Sorting Grapple
Skid steer sorting grapples provide the precision to select, sort, and stack individual items from a pile — scrap metal, lumber, logs, pipe, steel plate, and demolition material — without the wholesale grab-and-carry approach of a root grapple.
Showing all 9 results
Showing all 9 results
The tine configuration (typically 4–6 tines per jaw) allows the operator to reach into a pile and extract specific pieces while leaving adjacent material in place. This makes sorting grapples the standard attachment in scrap yards, timber processing, salvage operations, and material staging areas.
Clamping force and tine geometry define sorting grapple performance. Premium units use dual-cylinder jaw actuation for uniform grip across the full jaw width and AR400 tines with sharpened tips for penetrating dense scrap piles. Rotating grapples add a hydraulic rotator between the attachment and the quick-attach plate — the operator rotates the entire grapple 360° to orient material for precise placement without repositioning the machine.
Fixed vs. Rotating Sorting Grapple
A fixed sorting grapple handles the majority of sorting applications — it grips, carries, and places material faster than a root grapple with less hydraulic complexity. A rotating grapple adds a hydraulic rotator motor (requiring a second auxiliary circuit) that rotates the head continuously in both directions. For long material (pipe, dimensional lumber, structural steel), rotation eliminates the need to reposition the machine when placing material in a specific orientation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a sorting grapple and a root grapple?
A root grapple is designed for bulk handling of irregular natural material — the wide, open tine spacing grabs and holds large masses of brush, stumps, and logs. A sorting grapple has closer-spaced, more numerous tines on a narrower jaw — engineered for precision selection of individual items from mixed material. The narrower profile also provides better visibility to the tip during picking operations.
Can a sorting grapple handle concrete rubble?
Yes — sorting grapples handle broken concrete slabs, masonry block, and demolition rubble effectively. For crushing concrete to aggregate on-site, see our Crushing Buckets.
What hydraulic circuit does a rotating grapple need?
Fixed sorting grapples operate on a single auxiliary circuit. Rotating grapples require a second auxiliary (third function) hydraulic circuit for the rotator motor. This is available as a factory option or dealer kit on most mid-size and large CTLs (Bobcat T650–T870, CAT 279D3–299D3, John Deere 325G–333G).
For bulk land clearing, see our Root Grapples. For scrap metal crushing, see Crushing Buckets. All sorting grapple attachments ship assembled from US warehouses. Free freight over $1,500.
