Grapple on forklift tines?

rockyridgefarm

Well-known Member
I recently bought these crates at the local scrapyard and have been using them to haul firewood. I got to thinking that it would be nice if I had a grapple mounted on my skid steer's pallet forks so I can move them around and also buck the logs. Anyone have a set pallet forks with a grapple on them? Will they work like I imagine, or will it just be a waste? The grapple add-on I posted a picture of is $1100

(incidentally, the dually pickup I was talking about on my last post is in the background, along with my 2000 F250 diesel manual.

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That grapple would be better than no grapple the price seams rather HIGH for it tho... The real deal is in the $1500 range... I would be looking to convert the loader to a quick attach and get the real deal. Pallet forks are not very good for logs the grapple will help... The real deal has two grabbers that clamp on the log if one end is bigger it will still clamp both ends of the log, the log is captured. Yours will stop when it hits the big end the other end will not be clamped the log is not captured...

Its still better than no grapple...
 

I have one of those - double grapple on a rock bucket. I'm trying to be able to use the pallet forks to move crates, and a grapple to pick logs without changing attachments. Flush face couplers are a nightmare.
 
I built this set for my skidsteer. The two claws do move independently so
it will grab almost anything. I use it for logs and brush mainly. I didn't want a bucket type bottom to hold dirt and other crap.

My forks aren't real forks. They are built out of channel. They are a 3 or 4 inches thick at the back. I've bent and broken them a couple times doing thing I probably shouldn't have. All in all I like them though.
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(quoted from post at 18:48:20 01/18/18)
I have one of those - double grapple on a rock bucket. I'm trying to be able to use the pallet forks to move crates, and a grapple to pick logs without changing attachments. Flush face couplers are a nightmare.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that hates the flat face couplers. I always keep mine hooked to each other on the implement to let them equalize but I really need to put bleeders on the Bobcat. I've had to break lines to be able to hook up.
 

I have had to do that one time I did not know what the deal was I did when I found hydraulic pressure was the issue. I would leave the grapple cylinders in the up position to keep the rods out of the weather I don't anymore!
 

I looked around a bit more and found these on CL for $625 without the pallet forks. I looked on Stout's website and didn't find them. Wonder if they're either too new to be on the site or no longer being made...

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I have a set like these they call them a rock grapple. I got the one with the wider spaced and heavier teeth. I use it all of the time. Brush, rocks, logs, and etc. I love it for clearing root in ground that has just been cleared of trees/curbs.

One with just forks on the bottom would be fine for logs and bigger stuff but seem kind of limited to me.
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(quoted from post at 21:40:20 01/18/18) I have a set like these they call them a rock grapple. I got the one with the wider spaced and heavier teeth. I use it all of the time. Brush, rocks, logs, and etc. I love it for clearing root in ground that has just been cleared of trees/curbs.

One with just forks on the bottom would be fine for logs and bigger stuff but seem kind of limited to me.
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JDseller, that style is definitely on my list. My current grapple is a rock bucket with dual grapples and it didn't really work as I'd hoped. My heavy clay balls up and plugs the slots if it's wet out. Smaller sticks and branches, you end up better off picking them up by hand. This one I want is just so I can move the crates and still have a grapple in the woods while cutting firewood. Not perfect, but better than switching between pallet forks and the grapple all the time.

I like JeffNWOH's design as well. If the grapples would fold up outta the way a lil' better, they'd work quite well.
 
Why does nobody just pile the wood next to the furnace then put it in as needed? I pile mine just to the south west of my furnace so I can walk between them.
 
(quoted from post at 04:07:18 01/19/18) Why does nobody just pile the wood next to the furnace then put it in as needed? I pile mine just to the south west of my furnace so I can walk between them.

Caterpillarguy,
Truth? I'm lazy. I hate handling the wood more'n I have to. My plan is to load dozens of these crates as I cut and put them on flat racks in the shed. I set one or two right next to the burner and empty them. Once they're empty, I change them for a new one (every 4-7 days, depending on temp and wood cut). That way I handle the wood twice - once when I cut and split, and once when I toss it in.

No carrying it 20, 30, 40 feet as the pile gets used.

No beating the bottom layer with another stick or maul to knock it loose from the frozen ground.

No moisture wicking into the wood from setting on the ground.

No big balls of frozen dirt that have to be knocked off before tossing into the stove.

No rotten pallets that were used to try to keep the wood from wicking moisture or freezing to the ground.

OWBs are great for lots of reasons, but they do come with their own set of disadvantages.
 
Here's the opposite extreme. I took this pic at an auction. The fellow used a couple of plow beams with
a bucket, but its very simple and for brush and lite stuff the idea would work well for use with forks
too.
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One design flaw I'm seeing with those fork grapples is that they'd interfere with the crates, not allowing them to be fully on the forks.

Either the grapples need to be tall enough to clear the crates, or they need to fold back out of the way so the crates can slide all the way to the back of the fork.
 
I have a Gehl 5249e with flat face couplers. OP manual says to shut off the engine, work the hyd valve before attempting to connect. It works.
 
(quoted from post at 21:39:41 01/18/18)
I bought one of these pressure relief tools. they help a lot. I've also started to putting 90 degree pipes between the tips and the hoses as well. That way I can get them *most* of the way on, then tap them gently with a hammer.

https://www.farmshow.com/a_article.php?aid=23028

I'll be getting a couple pair of those pressure relief tools.

I've got a heavy duty grapple on my stump bucket.
Had a home made grapple on my land clearing tooth bucket but go to aggressive and broke it.
Wished a few times I had a grapple for the pallet forks.
Rock grapple is on my wish list.
I'll be looking into one of those Green's Machine grapples also.

Thanks for the links.
 

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