My homebuilt Loader/Grapple

[Stein]

This didn't really fit in Large Equipment, so I put it here.

Several years ago, I built this little loader. It's an articulating loader with four hydraulic wheel drive motors. It was built from plans. It has always had a 48" bucket on it, but I wanted a way to handle logs, so this weekend I came up with this.

I can change from the bucket to the grapple in about five minutes. I don't know what the lifting capacity is, but it handled whatever I cut so far. It hangs down from the arms so I can reach in and load and unload the trailer without ever getting off of it. I can load up a bunch of 8' logs, then drive it back on and trailer everything home to unload. The only downside is by making it hang down to be able to unload the trailer, it no longer has enough height to be able to load a pickup truck box.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Me like!

 

[jgoodhart]

Nice

 

[Big Snuce]

Nice Rig.

 

[Philbert]

Nice

+1

Philbert

 

[thejdman04]

NIce looks good

 

[Basso]

Hello,
That loader is a very cool piece of equipment.......you are very talented !!!!
Nice job !!!!!


Basso

 

[projectsho89]

Dang! That thing looks handier than a shirt pocket!

Wish I had a grapple thumb on my Bobcat's bucket....

Steve

 

[irishcountry]

I seen that on cadplans a few years ago and you did a awesome job that is a nice looking rig!! How long did it take you to build it? What was the final cost and did you manage to scrounge up parts to save some $$$? Again great job wished I could weld!!!! thanks for the pics

 

[Stein]

I seen that on cadplans a few years ago and you did a awesome job that is a nice looking rig!! How long did it take you to build it? What was the final cost and did you manage to scrounge up parts to save some $$$? Again great job wished I could weld!!!! thanks for the pics

That's what it is. CADplans CADTrac. I didn't scrounge anything. I bought all new parts and a raw material kit from them with the exception of a new motor and new wheels/skid loader tires that I bought locally to save shipping. It was the easiest way to go, but not the cheapest. There isn't much fabwork to be done, but I was going to get killed buying shorts on all of the oddball steel needed so I bit the bullet and got their raw material kit as well. Heck, those wheel drive motors were $400 each, so that was $1600 right there. I think I have right at $7,000 into it.

Time? It was one of my winter fab projects a couple years back. I do something like this every winter to keep from getting bored. I'd guess 40-50 hours total, probably more. It's been 5 years or so.

The nicest thing about it is you can sit in the lawn and turn 360's without harming it at all. Zero turf damage. It would be a great tool for arborists who take down trees in someone's backyard and need to haul them out without damaging a lawn.

 

[jcappe]

Wow, that is one sweet piece of machinery! Looks like fun too! Nice Job

 

[drmiller100]

that thing is cool!!!

 

[FJH]

Sweet unit!

 

[savageactor7]

Well that's pretty incredible Stein.

 

[zh farms]

That would be great to have even if I didn't cut firewood for heat. That is a sweet piece of iron right there.

zh

 

[Nailsbeats]

Wow, that's a neat little buggy you built there. Nice job.

 

[Thechap]

I need 1 of those!!

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Nice job!

Nice job!

Is the grapple going to be YELLOWto match the loader?....

or I think that RED would be a good color.

Did you do the welding?

Dan

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Why settle for just one?

I need 1 of those!!

Why settle for just one? LOL:greenchainsaw:

Dan

 

[wdchuck]

Very nice tool there, and building it yourself to boot.

Is there some extra weight in the rear that is out of the pics? Seems like it would help to have some rear ballast.

Love the idea of it, and be able to ride on the trailer with a load of logs.