Poor mans grapple

[dave_dj1]

So I was doodling last evening as I sometimes do and drew up a set of grapple tongs that would go onto the receiver I have for the fork on my tractor. I don't want to spend the money on a third function at this time so I came up with this idea, use a small wireless controlled winch to close them up. Well today I built them! These open up to 24" and are about 32" long overall in case you get the urge to build some
I built the receiver to slip on the fork last week or so to move my log splitter and dump trailer around with.
They should work for my intended purpose, I have two log landings to clean up which are less than a 1/4 mile apart on the same side of the road
I just want to be able to pick them up and set them in either a trailer or the pickup.

Here is a short video I made.

 

[ktmtigger]

Nice I like it should be handy

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

 

[mountainguyed67]

I would get some more weld on there, otherwise I say try it out.

 

[dave_dj1]

I would get some more weld on there, otherwise I say try it out.

Where ya thinking?

 

[SS396driver]

Looks good

 

[mountainguyed67]

Where ya thinking?

Where the square tubing attaches. Also butt welds aren’t that strong, better to overlap something. Then you can weld along the sides of it.

 

[dave_dj1]

Well I was able to get over to one of the landings yesterday afternoon for a bit. The grapple worked great! The only thing I didn't like was the fact that you have to have the forks so high up in the air it made be a bit nervous on uneven ground. I may look into moving the pivot point up basically making the tongs shorter. The sad thing was the landing had been pretty well picked over, I guess someone got there before me. Oh well, I did find a nice heavy choker chain. I know the fellow who logged it so I'll give him a call and get it back to him.

 

[dave_dj1]

I built version 2.0, i like it much better! I moved a few chunks around by the splitter, very handy.
Easy on, easy off.

 

[mountainguyed67]

Can’t see how your mechanism works.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I really like this. Please share more info on the second design.

 

[dave_dj1]

I'll get some better pics and or vids tomorrow.

 

[Marine5068]

So I was doodling last evening as I sometimes do and drew up a set of grapple tongs that would go onto the receiver I have for the fork on my tractor. I don't want to spend the money on a third function at this time so I came up with this idea, use a small wireless controlled winch to close them up. Well today I built them! These open up to 24" and are about 32" long overall in case you get the urge to build some
I built the receiver to slip on the fork last week or so to move my log splitter and dump trailer around with.
They should work for my intended purpose, I have two log landings to clean up which are less than a 1/4 mile apart on the same side of the road
I just want to be able to pick them up and set them in either a trailer or the pickup.

Here is a short video I made.

Like it.
How do you keep the unit on the fork and not sliding back off?

 

[dave_dj1]

Like it.
How do you keep the unit on the fork and not sliding back off?

well if you are talking about version 1 the tongs are pinned, if you are talking about version 2 nothing, I think the winch must keep them from sliding, I was able to lift pieces straight up out of the pile, I am contemplating welding a chain hook to the c channel and using a short piece of chain around the forks. I wish I had someone to video while I was running the tractor but the wife isn't healed up enough to help yet.

 

[dave_dj1]

New video this morning!

 

[FlyingDutchman]

What model of winch are you using? The cheapest ones don't have a load holding brake in them wondering how critical that is to what you are doing.

Love a lot of things about this design. The hitch pins as the pivot points so it comes off fast, the spring return. I also like the idea of a winch, it's a versatile tool on the farm for sure.

 

[dave_dj1]

What model of winch are you using? The cheapest ones don't have a load holding brake in them wondering how critical that is to what you are doing.

Love a lot of things about this design. The hitch pins as the pivot points so it comes off fast, the spring return. I also like the idea of a winch, it's a versatile tool on the farm for sure.

I'll look at the model tomorrow, I think I still have the box in the garage. I'm thinking it has a load holding brake, I believe they were 69 on sale, I bought several at the time. I just looked and it's not even a HF winch, it's a 3000lb Traveler winch, I took the remote part off a HF winch.

 

[dave_dj1]

Well I got a chance to make an improvement today! I put one of the torsion springs on and did away with the )as my neighbor calls it, the redneck springs) bungee cords. It works pretty well.

In this video the piece of wood is Oak, it's 22" long and 19" across at the small end, it's heavy! LOL

Now I have to hunt down some heavier tube!

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Looking awesome. This works better than I thought it would! Still curious if the winch has the brake. The spring looks great! Might need two when you go to thicker tube?

 

[mountainguyed67]

It works!

 

[dave_dj1]

Looking awesome. This works better than I thought it would! Still curious if the winch has the brake. The spring looks great! Might need two when you go to thicker tube?

I have the other spring to match if needed .
According to this yes, has brake
http://www.nmaxxdeals.com/detail.asp?id=26386&n=Traveller-12V-ATV-Electric-Winch-3000-lb