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Key tips for maintaining and inspecting grapple loaders to ensure they run efficiently year-round. Following these guidelines will help create a safer work environment and extend the life of your equipment.
By  Jason Bernstein

Besides personally preparing for the upcoming holidays, December is also a good time for some planning and forecasting at work. Given this, now is an ideal time—if you have not done so already—to plan all of the maintenance and inspection schedules for your equipment in 2025.

Grapple loaders and other material handling equipment, in particular, tend to get heavy use throughout the year even under normal circumstances. But with many municipalities and companies still dealing with significant clean-up efforts following the historic storms that impacted parts of the country this year, it is a great reminder that taking all the appropriate steps to effectively address the ongoing maintenance needs of your equipment should be a top priority in 2025, and beyond. By doing so, you will not only help promote a safer, more efficient work environment for employees, but also help extend the life—and overall productivity—of your equipment over the long term.

Set a Schedule and Stick to It
If you are not regularly inspecting and maintaining your equipment, there is no better time than now to adopt this as your normal process. No matter the type and/or brand of equipment used, manufacturers usually recommend some type of regular maintenance schedule in order to keep machinery operating smoothly and efficiently. Grapple loaders are no different. Ideally, some of this regular maintenance should occur weekly, or typically after a certain number of operating hours, as recommended by the manufacturer. Maintaining this weekly schedule can be a challenge for any number of reasons, but forgoing it all together could be dangerous and costly.
For grapple loaders, a consistent pattern of inspection and maintenance should include the following on a regular basis:
• Visual inspections
• Full cleanings
• Lubrication of joints, bearings, etc.
• Ongoing maintenance (hydraulic fluids, bolt tightening, clearance checks, etc.)

Finding time to do all of this consistently—especially when you are dealing with heavy workloads and/or a scarcity of available service technicians—can be a challenge. However, the life and operating efficiency of your machines are important, as is the safety of your workers. Remember, if maintenance jobs are not done properly (and regularly), the safety of the machine is no longer assured. Consistent care and upkeep of your equipment should be a priority.

Maintenance Schedule Recommendations
Setting a regular, year-round schedule of inspection and maintenance is important for any piece of equipment, especially those that consistently experience heavy use in tough conditions. For grapple loaders, a recommended maintenance schedule might look like this:
• Thorough cleaning of the loader—Every 50 hours of operation or one time per month
• Conduct a thorough visual check of the equipment—Every 50 hours of operation or one time per month
• Full lubrication of the loader and all other moveable parts—Every 50 hours of operation or one time per month
• Lubrication of ball track on the rim bearing (slewing system)—Every 500 hours of operation and, at a minimum, once per year

Cleaning Tips
Once you have your regular inspection and maintenance schedule mapped out, here are some important things to remember about cleaning your equipment on a regular basis:
• Always turn off the equipment before cleaning; it should be off and in a safe location for workers.
• Incorrect cleaning can damage your machine.

1. Do not use aggressive cleaning agents.
2. Do not use high-pressure cleaning equipment on electrical components, plastic components, bearings or bearing points, and signs.
3. Follow all instructions when using high-pressure cleaning equipment; for example, do not exceed a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius/140 degrees Fahrenheit when cleaning.

• Finally, make sure you fully lubricate the machine after every cleaning. This will help ensure proper movement and eliminate unnecessary wear and tear.

Visual Inspection Tips
While regular cleaning helps prolong the life of your machinery, visual inspections help identify potential problems early. This also promotes a safe, productive work environment by identifying and then fixing things, as needed. Examples of what you should be inspecting and looking for include:

• General items

1. Make sure ladders are secured properly and standing areas are safe and accessible
2. Look for cracks, loose parts, rust spots, etc., throughout the truck
3. Make sure all lynch pins and bolt connections are present and functioning properly
4. Operating levers—ease of movement, resetting into neutral position
5. Any/all safety-related features or devices—Make sure all are operable and working appropriately

• Make sure safety and/or operating instruction signage is present and legible
• Electronics

1. Cable and plug connections are working properly
2. Display elements are functioning and readable
3. Look for damage to switches and sensors

• Check covers and protective hoses for damage, or make sure they are not missing
• Hydraulic system

1. Check components for damage and leaks
2. Check the hydraulic oil level and top it off, if necessary
3. Note: Every time maintenance is done you should check the level of hydraulic oil

• Slewing system—Check the fill level of gear oil

Tips for Checking Hydraulic Oil
Hydraulic oil is the lifeblood of your machine’s operating system and lifting power, so ensuring the levels and quality of this important fluid are mission-critical to your equipment. Tips include:
• Follow all safety procedures when checking hydraulic oil levels
• Pay attention to and follow the listed specifications on the hydraulic oil tank
• Check the oil level at room temperature; make sure the oil is cooled down before checking it
• Pour in only previously filtered hydraulic oil and use a filling device with a filter
• Top off until the oil level has reached the recommended maximum mark

1. Use the same hydraulic oil in the right viscosity class as originally used by the assembler
2. Using unsuitable hydraulic oil can cause damage to the operating system, as well as cause jerky crane movements

Check Bolt Connections
Any time maintenance is done on your machine, it is also important to check all the bolt connections, as this ensures the equipment is operating properly and safely. To accomplish this, you should:
• Check all bolt connections—Look for damage or unusual wear, loose bolts, missing bolts, etc.
• Check, by hand, to ensure bolts have a firm seating
• Tighten any loose bolts by applying the defined tightening torque
• For tightening, use torque wrenches that are calibrated according to the appropriate/listed ISO number (see your manufacturer’s manual)
• Any new bolts used should be unoiled and structurally identical to the one(s) you are replacing

Lubricate, Lubricate, Lubricate
Adopting a regular maintenance and inspection schedule is certainly important for any machinery, but these schedules are sometimes delayed or modified based on several factors. The one thing you never want to delay or ignore, though, is regular use of lubrication on your equipment. Tips on how to keep your machinery properly greased include:
• Before starting, make sure your vehicle is parked on a level surface, properly stabilized and put in a working position with all lubricating points easily accessible
• Clean all lubrication points thoroughly and make sure they are free of old grease before applying anything new
• Follow your manufacturer’s instructions to properly apply grease to your equipment’s lubrication points

1. When lubricating the extension boom, make sure all the vehicle’s stabilizers are fully extended and the crane is in working position, and lubricate both top and bottom sliding surfaces
2. When lubricating the extension boom chain, be sure to apply chain spray to every link, one-by-one

• Remember to remove any excess lubricating grease and dispose of it properly

Get Off to a Great Start
There you have it—a quick (but thorough) overview to help you plan and ensure your maintenance and inspection efforts get off to a great start in 2025. Remember, always refer to your manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to your equipment. However, using the above tips provides a good frame of reference when it comes to making sure your grapple loader is operating smoothly. Good luck, and here is to a productive and safe New Year! | WA

Jason Bernstein has nearly 30 years of customer service and hands-on experience in the heavy equipment industry. He is the Service Manager for the EPSILON Timber and Refuse Loader at PALFINGER North America, managing customer communications, coordinating service activities, and ensuring efficient parts inventory management.

PALFINGER is an international technology and mechanical engineering company and the world’s leading producer and provider of innovative crane and lifting solutions. Since 1989, PALFINGER has served its customers in North America with a comprehensive product portfolio perfectly tailored to the region’s needs and standards. With an extensive sales and service network, a mobile service fleet of more than 100 vehicles, and four manufacturing and assembly sites, PALFINGER guarantees its customers receive the best support close at hand. PALFINGER’s state-of-the-art regional headquarters and training center in Schaumburg, IL, further emphasize its goal of becoming the market leader in the North American lifting industry. For more information, visit .