A two-piece shell that closes like a clamshell, for digging and lifting loose material rather than gripping a trunk.
Where a tine grapple grips a load between fingers, a clamshell encloses it between two shells. That makes it the right tool for loose material – wet spoil, sand, gravel, dredged silt – which would simply fall between the tines of a log grapple.
At a glance
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | Clamshell Grapple |
| Tine / jaw layout | See drawing for the arrangement on your order |
| Head type | Fixed or rotating – confirmed at order |
| Hydraulic supply | One auxiliary circuit (rotating head) |
| Mounting | Headstock machined to your pin diameter and centre distance |
| Carrier class | Matched to your machine – tonnage and lift chart confirmed before release |
| Finish | Two-pack paint, colour to order |
Dimensions, opening and working load are confirmed against your drawing before production. Nothing on this page is a substitute for that confirmation.
What it is used for
- Dredging and desilting channels
- Handling wet spoil and sand
- Loading loose aggregate
- Working in confined excavations where a bucket cannot swing
How it is built
- Two-piece welded shell
- Hardened cutting edges
- Cylinder with guarded rod
- Headstock to your pin pattern
- Fixed or rotating head available
What to send with your inquiry
- Excavator make and model, and the lift chart if you have it
- Coupler type – S30, S40, S45, S80 – or the pin diameter and centre distance
- Auxiliary hydraulic flow and pressure (litres per minute and bar)
- What you will handle: log diameter and length, or material type for a clamshell
- Any opening or width the job requires
- Photos of the machine and the coupler help more than a written description
Ordering notes
Each unit is built to the headstock and hydraulic specification confirmed on the drawing. Confirm the drawing before production starts – after the body is cut and the headstock is machined, changes to the pin pattern mean a new headstock, not an adjustment. Spare bushings and pins can be supplied with the unit so the first rebuild does not wait on parts.
Questions we are usually asked
Clamshell or tine grapple?
If the load holds its shape – timber, poles, stone blocks – use a tine grapple. If it flows – wet spoil, sand, silt – use a clamshell, otherwise the material runs out between the tines.
Can it be used for underwater work?
Desilting is one of its main uses. Tell us the working depth at inquiry so the sealing and finish can be discussed for your order.
What size shell do I need?
It follows the machine class and the volume you move per cycle. Send the machine model and your required capacity and we size the shell.