“Clamshell” Grapple Made From Old Air Tank

“Clamshell” Grapple Made From Old Air Tank TRACTORS Accessories “I couldn’t find anything like it on the market ” says Will Bass Pawnee Okla who built a “clamshell” log grapple out of an old 3-ft long 20-in dia air tank It mounts on a 3-pt mounted boom pole on his tractor The hydraulic-operated grapple uses a pair of hydraulic cylinders that open and close the air tank jaws which feature “zig zag” teeth that grab loads firmly “It lets me haul logs and brush without getting off the tractor It’s built strong and will stand up to a lot of tough use ” says Bass “I came up with the idea because I have a lot of overgrown trees that I needed to clear off I can pick up whole trees up to 20 in in diameter ” He used an acetylene torch to make a straight cut lengthwise along each side at the top of the tank and a single “zig zag” style cut that runs lengthwise along the bottom He also cut out a large “zig zag-style” opening in one end of the tank A pair of hinges were welded on top of the tank where the 2 cuts were made The hinges were made from 1-in dia steel rod inside lengths of 1 1/2-in dia tubing A welded-on 1 1/2-ft tall steel “tower” on top of the tank supports a pair of hydraulic cylinders that pin onto both sides of the tank Retracting the cylinders causes the 2 halves of the tank to open The grapple is suspended from the boom pole by chains that attach to D-rings welded onto both ends of the tank Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Will Bass; wbass77@gmail com

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