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We tried out the niftylift sd64 yesterday. Very nice off-road capabilities. All wheel steering as well so it can crab walk. Not as easy as the 87-48aj to work the controls behind your back since there is a foot pedal that has to be pressed. Maybe the pedal can be repositioned. Controls are smooth though but I wish it was a pistol grip
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Good looking setup!
 
@Rabid K9
what grapple is on your vermeer?

Intermercato Five Finger Grab (TG22 Pro SR5).

Rigid mount with Worm Drive (WD9 NSL).

Set up is solid & heavy (over 200kg), but is incredibly useful & a game changer on any machine I think. Gives the options of carrying pendulum style, the flexibility to position anywhere with continuous rotation, the strength of a five finger grapple & manipulation ability of a rigid mount.

Only weak point has been the generic compact loader mounting plate, which just couldn't handle the torque of the Vermeer machine & strength of a grab built for 5-8 tonne excavators. Have had it rebuilt & strengthened when the plate gave out & left the grab attached to a tree like a steel hand (use it for pulling small-medium trees out whole when doing park landing / fire buffer works).

There is a thousand uses for these five finger grabs, but for tree work particularly, they are unbelievable.
 

I do like the big Kenny W log truck. Could make much use of it here, except would stay that clean for 15 minutes. Bet she rides nicely on the road, what gearbox is in that? Have looked at a few bonneted trucks here, that but extra length would do us in trying to squeeze in & out of the tight tracks often working on. Even the extra 300mm of the bullbar catches me out occasionally backing in.

Has the grab on the crane got a rotator? Looks like it.
 
I do like the big Kenny W log truck. Could make much use of it here, except would stay that clean for 15 minutes. Bet she rides nicely on the road, what gearbox is in that? Have looked at a few bonneted trucks here, that but extra length would do us in trying to squeeze in & out of the tight tracks often working on. Even the extra 300mm of the bullbar catches me out occasionally backing in.

Has the grab on the crane got a rotator? Looks like it.

Yeah, it's got a rotator and two extension cylinders. It's 31.5 feet long as I recall.
 
How does to new avant/claw do carrying those logs inline in that same scenario?
It could definitely rotate both of them to 6 and 12 but I wouldn't have been able to see anything.

the fixed grapple if awsome at carring large logs. Main reason why I bought it.

It can heal one of those logs out straight from one end. Obviously not as good as having an attachment plate to rest against but it will do it.

I'll get some pictures next time we bring the big girl out!
 

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Yeah, it's got a rotator and two extension cylinders. It's 31.5 feet long as I recall.

What model / capacity is the grapple?

What is the max capacity on that crane?

Have been looking at a grapple for my crane, don't want to loose the flexibility of being able to do picks with it, or lift big logs, seeing as often aiming to salvage the largest piece of wood possible. Plus daily lifting on & off other equipment.

But would certainly speed up handling of small-medium wood, especially driving with the remote, although not sure where the grapple open / close & rotate fits in there.
 
especially driving with the remote, although not sure where the grapple open / close & rotate fits in there.
for the mecanil heads you get a remote and use the grapple open/close control combined with one of 3 buttons on the remote to control it, maybe your hiab has a spare function?
the wood grapple would need 2 functions but would be controlled by a diverter valve off one function
BTW, looked up your grapple on the vermeer, is that a custom deal to hitch it to the skid? looks to be a mini excavator grapple and wouldnt fit on a typical mini
 

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