Grapple operation question

[joeinmn]

I just picked up a grapple and have a question about it. I have a 553 that has the accessory control on the right stick, left and right and a lock position in the far right position, i believe... It seems that the grapple looses its gripping power and has a tendancy to drop heavy things. If i feather the control to keep the pressure up, it will hold. Is this normal? should I be putting it in the lock position? it seems to labor the pump and motor if I do that... One other question...Is there ever a way for the fluid to shoot out under pressure when connecting or disconnecting the hoses? Is there a standard proceedure to make sure there is no pressure? Or is this not an issue. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Tazza]

If it's not holding, it is possible you have a bad seal in your ram on the grapple.
You should not need to hold the stick across to hold pressure. It's normal to let go a little, but not enough to simply drop things.
Sadly oil in the lines can be an issue. If it's put away cold and you try and hook it up on a hot day, the oil will take up more space due to heat and be hard to attach, if at all possible without cracking the line to relieve pressure first.

 

[captmello]

If it's not holding, it is possible you have a bad seal in your ram on the grapple.
You should not need to hold the stick across to hold pressure. It's normal to let go a little, but not enough to simply drop things.
Sadly oil in the lines can be an issue. If it's put away cold and you try and hook it up on a hot day, the oil will take up more space due to heat and be hard to attach, if at all possible without cracking the line to relieve pressure first.

Tazza, thanks for your reply. Regarding the oil in the lines, that is interesting to know about the change in temp causing pressure, i hadn't thought of that. However, what I was really asking about was when I'm hooking up the hoses, is there any concern about oil shooting out during the hook up. I haven't had any issues so far, but I get nervous during the hook up and unhooking of the hoses. is there anyway that the oil could shoot out during this hook up/unhook up process?

 

[Tazza]

Tazza, thanks for your reply. Regarding the oil in the lines, that is interesting to know about the change in temp causing pressure, i hadn't thought of that. However, what I was really asking about was when I'm hooking up the hoses, is there any concern about oil shooting out during the hook up. I haven't had any issues so far, but I get nervous during the hook up and unhooking of the hoses. is there anyway that the oil could shoot out during this hook up/unhook up process?

Ah, my bad for not getting that.
You will always have a little drip, but if the couplers are in good shape, there will not be any oil shooting out. Technically, you will not be able to unhook an attachment when the cylinder is under load, so the pressure will be minimal and not spray, just a small drop.