Keep breaking hyd. couplers...

[jd8335r]

I have a JD 329D and an erskine log, brush, and rock grapple and also pretty sure it's the same as the quick attach eagle talon. If I don't watch how far I open the grapple or how far I tilt the grapple back it will hit the couplers and break them. Most of the time I just watch it closely, but sometimes when you are working fast and clearing trees you start watching other things and a little to much tilt and you are done. Do any of you have any suggestions on what I could do different besides just try and be more careful? This is the only skid steer I have ran and only grapple, maybe they are all like this. Thanks.

 

[TriHonu]

I had a similar problem with my grapple. I welded a piece of square tubing on the back of the grapple that will contact boom to keep me from curling the grapple too far. I also added a spring support to the hoses to keep them up where they will have less of a chance of getting damaged.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

None of the grapples I have run had this problem. I would suggest welding some kind of a stop on the left grapple so it will not be able to open far enough to hit your couplers. Curl up all the way, open the grapple to a safe distance away from the coupler, and put a sturdy piece of iron there to keep it from going any farther.

 

[KSSS]

I have the same grapple bucket your referencing made by quick attach. I dont have that problem but my host machine is not on a Deere. You can buy spacers that clamp on the hyd rod. They are made really for ag applications they allow you to set the depth on tillage equipment. The ram closes on the spacer shortening the stroke on the rod. I made a bucket years ago that needed these. You can go to any ag dealership and they will likely have them hanging on the wall. Find what size that keeps the grapple from contacting the coupler and just leave it on the rod. They make them in multiple sizes.
Here is a link http://baileynet.com/hydraulics/stroke_controls Go to the center of the page on the external stroke control.

 

[jd8335r]

Thanks for the advice. I've called erskine about it and still waiting to hear back from them... I've tried the spacers that clamp on the hyd cylinders and it did work, but the spacers would break and fall off. I was just wondering if anyone else had a problem. I like the grapple a lot as far as how it works and has held up. It's very strong and haven't bent it so far. These hydraulic quick couplers are just too expensive to keep replacing and I can't seem to watch it close enough :beatsme

 

[Karl Robbers]

I wouldn't blame your operating style of proficiency. The smartest option is to do as several have suggested and install some mechanical barrier to prevent this happening, be it a stroke limiter or a block somewhere. I don't suppose you can move your hydraulic couplers to another more protected location with more clearance?

 

[KSSS]

I have never broke any of these, not sure how you can do that but I have had them fly off. I wrapped them with duct tape and that fixed that.

 

[JD8875]

How about removing the coupler from the machine, installing a 90* fitting to turn the coupler in or down and putting the couplers back on? Theres gotta be a way to get them out of harms way and keep the full use of a high dollar grapple bucket. I'd be lost if I could only open mine partway.....

John