Everybody loves a guessing game

kevinj · Feb 13, 2011

It looks a lot closer in that pic.

dstig1 · Feb 13, 2011

You have the 60" version - it has a key difference from the 48" in that there is a vertical bar behind the SSQA plates on the 60" but there is only air on the 48" one that I have. So you already do have some support, though it may not be at the exact right position. The plates you added certainly won't hurt. It is also possible that a stick or something nudged one of the QA levers letting it partially release - no way to know now - but I check mine religiously and constantly after my incidents. I would like to come up with a way to pin the levers down with a cable or something (like the folding ROPS, perhaps) so they cannot get moved by brush/sticks/etc when using the grapple. I'll look into that when I get it back out this spring.

Your gap at the bottom does not look too huge, but if the whole thing can move around on the SSQA then it may still come loose. Hard to say for sure. If I had the answer, mine would be fixed too...

jcliburn · Feb 13, 2011

dstig1 said:
I would like to come up with a way to pin the levers down with a cable or something (like the folding ROPS, perhaps) so they cannot get moved by brush/sticks/etc when using the grapple.

Dave, that thought has crossed my mind several times since The Incident. If you come up with a solution, let me know.

Johnbro · Feb 18, 2011

jcliburn said:
Dave, that thought has crossed my mind several times since The Incident. If you come up with a solution, let me know.

Seems like just a safety cable would be all you need--wouldn't even need to be tight, just tight enough that the release levers can't pop up. Maybe drill a hole in the release lever handle, pop in a carabiner or shackle, then swage up a small piece of wire rope with loops at each end, find something to attach it to on the grapple. I think brush could pop those levers up and release the thing when you can't even see it.

jcliburn · Feb 21, 2011

I had a chance to use my grapple for the first time this morning since having one side detach while in operation three weeks ago, bending my tractor's quick attach adapter. I ran the grapple for five hours straight today, doing some pretty heavy brush work.

The right-hand SSQA lock lever got knocked into the unlocked position by stray debris TWO different times!!! Thank goodness I was watching it like a hawk and caught it right away before disaster struck (again).

So, a word of advice to you quick-attach grapple users out there: Watch your levers!

Jay

kevinj · Feb 21, 2011

jcliburn said:
I had a chance to use my grapple for the first time this morning since having one side detach while in operation three weeks ago, bending my tractor's quick attach adapter. I ran the grapple for five hours straight today, doing some pretty heavy brush work.

The right-hand SSQA lock lever got knocked into the unlocked position by stray debris TWO different times!!! Thank goodness I was watching it like a hawk and caught it right away before disaster struck (again).

So, a word of advice to you quick-attach grapple users out there: Watch your levers!

Jay

Do you have proper tension on the lever pivots and the pin springs??? Mine take a bit of effort to open.

I do not have a grapple so I use mine a bit different.

I would rig up some type of lock or safety pin to be sure that they cannot open.

davygp38 · Feb 21, 2011

Johnbro said:
Seems like just a safety cable would be all you need--wouldn't even need to be tight, just tight enough that the release levers can't pop up. Maybe drill a hole in the release lever handle, pop in a carabiner or shackle, then swage up a small piece of wire rope with loops at each end, find something to attach it to on the grapple. I think brush could pop those levers up and release the thing when you can't even see it.

I think you're on the money, I will look into that myself, this was a good topic.

jcliburn · Feb 21, 2011

kevinj said:
Do you have proper tension on the lever pivots and the pin springs??? Mine take a bit of effort to open.

My levers require some effort to release, too, so I think they're properly tensioned. I've never adjusted them since buying the tractor new in 2008.

I do not have a grapple so I use mine a bit different.

I've used only my FEL bucket on the quick attach frame until early January this year when I bought the grapple. I never had any trouble whatsoever with levers unlocking while using the bucket.

I've learned the hard way that it doesn't take much for the butt of a stout limb to work its way underneath the grapple or between its verticals and kick a lever upward.

I would rig up some type of lock or safety pin to be sure that they cannot open.

I think johnbro's method is the way to go, however I'm thinking I might weld an upside down U-bolt or something on the SSQA cross tube under the tail of each lever, and attach one end of the wire rope there, instead of attaching it to the grapple.

Jay

kevinj · Feb 21, 2011

jcliburn said:
I've learned the hard way that it doesn't take much for the butt of a stout limb to work its way underneath the grapple or between its verticals and kick a lever upward.

Jay

I forgot that your grapple is open back!!!!!!!!!

I still think a thin plate would be best otherwise you may bend the levers too.

dstig1 · Feb 21, 2011

I have thought about adding heavy expanded metal to the back of the grapple to help keep the view open while stopping stuff from poking through and hitting the levers or stabbing the tractor grill. I suspect I will have a hard time welding something that thin to the heavy sections of the grapple, at least with my welding skills...

jcliburn · Feb 21, 2011

I've got enough 3/4" expanded metal left over from my grill guard mod to cover the back of the grapple -- at least the open area between the QA plates.

Sigh. I *JUST* got done Saturday painting the plates I added to the back of the grapple to mate up with the tractor's QA plates. Now I've gotta set it on fire again. Oh well...

Jay

jcliburn · Feb 26, 2011

Today I added an expanded metal shield to the back of the grapple, and I added a "lever keeper" to prevent the lock levers from getting kicked into the unlocked position. The shield should keep limbs from poking through the open grapple verticals that might unlock the levers. The lever keeper should prevent anything from unlocking them from below.

I figure, why not go with the belt-and-suspenders approach...

Jay

dstig1 · Feb 26, 2011

Wow. You don't fool around, do you?

Nice work!

How thick is that expanded metal? I need to get some myself - wondering what size would work well.

jcliburn · Feb 26, 2011

dstig1 said:
How thick is that expanded metal? I need to get some myself - wondering what size would work well.

3/4" expanded metal. I'm not well versed in metal gauges, but I think it's 9 gauge. It's pretty sturdy. Tricky to weld, too. I find it challenging to get enough current to penetrate the heavy understructure of the grapple without vaporizing the expanded metal. Too little current, and the expanded metal won't stick.

It takes a time or two to get it right.

Jay

dstig1 · Feb 26, 2011

Yeah, that's my concern too - vaporizing the thin stuff as thin to thick welding is tricky. That was why I was curious about the thickness you used. So it is about 1/8" thick or so? 9 gage is listed as ~0.150"

jcliburn · Feb 26, 2011

My (Harbor Freight) electronic caliper says 0.110".

When I bought it, I just went to a welding shop and asked for some 3/4" expanded metal. What you see is what they sold me. Later, I also wondered what the thickness was, so I googled 3/4" expanded metal and hit on a couple of online sellers that declared it to be 9 gauge, IIRC. That seemed to be the only thickness they sold 3/4" expanded metal in. Admittedly though, I didn't research it all that deeply. (And clearly, what I have isn't 9 gauge. More like 11 gauge, unless my caliper measures incorrectly.)

Jay

dstig1 · Feb 26, 2011

Yeah that sounds like 11 or 12 ga. The local supplier has 9,13, and 16 ga in 3/4 expanded, so I think I'll go with the 9. That should be easier to weld and sturdier in use. Thanks, Jay!