The felling grapple can be used to fell, cut, load and unload trees, branches and brushwood in forests, along roads, powerline corridors, and in park and urban environments. FG50FA is supplied as standard in the energy grapple version. It is then equipped with open grapple fingers (brush/energy wood grapple), 10cc saw motor and 59 centimetre saw bar, which can cut up to Ø50 centimetres. It can also be equipped with a special, 54 centimetre long saw bar (energy bar) to enable cutting of everything from shrubbery all the way up to large 45 centimetre cuts with more control of the chain’s tension when clearing brush.

A feature of HYPRO FG50FA is its fully hydraulic construction, with auto-function for tilt and cut via the command for ”open grapple” and ”close grapple” – in other words, no additional control system is required to manoeuvre the felling grapple. A hydraulic shuttle valve changes the grapple functions from cutting to tilting after a delay. This removes the need for more valve sections for activation of cut and tilt, but nevertheless retains a high cutting effect. The delay in the change of function is adjustable to approx. 0–4 seconds. A somewhat longer delay facilitates whether the grapple shall also be used to load and unload whatever has been felled. Both cut and tilt up function are interrupted when the machine operator releases the command in the joystick. Together with the felling grapple’s flexibility and hydraulic tilt joint, this makes it possible to simply access the tree’s trunk or branches at the right felling angle.

The grapple’s hydraulic valve section needs to be equipped with open centre (motor slide), but if this is not possible, a simple external ”return bypass kit” can be ordered together with the felling grapple. As a supplement, a cable- or radio-controlled tilt-lock can be used for full control of both load and tilt angle. Without the tilt lock, the upwardly tilted position returns to flexible floating position on completion of the cutting sequence, and then tilts downward together with the cut log.

The strength in the model lies in its proven robust construction, retaining low weight and simple connection and disconnection. Technical innovation has produced high efficiency in an easy-to use product, rapidly streamlining the work as well as enhancing ergonomics and safety for the user in the felling operation.