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3 pt hitch grapple

Started by Stephen Alford, February 11, 2007, 09:57:57 AM

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Stephen Alford

Ed_K   you mentioned 3 pt grapple. These have probably been discussed here somewhere but  my searching is like my surfing not good. Have used articulate bypass grapple with hyraulic winch  on 4x4 ford 5610 for 15 years. If I can help let me know. :)  Stephen
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beenthere

Would help a whole lot if you'd post a good pic of your grapple.  Please......... :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Ed_K

 Whats the line speed of the winch? Oh, and picts too  ;).I've been looking at hydraulic winches all day on internet and can't find what i need. I'm thinking of combination winch,grapple and tower.If I ever get one built its going to be an ugly thing ;D .
Ed K

Stephen Alford

I don't want to sound long-winded (certainly been called that and more)but jeff seems to be able to stack all these words out there real neat an tidy. The winch and grapple are like a 9/16 and 1/2 in wrench. Both great tools but are capable of different things. In an effort to keep tractor as short as possible have been changing implements.  Would have put winch on front but have to resolve visual issue for spooling and more hydraulic ports on the back.This winch was built in ontario by a really tallented guy. !7 years and never had it apart yet. These are now produced and sold by some firm in Quebec. Don't  know if they modified it hope they didn't. It had optional hydraulic motors 8,10 and 12. I got the 10 nocomplaints  The other two give you more power or more speed. When I fuel the tractor or skidder I always put a cup of fuel on the cable when its on the drum. Cuts back on spurs eases spooling and lengthens the life of the cable .  It spools in spools out and freespools. This is unbelievably handy. You can lower tractor down a steep incline , pull the wood to that spot , pull tractor back up hill then haul up wood. I have a piece of broom handle in a piece of pipe (that rubs on drum) .with srew down cap that allows me to control the speed of freespool. Because its hydraulic I don't lend my gear. Shrapnal bad news no matter  where it comes from. Run 7 sliding chockers and one cable reciever to give me an option. Chain chockers are  6 ft with 10 in spike welded on end of chain spike makes it easy to shove chocker under tree. When tree top chocking leave branch spurs  to keep chockers from sliding off.  What did you ask me ???
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pineywoods

Ed_K you are probably finding hydraulic winches to be rather pricey. There's another way. Hit your local truck boneyard and get a pto driven winch off a truck, jeep, etc. couple of sprockets, some roller chain and a hydraulic motor from surplus center. Doesn't take much to cobble up a real nice 3-point mounted winch. I have a 5 ton unit mounted on my kubota. The winch came of an old IH scout for $100. I did buy new cable. There's pics in my gallery
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Stephen Alford

Beenthere , the picture is a work in progress. Grapples have quite a history here on the Island.The tractor of choice used to be a belarus 825  4x4. The first issue is ground clearance. The front to back belly pan retricts movement in deep snow. Getting hung up can happen as the pan rides on the snow. Make the first pass with the skidder then climb in the tractor. When you work alone like me that tractor cab is crutial.   The heater helps and the cab gives you a place to lick your wounds, hear the news and have a cup of java. Even to sharpen the saw the cab is great all year. At night the cab is great with the better lights on the tractor and a few Jonny Horton tunes those couple extra hours a day make the difference.  Anyone can make a grapple. Mine was coppied sold in ontario to some fellas in Quebec who make them. I believe a takeoff is made near Grand falls NB now as well. The grabbit takes about 1/3 of a cord. Yarding distance affects production the most.   No problem to  take out a 16 ft 10 to 12 in log. , sometimes 2 if the ground is level. Weight on the front crucial for steering.  There is some technique involved in putting up the wood and piling ht at the landing is limited to about 4 ft.. Its super for moving slash from site or to skid trail  and to restrict water movement in repairian zones.  Works good on side hills but you have to back up in straight lines the slope results in extra wt on steering. backing down slope BAD.  The scariest was when I was backing out to the top of a bluff with a grab. The lad on the log truck was below me on a road putting the wood on the truck. He reached up and clamed the wood in the grabbit. I didn't release fast enough and the tug of war was on.  The articulation allows for about 45 degrees left or right and makes quite a difference in a thinning.  Stephen 
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Stephen Alford

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Stephen Alford

Thanks for the photo tutorial Jeff . You must be tougher than a boiled owl to up up with all we newbees. This was a hardwood thinning and the tractor is backing up to pick up a second pile of trail cut wood. The area ahead of the tractor is completed.
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