Powerhand EX40 forestry grapple

Where the EX40 sits in the range

The EX40 is the largest of Powerhand’s four EX forestry grapples, above the EX36, EX28 and EX25. It is built for 20 to 30 tonne carriers and at 1,091 kg with rotator it is the only EX grapple over a tonne. That mass is the theme of this page: the EX40 is an industrial log and biomass tool, and it only makes sense on a carrier that can lift it full at the working radius. The forestry grabs buying guide covers the family and the EX25 vs EX28 vs EX36 vs EX40 comparison sets them side by side.

If the same head needs to cut, the EX40 grapple saw shares the 0.40 m² capacity and 2,137 mm opening with a 700 mm saw, in tiltrotator and tree-care configurations only.

What the published figures mean on site

The 0.40 m² grapple capacity is the volume the closed tines contain, and the 2,137 mm maximum opening is the width they will reach around. That opening is more than 200 mm wider than the EX36, and on a brash pile or a bundle of whole stems it means one grab where a smaller head takes two. On long, springy roundwood the extra geometry is also what keeps the bundle stable through the swing.

Weight is published as 875 kg base and 1,091 kg with rotator. Use the rotator figure if rotation is specified and add the coupler. The head uses 50 mm solid Hardox tines with inward-angled geometry and gripping structures under the headstock that steady a large single log against the body, which matters when a heavy stem shifts mid-swing.

Carrier matching and the suspended-load rule

Capacity and lifting capacity are different figures, and on the EX40 the gap between them is the purchasing decision.

Illustratively, assume a 25 tonne excavator rated 3,500 kg at the working radius. Deduct 1,091 kg for the grapple with rotator and, say, 250 kg for a coupler and about 2,160 kg remains. Assuming green eucalypt near 1,100 kg per cubic metre, that is a little under 2 cubic metres of solid hardwood, so a full 0.40 m² head of 4 m logs (around 1.6 cubic metres packed solid) fits with modest margin. On a 20 tonne machine rated, on the same illustrative basis, 2,500 kg at that radius the margin falls to about 1,160 kg, or roughly a cubic metre, and the head cannot be used at anything like full capacity on dense logs. The EX36 at 837 kg would leave more payload on that carrier. The lift capacity calculator and lift chart and attachment mass guide show the method.

Typical work and production considerations

The EX40 is for high-volume biomass and chipper operations feeding substantial chippers, plantation thinning and re-establishment landings where whole stems are bunched and loaded, and mining and pipeline corridors and solar and wind farm site preparation where cleared timber is handled in bulk against a program. Track cycles per hour, tonnes per cycle and re-grabs; the best grapple is the one that maximises safe material flow, not the one with the largest opening.

Balance the head to the chipper. Illustratively, a chipper able to take 40 tonnes per hour fed by a loader supplying 25 tonnes per hour is underutilised, and a bigger grab only closes that gap if the carrier can lift it full, pile geometry allows full grabs and the feed opening accepts the bundle. Australian hardwood density shortens safe bundles, as the Australian hardwood guide explains.

Limitations and when to step up or down a size

The EX40 is not automatically the best choice on every 20 to 30 tonne excavator. At the 20 tonne end, or on long-reach booms, the EX36 leaves more payload and still opens to 1,928 mm. For clean sawlog sorting the EX40 reduces visibility and slows fine placement; a smaller head is more precise. There is no larger EX grapple, so if the material regularly exceeds what a 30 tonne carrier can lift with this head, the answer is a different carrier class, not a bigger grapple.

Options and configuration to settle at quotation

Mounting and rotator options follow the rest of the family, as described on the EX25 page, but rotator torque matters more here than anywhere else in the range: turning a full 0.40 m² head of wet hardwood against a pile will stall an undersized rotator and wear it early. Confirm the rotator model, its torque and the auxiliary flow it needs, along with tine width and gripping pressure control for the material mix. The hydraulic matching guide covers the circuit.

Wear parts and support

Price pins, bushes, cylinder seals and rotator seals, and ask about tine repair and replacement stock in Australia. Over a tonne with rotator, the head needs an engineered transport stand with lifting points and hose protection, and the float plan should account for it, as the transport and mobilisation guide describes. Machinery Specialist is the Australian distributor; the wear parts guide provides a pricing checklist.

Confirm before ordering

• Weight in the ordered configuration: 875 kg base or 1,091 kg with rotator, plus coupler
• Lift chart checked at the actual working radius, particularly on 20 tonne carriers and long-reach booms
• Payload left at reach compared with a realistic full grab of the material you handle
• Rigid or swing-link mounting chosen, with rotator model and torque suited to a full head
• Gripping pressure control and rotator circuit flow confirmed
• Chipper feed opening and pile geometry checked against 0.40 m² capacity and 2,137 mm opening
• Pins, bushes, cylinder seals, rotator seals and tines priced with Australian stock location
• Transport stand, lifting points and float arrangement included

Frequently asked questions