# Bucket grapple



## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

I recently purchased a Kioti 2610, this is my first tractor.
I have been looking at grapples, but dont wish to pay a lot of money for something I may not use regularly. So I decided to design a bucket style grapple, because I own welding equipment & can have the parts laser cut.

The second item I was planning on buying was a tooth blade for the front loader.

I have many years CAD knowledge & expertise so I thought it would be a fun project. I was shocked how reasonable priced a hydraulic ram is so, thought this would be a relatively inexpensive project.

If any one else is interested in the CNC files let me know, I'm considering selling plans & CNC files.


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

I will share pricing to cut the plates, within a few days.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

you might want a bit more reinforcement on the top of the bucket to reinforce it, possibly a crescent reinforcing it on the backside to spread the torque across the whole bucket.


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

Groo said:


> you might want a bit more reinforcement on the top of the bucket to reinforce it, possibly a crescent reinforcing it on the backside to spread the torque across the whole bucket.


When I first looked at the bucket I assumed it just had a plate along the top, but after further investigation, it has a plate welded to a beefy metal tube in the top area of the bucket. So my plan is to bolt & weld the new structure on the top. If I find this grapple really useful then I will build a complete grapple with bottom tynes. So this might be a short term solution?


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Steve-Kioti said:


> When I first looked at the bucket I assumed it just had a plate along the top, but after further investigation, it has a plate welded to a beefy metal tube in the top area of the bucket. So my plan is to bolt & weld the new structure on the top. If I find this grapple really useful then I will build a complete grapple with bottom tynes. So this might be a short term solution?


When I put the grill gard on the tractor, I also rebuilt the bucket. Lots of work with a torch, sledge, welder and even a hi-lift jack. Corners were ripped, toplip was collapsed some. The channel on the back or the bucket had several cracks, and I added some scrap metal teeth. The teeth were mainly for digging, but also reinforced the bottom face of the bucket. I was shocked how much a difference the teeth made for digging, but my real point here is that buckets leave the factory marginal, and this was a mid 80s Kubota, a real tank compared to modern tractors. I would make sure it is well reinforced to add a whole new twisting force to the weakest part.


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

Thank you Groo, for sharing your experience! We live on Canadian shield, so lots of rock around here and not much soil. It's amazing how the trees find the cracks in the rocks to survive & prosper. I was hoping I could use the grapple to move some of the nice rocks around.

Lifting rocks into a bucket by hand gets tedious quick! But way better than lifting them into a trailer, so already enjoying the tractor experience.

Your right, who knows how well the metal tube is welded into a modern tractor bucket!


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

May be good to disregard the bucket grapple and focus on making the rock bucket with grapple.

Would work better with limbs too. This is what we use on the skidsteer to snatch rocks and limbs and it grabs well, plus let's you sift the dirt.


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

Thank you TX MX5200. My idea was to first test the grapple arm on the standard bucket, and later make a rock bucket and re-use the arm IF needed. This is more of a fun project for me, with no plans to do this commercially.


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

Clear....good luck with the project and post pics of progress


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

Thank you, TX. This CAD model shows the longer term view for a rock bucket design.


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

That will grab a world of stuff...nice!

Do you have to add aux hydraulics or is tractor already setup? I don't have them...would add some of I could think of a use just so I could say I have them.


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)

Thank you TX.
I have two sets of hydraulics on the rear which came standard. So I think I will just use one set of them running up too the front grapple in the short term...


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

Good deal....I was reading up what's needed to add aux to rear for hydro top and side links. Wouldn't use often but like you said the rams themselves arent too much.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

Steve-Kioti said:


> Thank you, TX. This CAD model shows the longer term view for a rock bucket design.
> View attachment 59967
> 
> 
> View attachment 59965


Picked up something similar for the Yanmar at Titan attachments. Haven't got it plumbed yet, but it was probably too heavy for the loader to not hurt total performance some. Keep weight in mind. Ever pound of steel is one less pound of rock or log you can lift.


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## Steve-Kioti (Jul 28, 2020)




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