Grapples and clamps clear hard-to-move material

A rotating grapple on a Bobcat excavator quickly and easily moves hard-to-handle material, such as tree limbs.

When it comes to moving objects that aren’t easy to handle, clamps and grapples quickly get them out of the way. Pieces of broken concrete, rocks and logs are some examples of items contractors need to move, but can’t handle with buckets or other attachments. Determining the best clamp or grapple depends on the object that needs to be moved and how it should be handled.

Bobcat Company manufactures different kinds of clamps and grapples for compact excavators and loaders.

Excavators

On excavators, hydraulic clamps (also known as thumbs) can be used with trenching buckets or a 3-tine grapple. The choice between using a clamp with a bucket or a grapple depends on the material to be moved.

A clamp on a compact excavator is a good solution because the design of the excavator allows operators to reach areas other machines may not be able to access, or have a difficult time accessing. The reach of the excavator’s boom and arm easily gets to areas other equipment can’t, and allows the excavator to be more selective in picking the objects that are moved. Debris and material can also be moved without moving the machine.

Bobcat also offers a rotating grapple for excavators. The grapple has 360 degree rotation and is best suited for contractors who not only need to move material, but also need to place material in a specific position.

Loaders

Several types of grapple attachments are available for compact loaders, suited to different tasks. The most common type of grapple attachment is an industrial grapple. These tough attachments perform in a wide array of applications, such as clearing brush, clearing broken concrete or moving scrap metal and other waste materials. Bobcat industrial grapples range in size from 48 to 80 inches.

Root grapples are another type of grapple common to grading and excavation contractors. A root grapple is a heavy-duty attachment that clears roots, rocks and debris from the ground. The curved, skeletal teeth pick up material without driving into the ground, allowing dirt to fall between the teeth and stay in place, if required. Bobcat root grapples come in sizes from 48 to 82 inches.