kind of selfmade grapple

[bernhardine]

Under Covid-19 regulations we should stay at home as far as possible. So a little time left over to bring some projects to an end, which I planed or started months/years ago.
One of the things I always wanted to have was something like a grapple. Mustn't be a heavy duty version, just to carry/clean up brush and debris.
I wouldn't use it very often, so it's not worth, buying one.

I had an old manure fork for the FEL, from 1992, but still in good shape. Put some new spears on it last year and some fresh paint. But the fork was not very useful because lots of stuff always falls down. So the idea came up, to make a kind of grapple out of it.......

Here are some pics:

 

[bernhardine]

some more pics:

(sorry, picupload doesnt't work)

 

[bernhardine]

next try

 

[Bmbbm]

Looks pretty cool. And from the pictures looks to the job. Good Job!

 

[Yooper]

Great job! What did you use for the tines? And how did you form the uppers?

 

[bernhardine]

Great job! What did you use for the tines? And how did you form the uppers?

The lower tines were already at the old fork. They are standard manurefork tines, 35" long (over all), pluged in the Holes of the lower tube and secured tight with cone nuts from the back (like the upper ones).

I bought the bended upper ones just like they are. (10$ each)

 

[D2Cat]

Did you have an old unit you started with to refabricate the grapple, or did you start from scratch using some tines from something else? It's a great job. I can't imagine finding those top tines for $10 anywhere around here! It has a wide throat opening so you can grab a lot of things other style of grapples can only imagine getting around.

As a word of caution, with your fabricating skills, I'd recommend your next project a brush guard at the front of your nice tractor, to keep it nice.

 

[Henro]

All that came to mind after seeing your project was:

Super Cool!

(or is that spelled Kewl these days? )

 

[bernhardine]

All that came to mind after seeing your project was:

Super Cool!

(or is that spelled Kewl these days? )

Thanks a lot.
And it's cool to work with. I could not imagine before, how often I would use it now.

 

[bernhardine]

Did you have an old unit you started with to refabricate the grapple, or did you start from scratch

I had an old unit, like you can see in the first post, first picture. On the pic it's already a little redone, painted and with some new tines.
That was the starting point.

As a word of caution, with your fabricating skills, I'd recommend your next project a brush guard at the front of your nice tractor, to keep it nice.

Yes, you are right and yes, I'm already thinking about it since several month.
It's a bit tricky, because hier in Germany we are not allowed to cover the headlights in any form to stay street legal. So it must be a quick attach which can be removed very easy. - I'm working on it

 

[twomany]

Nice!

Very useful looking.

 

[Black1Star]

Looks pretty cool. And from the pictures looks to the job. Good Job!