be locked out of the way, or locked down to use it. maybe a 1" shear jaw that would lock out of the way when not in use to the side of the jaw.

 

[TomSeller]

I would guess the cylinders would not have enough oomph to cut a large load or a load with large branches. I actually want my load to extend way beyond the grapple to carry as much as possible. What is the reason to shear it off? Seems you would end up with a lot of short ends that would have to again be picked up.

 

[classacthollow]

I have a huge mountain of trimmings from a logging company that bought my cedar, I wanted to reduce it down so it would become compost. it is about 10 ft. high and 100 ft. long. I don't want to burn it up, and it is too much to run through my chipper/shredder. I was tackling it my chain saw but thought about this idea as the days wore on. I am not sure whether it or I will become compost first.

 

[J_J]

Purpose of a grapple is to pick things up, not trimming to fit.

As someone said, what about all those little pieces you trim off.

You might consider bringing in a large truck tub grinder and get it done and over.

 

[Daves3032E]

I know that my Frontier AV20H wouldn't even come close to having enough power on the lid to shear a mouthful of brush. I'm guessing that an option would be to have another cylinder(s) with alternate mounts that you would pin on when you needed to shear??? Or, if you are up to it, fabricate something like a tree shear set up vertically with 2-3 jaws on it - or one good size jaw that would reach deeper into the pile.

What I would probably do though, since you seem to have time on your side, is to just let the pile(s) sit for a while to dry out, then just come back with the FEL and stomp it down. A lot of the brush would probably break.

 

[Daves3032E]

Something like this could work if the grapple lid isn't full with (like my AV20H). The geometry would need to be figured out to get enough pressure. Might even be able to get the shears bypassed enough to clear for normal grapple use when not needed.

Or better yet... Chain saw(s)!!!

 

[Daves3032E]

Something like this would allow the shears to be permanently mounted (at a weight expense). You would want to adjust cylinder strokes and mounting points so that the shears would open to at least what the lid does.

I could see something like this being useful if you needed to get brush through a narrow area without it catching / rubbing on stuff.

 

[J_J]

You do mean cutters plus the grapple, or just cutting grapples.

If done well, you could reach up in trees and trim branches.