Grappling fun - A Picture Thread....

[k0ua]

I didn't look carefully. Just saw that the first number that came up when googling "oak weight" was 45lbs/cubic foot. Must be well dried given what the others have posted.

Well in any case, most folk's tractors are not going to lift a well packed tote full. Mine sure isn't.

 

[4570Man]

My forklift will lift more than I need to haul in the ton truck so it won't be a problem. The bigger forklift will overload my trailer with duel 5k axels in one lift.

 

[Jim Timber]

I think the 20% moisture content on that chart is where it'll be after 1-2 years. If you kiln dry it, you might get it down another 10-13% from where it was green, but I think you're pretty well maxed out around 15% MC when air dried vs the 7-8% possible out of a kiln.

 

[4570Man]

As long as you don't have to load a truck like I do the 3 point hitch on most cuts can lift a tote of wood.

 

[Xfaxman]

I understand how you load the first round but doesn't it fall out when you open the dual lids to load the second round??---------------------

I loaded 4 rocks with the dual lid and only got out of the cab to take pictures:

Drove under the first two.

Side view, first two.

Drove around to get #3.

Extended the boom.

Closed the lids and picked it up.

Curled up and opened the lids.

Curled down, opened the lids and extended the boom some more.

Lids down and curl up with #4.

Took them to the rock pile.

 

[Snowback]

These guys performed the first pass heavy lifting out at our place. That T-770 Bobcat skidsteer had a large, round tined dual lid grapple that would really penetrate the piles of trees that were full of dirt from a careless dozer operator. He could spear the pile, pull out, and shake dirt out before piling on. These two pics were a second or two apart and there is no editing/photoshop. Would you get that close the pile, even with a pressurized cab? I think they earned their keep... (www.keysandsons.com) Highly recommend them if you are in greater Houston area.

Moving tree debris from stacked pile with dirt to one of many burn piles.

Really getting intimate with the fire!

 

[Jim Timber]

That's the difference between "your machine" and "bosses machine."

 

[94BULLITT]

And how on earth would you know anything about that, Roger?
Travis

I read about it on the internets

I moved this pile last Thursday with the grapple.

I'd bring the bottom of the bucket almost vertical and curl into the pile so the rounds rolled up and over the bottom edge. It's all about technique.

With the root grapple, you can just scoop under and pack them that way. I'm thinking you could have a very large bucket and get more in it with a wide grapple lid, but it wouldn't be useful for dirt as it'd be too heavy for most utility tractors to lift. Mine maxes out with a heaping 3/4 yard of taconite tailings, but you could put half a cord of firewood on it with ease - it'd never fit in my dirt bucket.

The ultimate for moving firewood. would be a skeleton bucket with dual lids.

That's what I had an issue with, the firewood splits falling between the 9" time spacing.
I pick up grapple loads of split wood to move them, sometimes loose but when I'm carrying it a long ways I'll take the time to stack it on.

I welded more tines onto my grapple because of the falling firewood, and now it's very rare that I
Lose a piece. I ran out of flat bar so didn't do the middle yet.
View attachment 453326



I can fit quite a bit of firewood on there when I take the time to stack it, and I stack it high using the grapple lids as support.

I may have to add some tines to mine. It would be nice to have them removable like the light duty EA grapple.


Instead of a pic I'll post a video.

 

[Piston]

I like those firewood pallets Roger.

I was thinking of making something like that, but instead of making it to lift with the forks on the front, make it so it's held up off the ground 4" or so like yours are, but leave the middle open, so I could slide under it with the grapple tines and lift it with the grapple instead. Since I almost never have my front forks on unless I'm moving pallets of lumber, it would be a lot more useful if I could lift it with the grapple open.
Only thing I haven't checked yet is if the grapple clamps would get in the way, even when open, but since they open pretty far, I could simply adjust the height of my stacks to allow room.

Edit: Do you guys think that would work?

 

[4570Man]

It might work with your backhoe, but most machines lack the lift capacity to do this. The grapple will hold the load farther from the pins than pallet forks will.