Grapple Failure

[IXLR8]

Wildcat's poor construction on this model is a turn off for me, but that would not stop me from considering one of their grapples. BUT, no or poor response to the OP would convince me to eliminate them as an option. A major factor for me for considering a product is how a vendor reacts AFTER the sale. We shall see how, if, Wildcat responds.

 

[puckgrinder85]

The more I look at the pictures the more I see wrong. The tower itself is bent. That's some pretty substantial metal to bend, especially that direction. Something isn't quite what it seems to me. Either the ram is way too big for what its being used for or it has way too much leverage on that tower and literally bent what looks to me like 3/8? steel at least.

 

[7879fordman]

The more I look at the pictures the more I see wrong. The tower itself is bent. That's some pretty substantial metal to bend, especially that direction. Something isn't quite what it seems to me.

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=367830"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=367831"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=367832"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=367833"/>

Ya that looks like some hard abuse to me .or improper use .

Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

 

[Oliver1655]

While chaining the jaws together then trying to raise the jaw to pull the tower back in place sounds like a good idea, remember you will not have the same tonnage in that direction due to the surface area lost by the space the ram occupies so it might not work. If it was mine to repair:
- Disconnect the cylinder
- Cut the cylinder mount/tower off.
- Cut out the deformed portion of the tubing & weld in another piece.
- Use 2 - 2' lengths of 3/8" angle iron to cradle/sandwich where the cylinder mount was cut off. You will have to notch where the flats are between the upper & lower horizontal tubes.
- Weld the cylinder mount back in place.
- Use 3/8" angle iron to go from the lower tube up to the cylinder mount on both sides with one edge of each facing the tractor.
- Weld a piece of 1/4" wall square tubing between the upper & lower horizontal tube in front of the angle iron you added & tie/weld it all together.
- Consider strengthening the tubing at the pivot points as well.

Point to remember:
- Assume the spacing for the mounts were appropriate for the cylinder when you first got it. ie: The grapple closed completely with the cylinder fully extended & the grapple would open fully with the cylinder fully retracted without the grapple hitting a stop.
- When you have a load in the jaws you have to use your judgement as to how much pressure to use while clamping the load. Odds are the cylinder is too large a diameter for the build. I have a 2.5" cylinder on my grapple & I have to make sure I don't over do the pressure. A lot of the grapples I see only have a 2" cylinder for this reason.
- To allow you a safety margin, consider exchanging the current cylinder with a smaller diameter one. (This will also make it move faster. - A plus!) Yes I understand it should have been designed to withstand the force of the cylinder they supplied with it & the repair will be much stronger than it was to start with. However it is easy to get distracted or if someone else is using it to apply too much force.

Wish you the best. Overall it doesn't look like a bad design, they just failed to have an adequate mount point. Redo it & it should last you a long time.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have had an equivalent size and style 48" 300lb grapple now for about 7 years. I used it first on a CK20 with 1000lbs lift and for the past five years it has been mounted on a DK40 with 2700lbs lift. I've beat the crap out of the grapple clearing trees, boulders, stumps and roots. I have accidentally "pushed" with the upper jaw when trying to push a tree over. No damage to the grapple. I managed to bend the very tips of the upper jaw when clamping on a 2000lb chunk of granite I pulled out of the ground. (easy fix, heat and then gussets to better support the tips). The basic grapple is as true and stable as the day I took delivery. It is constructed of 3/8" mild steel tines and ?3x3x0.25 square tube and some heavy ?2" pipe between the tines for support. It is the same basic style as the Wildkat. Mine is a Millonzi (out of business, principle died) and cost $500. I have never heard of a WRLong OBG style (similar) breaking. I don't recall hearing of the Markham grapples breaking. I'm pretty sure all of those grapples of very similar design and weight are built with 1/4" top tube. The top tube is what is failing on these Wildkats so I have a hard time imagining that it isn't simply inappropriate 1/8" material that is the cause.

 

[murphy1244]

Ya that looks like some hard abuse to me .or improper use .

Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

more likely the grapple is a POS.

 

[CalG]

I'm paying a buck 65 a pound for hot rolled.

What do you suppose that POS is worth in scrap?

Now, add the fabrication costs and tell us how to do it better.

Add metal ($$$$) And what do they say to the customers who complain that the the grapples are too heavy for thier BX's and the costs are too much for a hobby farm?

Easy fix!

Pissing and moaning won't get anything but more regulations and higher prices!

 

[puckgrinder85]

After seeing that bent metal I just cant believe its had an easy life. I've bent buckets and just about anything else I've owned at some point and really they've all come from me overstressing them. The tractors system pressure relief is set to a max and that cylinder doesn't look way oversized for the grapple either. Its not a woodsplitter its just a thumb to grab stuff with..

 

[IslandTractor]

I'm paying a buck 65 a pound for hot rolled.

What do you soppose that POS is worth in scrap?

Now, add the fabrication costs and tell us how to do it better.

Add metal ($$$$) And what do they say to the customers who compain that the the grapples are too heavy for thier BX's and the costs are too much for a hobby farm?

Easy fix!

Pissing and moaning won't get anything but more regulations and higher prices!

Several companies have made this same style grapple weighing between 300-350lbs and using appropriate gauge steel. These are not designed for BX loaders which only lift 500lbs or so. These would be used on B and L size tractors in the Kubota line and CK or DK or NX in the Kioti line. Not sure of the equivalents for JD, NH etc.

You ask how to build them better? Easy. NOTHING less than 1/4" mild steel anywhere on the grapple. Square tube wall = 0.25" Tines =3/8" Use Sch 80 pipe for reinforcement between tines. Copy the simple Millonzi basic design but improve the upper jaw by making it a tad wider and better protect the cylinder/lines. Not rocket science.

Build it well and folks will pay a grand or more plus shipping without complaint. At $1.65 a pound for steel that means roughly $500 in material. Build it with $10 less steel in it and you'll have a POS. If you want to save $10 on steel by using 1/8" wall tube then cut and weld base supports but I cannot imagine that would be cost effective compared to just using 1/4" wall tube to start with.

 

[94BULLITT]

BHH, sorry to hear about your grapple failure. There is way to much hype on this forum of the economy grapples. This shows what happens when you actually use them. Like you said it is not much of saving once it breaks. I remember a few threads on here of people having the same problem with the Wild Kat grapple and they said the main tube is 1/8'' wall. If the main tube on your grapple is 1/8'' wall it is a design flaw. It shows how much R&D went into this grapple. If Wild Kat was supposed to call you back they did not I would call them again, I would not give up too easy. They need to at least know this is a problem with their product and correct it before they sell anymore. Someone earlier suggested chaining the lid shut and opening the lid to bend things back into place. This may bend things back close to new but since that main tube has already been bent once it won't take much to bend it again. I think the only way to fix it is to put a whole new main tube on it. While you are at it you may want to add a cylinder protector to the lid.

The more I look at the I the more I see wrong. The tower itself is bent. That's some pretty substantial metal to bend, especially that direction. Something isn't quite what it seems to me. Either the ram is way too big for what its being used for or it has way too much leverage on that tower and literally bent what looks to me like 3/8? steel at least.


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I think it has too much leverage and the main beam is too thin.