FEL Grapple controlled by Elctric winch ?

[50 cal]

Hello everyone this is my first post on the forums
I purchased Kubota B2620 a few months ago to do some work around my property
I'm thinking on fabricating a brush grapple for small brush I will be clearing from time to time
I was thinking on using a 12v electric winch to operate grapple.
Wondering if anyone has done this already?
Pictures and vids or any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

 

[ssrider]

I don't think it will work very well using a winch. I think you'de be better using an actuator. I have a thread started on this page for the way I did mine.

 

[franklin2]

Here's a simple design. No winch, actuator,cylinder needed.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...hanical-grapple-little.html?highlight=grapple

 

[PILOON]

Hello everyone this is my first post on the forums
I purchased Kubota B2620 a few months ago to do some work around my property
I'm thinking on fabricating a brush grapple for small brush I will be clearing from time to time
I was thinking on using a 12v electric winch to operate grapple.
Wondering if anyone has done this already?
Pictures and vids or any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

Hey, good thinking.
I see some problems, winch could clamp the jaws but how to open them? Manually?
Use HD springs? or pullies to reverse the action (like open)?
Perhaps heavy counterweights could open with winch to close but sounds impracticable.
Electric screw jacks might be a better option.

What I did.
My 'bush grapple' consists of a pair of 'clamp on forks' (home made) and a HD bungee to prevent the load from falling off. Works for me for the rare needs.(like only every spring for clean up)
I load the branches and drive to a big depression and dump!
I did learn to attach the bungee at one end as otherwise I had to dismount and recuperate it from the dump site! LOL.

 

[50 cal]

Thanks ssrider and Franklin2 those are both ones I will keep in mind.
A friend of mine seen one with a 12v winch on a youtube video with some kind of cam action
He said the cable was about 5 feet long and the cable was put on the winch drum in the middle. When cable in was used it pulled the cam to open grapple and cable out rotated the cam back to close the grapple he thought .
I cant seem to find video of it but I would sure like to see it
Time to experiment. That's half the fun anyway

 

[nybirdman]

A winch would be painfully slow,not really practical.

 

[KYErik]

I think it is possible. My dad's old sawmill uses a reversible winch drum to run the log "carriage" backwards and forwards. You will need to have 4-5 wraps of cable around the winch drum and two ends of the cable exiting the winch drum one on top and one on bottom- that way you will have one end pulling when the winch runs "in" and the other cable pulls when the winch runs "out". Also you need enough tension on the cable to keep the wraps of cable from slipping on the winch drum (unless you can attach one point of the cable to the drum). You would then need long arms on the top and bottom of the grapple to attach the cables to (long for finer control and more leverage).