Section 2: Operating Procedures
GB2084 Grapple Bucket 380-328M
3/17/20
16
on page 15 and in your tractor Operator’s Manual if
any hydraulic function continues to operate erratic.
Operating Safety
DANGER
!
To avoid serious injury or death:
•
Hydraulic fluid under high pressure can penetrate the skin
and/or eyes causing a serious injury. Wear protective gloves
and safety glasses or goggles when working with hydraulic
systems. Use a piece of cardboard or wood rather than
hands when searching for leaks. A doctor familiar with this
type of injury must treat the injury within a few hours or
gangrene may result. DO NOT DELAY.
•
Make sure the machine is stopped on solid, level ground
before raising load to dump. To maintain stability, raise
load only to the height necessary to complete the dump.
•
Never dump a load around gas lines, overhead power lines,
utilities, or other hazards that can cause serious injury or
death from electrocution, explosion, or fire.
•
Make sure all objects are contained and/or secured before
lifting. Do not lift a load that cannot be contained in the
attachment as the load can shift and fall.
•
Do not drive up to anyone or an animal in front of a fixed
object such as a wall or bench. Never assume that the power
•
Keep load positioned forward enough to prevent accidental
spillage on operator and power machine.
•
Keep load slightly tilted back to secure its weight against
the hitch frame. Tilting top of hitch frame to far back can
cause load to shift and fall rearward onto the machine and/
or operator. Tilting top of hitch frame to far forward can
cause load to shift and fall forward.
•
Use a “spotter” when it is hard to see in the direction you
are traveling and when placing a load that obstructs your
vision. A person or animal could be nearby in a blind spot.
•
Make sure all objects are contained and/or secured before
lifting. Do not lift a load that cannot be contained in the
attachment as the load can shift and fall.
•
Keep bystanders, pets, and livestock away from your work
area. Never allow anyone to go near or under the
attachment or its load. The attachment and/or load can fall.
•
Keep attachment, loader arms, and/or load away from
overhead electrical power lines. Place an orange warning
sign under overhead lines indicating type of danger above.
•
Always secure equipment with solid, non-concrete supports
before working under it. Never go under equipment
supported by concrete blocks or hydraulics. Concrete can
break, hydraulic lines can burst, and/or hydraulic controls
can be actuated even when power to hydraulics is off.
Section 2: Operating Procedures
Operating Checklist
Hazard control and accident prevention are dependent
upon the awareness, concern, prudence and proper
training involved in the operation, transport, storage, and
maintenance of the Grapple Bucket. Therefore, it is
absolutely essential that no one operates the unit unless
they are age 16 or older and have read, fully understood,
and are totally familiar with the Operator’s Manual.
Perform the following Operating Checklist before using
your Grapple Bucket.
General Inspection
Make the following inspections with bucket attached to a
tractor that is parked on a level surface.
1. Complete Operating Checklist table provided above.
2. Inspect tractor safety equipment to make sure it is in
good working condition and that all safety alert
decals are visible and readable. Replace all missing
and unreadable safety alert decals.
3. Inspect hitch hook-up to bucket. Make sure front
loader mounting plate is secured under the bucket’s
top angle bars, lock pins extend fully through the
bottom slots in the bucket hitch, and handles are
locked down.
4. Consult your tractor Operator’s Manual to determine
if ballast is required. Add ballast if needed.
5. Inspect condition of hydraulic hoses, fittings, and
valves before starting the machine. Make sure hoses
are not pinched, kinked, twisted, or frayed and that
they will not contact moving parts.
6. Operate hydraulic controls to verify control lever
movements function properly and equipment
movements are correct. Make any necessary
changes to controls and hydraulic hook-ups before
putting equipment into service.
7.
Operate bucket through its full range of movements
to check for clearances. Refer to
8. Purge hydraulic system of trapped air by operating all
hydraulic functions several times before putting unit
Operating Checklist
Check
Ref.
Read and follow all safety rules carefully.
Refer to “Important Safety Information” and
safety alert symbols throughout this manual.
All pages
Make sure there are no hydraulic leaks.
Refer to “Avoid High Pressure Fluids Hazard”.
3
Read and follow hook-up & preparation
instructions. See “Assembly & Set-Up”.
Read and follow all operating procedures.
Refer to“Section 2: Operating Procedures”.
Read and follow all maintenance instructions.
See “Section 3: Maintenance & Lubrication”.
Check bucket initially and periodically for loose
bolts and pins. See “Torque Values Chart”.
