Powerhand EX36 forestry grapple

Where the EX36 sits in the range

The EX36 is the third of Powerhand’s four EX forestry grapples, above the EX28 and below the EX40, with the EX25 at the bottom of the family. It is built for 16 to 25 tonne carriers and is the point in the range where the head moves from vegetation handling to genuine landing and biomass work. The forestry grabs buying guide explains the family and the EX25 vs EX28 vs EX36 vs EX40 comparison puts the sizes side by side.

Where cutting is part of the cycle, the EX36 grapple saw carries a 650 mm saw on the same 0.36 m² head at 1,176 kg, against 837 kg with rotator here.

What the published figures mean on site

The step from the EX28 is a real one. Grapple capacity rises to 0.36 m², the volume the closed tines contain, and maximum opening to 1,928 mm, the width the tines will reach around before closing. The wider opening is what lets the head take a full bite of a brash pile or a bundle of stems rather than picking them in halves, and on tangled storm material it is the difference between one grab and three.

Weight is published as 652 kg base and 837 kg with rotator. Use the rotator figure in the lift calculation if rotation is specified, and add the coupler. The EX36 uses 50 mm solid Hardox tines, and the inward-angled geometry with gripping structures under the headstock is designed to wrap round timber and steady a large log against the body as the jaws close.

Carrier matching and the suspended-load rule

Capacity describes the bundle the tines contain; it says nothing about what the boom can hold. On this head the two figures diverge most at the bottom of the band, so the 16 to 25 tonne class is a shortlist rather than an answer and the chart at the working radius decides.

The lift question on this head is really about its bottom end. Illustratively, a 20 tonne excavator rated 3,000 kg at the working radius is left with about 1,960 kg for material after 837 kg of grapple and an assumed 200 kg coupler, comfortably more than a full 0.36 m² head of 4 m logs. A 16 tonne machine rated, on the same illustrative basis, 2,000 kg at that radius is left with under 1,000 kg and will not lift the head full of hardwood, which is the case for looking at the EX28 instead. Use the lift capacity calculator and the lift chart and attachment mass guide with your own figures.

Typical work and production considerations

The EX36 is a landing and biomass tool. In biomass and chipper operations it keeps a large chipper fed with full grabs of brash; in plantation thinning and re-establishment it bunches and stacks stems at the landing; and in subdivision and civil clearing it handles the heavy tangled material that a smaller head would take in pieces. The wide opening and tine penetration matter more than rated load on brash, where volume is enormous and mass is modest.

Chipper utilisation depends on continuous feeding, and the EX36 on a 20 tonne or larger machine is a credible feeder for a large drum chipper, but only if pile geometry allows full grabs and the feed opening accepts the bundle. Where it disappoints is a site where the brash is scattered rather than piled: the wide jaw is then gathering, not filling, and a smaller head cycles faster. Australian hardwood density shortens safe log bundles, as the Australian hardwood guide explains.

Limitations and when to step up or down a size

On a 16 to 18 tonne carrier the EX36 consumes lift the timber needs, and the EX28 gives up 0.08 m² and 296 mm of opening to save 220 kg. On a 25 tonne plus carrier running high-volume log handling, the EX40 adds 0.40 m² and a 2,137 mm opening for another 254 kg, provided the chart supports it at reach. For clean sawlog sorting, a head this size can reduce visibility and slow fine placement; match the head to the product, not the carrier.

Options and configuration to settle at quotation

The EX36 is offered in rigid and swing-link mountings with rotator options. Rigid mounting gives precise placement for chipper feeding and sorting; swing-link gives the natural alignment of a loader grab for repetitive stacking and truck loading. Confirm rotator model and torque, because a full 0.36 m² head of wet hardwood needs real torque to turn against a pile, and confirm tine width and gripping pressure control for the material mix. The hydraulic matching guide covers the rotator circuit.

Wear parts and support

Price pins, bushes, cylinder seals and rotator seals, and ask about tine repair procedures and replacement tine stock in Australia. Landing work is harder on a head than chipper feeding is: stems are dragged and bunched rather than lifted cleanly, so pin and bush wear shows up sooner than the tooling suggests. At 837 kg with rotator the head also needs a proper transport stand with hoses protected and lifting points identified.

Confirm before ordering

• Weight in the ordered configuration: 652 kg base or 837 kg with rotator, plus coupler
• Lift chart checked at the actual working radius, especially on 16 to 18 tonne carriers
• Rigid or swing-link mounting chosen for the work, with rotator model and torque
• Gripping pressure control and rotator circuit flow confirmed
• Chipper feed opening and pile geometry checked against 0.36 m² capacity and 1,928 mm opening
• Pins, bushes, cylinder seals, rotator seals and tines priced with Australian stock location
• Transport stand, lifting points and tie-down arrangement included

Frequently asked questions