You have a lot of attachment choices out there, and industrial grapples are no
exception. They're all built the same, right? That couldn't be further from the
truth. If you can't afford downtime, you shouldn't settle for an inferior grapple.
We will help you know what to look for, point out where others cut corners, and
show you why Bobcat Grapples are simply built better. Bobcat uses more steel in
the grapple tines, it's three-quarters inch thick. The large open design makes
it easier to see your work. Tines are reinforced by this four-inch
cross-section tube, then gusseted to the end of the tine. It's all welded nicely
to a six-inch main frame tube with safety steps. Bobcat grapples use bigger
cylinders for maximum closing force. The large pins and grease zerks concentrate
the force closer to the center of the bucket. These cylinders are protected by
the steel case that also protects the hoses rattled at the back. Bobcat
switches over to tougher steel tube lines here in the back, and protects the
steel tubing with this cover. The hose routing has very little exposure to
snags and other hazards, and these hoses have Cordura hose protection running the
entire length. This removable guide keeps your hoses in place during operation and
also allows you to store the hoses high and out of the dirt. Anyone who has
ever ripped off a set of hoses can tell you how handy this is. The 90 degrees
short couplers are less prone to damage and easier to install or remove. Look
behind the right cylinder to find the serial number plate. This will help you
determine if it's a genuine Bobcat attachment or just another knock off.
This grapple may be cheaper, but going cheap will cost you some expensive
headaches. You'll quickly notice all the hoses in these potential snag points.
They run exposed hoses along the back to this
large block out in the open. They even use plumber's tape to keep the leaks
down a little. I think I use this stuff when I fix my bathroom sink last weekend.
This manufacturer has these wimpy cylinders held on by cotter pins and no
grease protection. You don't have to be a mechanic to know that this will be a
high failure spot. They hamper these little cylinders even more by mounting
them on the side and not in the middle. You can see why they chose these small
cylinders because structurally this bucket couldn't handle much more. That
isn't the only thing that concerns me. As you can see, the grapple structure is
simply stitched welded to the back of the bucket. You'll need a good grease gun.
This sticker's right, you'll need lots of grease to cover this two foot shaft. The
tines have much thinner steal at only a half inch thick and to stiffen the
thinner tines, they run the sheet metal between them. That should help a little,
but this steel blocks your view. This manufacturer also uses thinner, half-inch
steel on the tines, so they need sheet metal for reinforcements. It's another grapple
design that makes it difficult to see your load. I'm not sure about this joint.
Either the grease has to travel all the way down here, or it's only going to
reach the ends. I don't think I'd trust it. The cylinders are really exposed and
vulnerable to damage, and these hoses are left out in the open and unguarded.
And if you break one of these ports or tube lines, you'll be heading for parts. I like
how they guard the hoses in the back, but they didn't consider how to protect
these hoses that lead to the machine, and no removable hose guide on this unit.
This manufacturer does a better job, however they still don't come close. The
steel in the tines is one-third thinner than Bobcat tines. They took out some
material through here so the visibility is better, but the sheet metal still
reduces your visibility towards the top of the pile. These cylinder hoses aren't
protected as well. Bobcat adds a plate here. Since they don't manufacture
machines, they have hoses coming out of the center. Now this helps if you don't
know which side you're going to mount the hoses, but you don't want loose hoses
near your quick tatch and load your arms. And again, no removable hose guide. Look
at this covering, it only covers half the hose. Unlike these, Bobcat wraps their
hoses individually. These small details can mean the difference between a solid
day's work, a frustrating day of week performance, or even worse downtime.
With the Bobcat grapple, you know you're getting better design and superior quality.
When you ask for Bobcat Grapples, you're getting a huge Bobcat Advantage.