Trying to prevent hose pinching on grapples is one of the most important aspects of using a grapple. Everyone knows that accidentally pinching off your hose is very frustrating.
We introduced a new way to route grapples starting with our Heavy Duty Rock Bucket Grapples that we then expanded to all of our Severe Duty line. With this reroute, we ran the hoses through the frame to completely prevent pinching on that part of the hose. Read more about our different styles of grapples and their applications!
However, not all hosing can go through the frame, and you may have a grapple with an older hose routing style. Read on to some hints to help prevent hose pinching with both styles of hose routing!
Coil the Hose beside the Left Cylinder Tower
One way to prevent hose pinching on grapples is to twist them off to the side. Stand behind the grapple, take the hoses and twist them clockwise one turn. After twisting, allow the coil to sit beside the left cylinder tower before plugging them into the machine couplers.
This strategy seems to do a decent job of keeping hoses up and out of the way of your tracks or wheels. The coil also retracts as you roll back!
Bungee Cord or Use the Ring on the Frame
If you have the old-style hose routing, you can simply tie your hoses out of the way. Operators have just used a bungee cord around the cylinder tower to keep the hose up but still allow for some movement.
Some machines provide a second option with a ring included on the frame itself. You can route the hose through the ring to keep them out of the way and still provide mobility.
Make sure your Hoses are the Right LengthÂ
If your hose is too long, tracks or tires can more easily catch the hoses while maneuvering. All makes and models of grapples and machines have slightly different positioning of the couplers. Because of this, there may be times where you need to get your hoses made shorter or longer.
Editor’s Note: We originally published this post in 2016 and we have since completely revamped and updated it for both accuracy and comprehensiveness.