BX25 GrappleOmatic
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cschulz
Gold Member
Did you get the control valve up and working yet?
Chris
Chris
GrizzyDan
Bronze Member
Love it! Now I've got to put that on the list! I was thinking about finding some forks for moving around 800 lb and smaller logs but this is the ticket. How much to you expect to be able to hold with it? Didn't see a pic of the grapple attached, or the size of the ram 
More pics!
More pics! Dan I can only do so much so fast w/ a limited budget. The grapple is from The Thumb so you can see the whole thing there. The hydraulics, the jury is still deliberating so no valve yet. As far as capacity, well I weighed my 3.5" x 48" angle, the pins, the cylinder, the grapple arm and mount and it was 100 pounds almost exactly. Your FEL will lift "X" amount of weight, subtract the 100 pounds from that. If you have a BX25 I think the max is 600 or something or other.
Indeed I am biased but IMHO it is really coming out nice.
Look up my thread called "BX25 Goodies" and you will see recently finished forks hanging from the shackle brackets you see here...I will be able to use the forks and the grapple at the same time I do believe if I wish...
Indeed I am biased but IMHO it is really coming out nice.
Look up my thread called "BX25 Goodies" and you will see recently finished forks hanging from the shackle brackets you see here...I will be able to use the forks and the grapple at the same time I do believe if I wish...
GrizzyDan
Bronze Member
I understand where you're at as I currently have no budget unless extra work comes my way. Thanks for the link, that definitely puts things alittle more in perspective. I was just wondering if you thought that the thumb would be up to par with holding the max capacity of your loader, yet I'll just have to wait and see. I maxed my little IH out trying to load a volkswagen carcass into the back of my truck, the scale at the scrapper said 1010lbs, I was able to get it off the ground only 2' dead lifting it, but had no problem lifting one side and then pushing it in to the truck from the other :laughing: so I figure 900 lbs is a safe limit, 800 after the thumb..
Anyway, I really dig those forks and i had been wondering just how to hang them, and thats perfect! I just have one hook on the top of my loader bucket, but the previous owner welded in 3" pipe at center and both sides on the bucket and just ran some smaller pipe inside for things like lifting pallets, or the middle one with a big long pole and chain, he set the posts and beams in his hand built garage with this setup.. but they clog up with dirt every time you take a scoop.
Love the fact that your addons not only look very functional, but they look professionally done too.
Anyway, I really dig those forks and i had been wondering just how to hang them, and thats perfect! I just have one hook on the top of my loader bucket, but the previous owner welded in 3" pipe at center and both sides on the bucket and just ran some smaller pipe inside for things like lifting pallets, or the middle one with a big long pole and chain, he set the posts and beams in his hand built garage with this setup.. but they clog up with dirt every time you take a scoop.
Love the fact that your addons not only look very functional, but they look professionally done too.
Thanx for the words Dan. I struggle to do my best in all endevors. Sometimes I fail miserably, but I will eventually get it right. Learn how to draw in a CAD program and you will realize anything you dream up is now achievable. Draw it, send the file via email to a plasma or water-jet cutter and get your dreams in a box delivered at the front door. AMAZING it is.
GrizzyDan
Bronze Member
I'll have to find a free cad program as that sounds like a great idea. I try as I can with my "4-1/2" waterjet" aka my hand grinder but grinder disks are just about as expensive as having parts cut for you I'd wager.
but grinder disks are just about as expensive as having parts cut for you I'd wager.A long one...some good info though.
Rumor has it I got my FASSE valve and Control Grip coming.:thumbsup: Yesterday I hung
the grapple forks on their mounts and thru on the supplied cylinder for the first time, all in effort to engineer valve placement, hose routing and mounting. I mic'd the round crossbar tube between the FEL arm at 3.5". I have seen guys use hose clamps to hold these things on, I want it much more robust w/o welding to frame so as not to violate warranty, so I ordered 2 pieces of 4" x .25 wall DOM tubing 1" wide. I think I will make a couple of nice clamps w/ that stock then affix my valve mounting pad to that. I think I see clearly now how I will route hoses and where to place the Fasse diverter valve, valve multiplier, circuit splitting valve, whew, lots of names for this. Keeping it simple I am toying with not changing out the OE hoses. I think I can disconnect the OE hoses from the curl cylinder and loop them right up to the Fasse Valve. Now 4 simple hoses out to two cylinders and go to work! :thumbsup:
This HAS to be said. I have quizzed a LOT of people on which circuit to power my diverter valve with and I have got a lot of answers, most of which say this;
"I used the bucket curl circuit and it works fine" Still others have suggested I would be wiser to pull from the FEL Arm circuit, BECAUSE, I probably have a regen circuit on my curl. So I go to figure out if I have a regen circuit and sure enough I do. I also found out that if I push the control stick far to the right, it hits a detent, and after the detent it goes back to a normal powered hydraulic circuit. BINGO! If you have a BX25 go try it! Push HARD to the right, you will go past a detent and into a normal powered hydraulic circuit exactly like going "up". So I figure I can just quickly push quick past detent! The thought is the regen circuit and these diverter valves do not play well together, BUT, guys have said they have done it and have no problems! Splitting the curl circuit is a lot less hoses to run, it looks the simplest, most elegant way and I am going to try it first based on boots on the ground experience.
I ended up w/ a Fasse # 302-666 valve. I "think" this "How To" will be the first anyone less an OEM has ever heard of this valve. In my fact gathering I contacted the folks at Fasse (the support is awesome) and explained my project and asked for a price for a stock valve they have in there killer webazine. I was given this valve as a better solution. They were listening! :thumbsup: I do believe it is a wayyyyy better way to go, my goodness, 4 outlet ports on ONE SIDE! WooHoo! This valve is much more robust then the standard issue SurpCenter valve guys are grabbing. The Fasse valve is rated at 4500PSI, the other 2500. The Fasse is 15.85 gpm vs 13.2, Kubota has packed 10 pounds of sugar into a 5 pound sugar-sack w/ the BX25 so space savings is always good! The Fasse Valve has ports on TWO SIDES ONLY, 2 input and 180* on the other side of the valve 4 output! NICE! The SurpCenter valve has ports on 3 sides, so your doing a lot of hose and fitting wrangling, the availability is sketchy at best and it is impossible to even get the manufacturers name. I asked, and got little. This valve was not available from SurpCent Supply for some time. When the current batch runs out, it could be gone for good. So if you break it, your reworking and redesigning everything, probably switching over to the Fasse!~
This valve is controlled by a 12 Volt Switch. I have opted for this awesome looking "PBGRIP" / Valve Controller / Horn Switch / Run-Anythang Switch /
Ergonomic Control Grip from Fasse as well. :thumbsup: It looks like it is going to be very intuitive in use. I have seen other folks make there own and done great work but in the end your touching that grip a LOT, I am opting for the easy to use and comfortable way.
I should have some parts in hand in a couple of days and I will post up pics on my progress for this BX25 Grapple Diverter Valve project. Were payin' it forward here. Hopefully BX25 owners will fall upon my threads and get educated. I have had a heck of a time gathering a lot of info. I never even knew about Fasse Co till I was reading and there wasn't even a link to them. Here it is Farm Equipment Solutions | Fasse Valves I was pleased to find a company that serves consumers, professionals and OE manufacturers as well. Were getting excited here, this is gonna be good....
Rumor has it I got my FASSE valve and Control Grip coming.:thumbsup: Yesterday I hung
the grapple forks on their mounts and thru on the supplied cylinder for the first time, all in effort to engineer valve placement, hose routing and mounting. I mic'd the round crossbar tube between the FEL arm at 3.5". I have seen guys use hose clamps to hold these things on, I want it much more robust w/o welding to frame so as not to violate warranty, so I ordered 2 pieces of 4" x .25 wall DOM tubing 1" wide. I think I will make a couple of nice clamps w/ that stock then affix my valve mounting pad to that. I think I see clearly now how I will route hoses and where to place the Fasse diverter valve, valve multiplier, circuit splitting valve, whew, lots of names for this
. Keeping it simple I am toying with not changing out the OE hoses. I think I can disconnect the OE hoses from the curl cylinder and loop them right up to the Fasse Valve. Now 4 simple hoses out to two cylinders and go to work! :thumbsup:This HAS to be said. I have quizzed a LOT of people on which circuit to power my diverter valve with and I have got a lot of answers, most of which say this;
"I used the bucket curl circuit and it works fine" Still others have suggested I would be wiser to pull from the FEL Arm circuit, BECAUSE, I probably have a regen circuit on my curl. So I go to figure out if I have a regen circuit and sure enough I do. I also found out that if I push the control stick far to the right, it hits a detent, and after the detent it goes back to a normal powered hydraulic circuit. BINGO! If you have a BX25 go try it! Push HARD to the right, you will go past a detent and into a normal powered hydraulic circuit exactly like going "up". So I figure I can just quickly push quick past detent! The thought is the regen circuit and these diverter valves do not play well together, BUT, guys have said they have done it and have no problems! Splitting the curl circuit is a lot less hoses to run, it looks the simplest, most elegant way and I am going to try it first based on boots on the ground experience.
I ended up w/ a Fasse # 302-666 valve. I "think" this "How To" will be the first anyone less an OEM has ever heard of this valve. In my fact gathering I contacted the folks at Fasse (the support is awesome) and explained my project and asked for a price for a stock valve they have in there killer webazine. I was given this valve as a better solution. They were listening! :thumbsup: I do believe it is a wayyyyy better way to go, my goodness, 4 outlet ports on ONE SIDE! WooHoo! This valve is much more robust then the standard issue SurpCenter valve guys are grabbing. The Fasse valve is rated at 4500PSI, the other 2500. The Fasse is 15.85 gpm vs 13.2, Kubota has packed 10 pounds of sugar into a 5 pound sugar-sack w/ the BX25 so space savings is always good!
The Fasse Valve has ports on TWO SIDES ONLY, 2 input and 180* on the other side of the valve 4 output! NICE! The SurpCenter valve has ports on 3 sides, so your doing a lot of hose and fitting wrangling, the availability is sketchy at best and it is impossible to even get the manufacturers name. I asked, and got little. This valve was not available from SurpCent Supply for some time. When the current batch runs out, it could be gone for good. So if you break it, your reworking and redesigning everything, probably switching over to the Fasse!~
This valve is controlled by a 12 Volt Switch. I have opted for this awesome looking "PBGRIP" / Valve Controller / Horn Switch / Run-Anythang Switch /
Ergonomic Control Grip from Fasse as well. :thumbsup: It looks like it is going to be very intuitive in use. I have seen other folks make there own and done great work but in the end your touching that grip a LOT, I am opting for the easy to use and comfortable way.
I should have some parts in hand in a couple of days and I will post up pics on my progress for this BX25 Grapple Diverter Valve project. Were payin' it forward here. Hopefully BX25 owners will fall upon my threads and get educated. I have had a heck of a time gathering a lot of info. I never even knew about Fasse Co till I was reading and there wasn't even a link to them. Here it is Farm Equipment Solutions | Fasse Valves I was pleased to find a company that serves consumers, professionals and OE manufacturers as well. Were getting excited here, this is gonna be good....
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No sense waiting for parts to arrive, some things we can get to the gettin' on...
The new grapple cylinder needs a new flavor of coloring. I plugged the ports and thru it in the glass bead blaster for a quick scrubbin' ;
Before;
After;
The paint checked, I think we will go with it!
I am not going to strip every drop off, just the easy and loose stuff.
I think I might be needing some hinges, so I found a couple and cut them
down to about 7/8" wide or so;
I'm chompin' at the bit here! Can ya tell?
The new grapple cylinder needs a new flavor of coloring. I plugged the ports and thru it in the glass bead blaster for a quick scrubbin' ;
Before;
After;
The paint checked, I think we will go with it!
I am not going to strip every drop off, just the easy and loose stuff.
I think I might be needing some hinges, so I found a couple and cut them
down to about 7/8" wide or so;
I'm chompin' at the bit here! Can ya tell?