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Attachment manufacturer

GMT

Crane and excavator grapple saws

Commercial position

Where this brand fits

Grapple saws for cranes and excavators. GMT explicitly emphasises that the weight of the severed tree section must be evaluated against the crane or carrier's lifting capacity — a point that matters greatly in Australian hardwood work.

GMT specialises in grapple saws for cranes and excavators, and the range is built around one commercial proposition: control of the severed section.

The company is notably explicit about the constraint that most often catches buyers out — that the weight of the severed tree section must be evaluated against the crane or carrier's lifting capacity. Cutting diameter and allowable piece weight are unrelated specifications, and for green Australian hardwood the lift limit binds well before the saw does.

The range spans compact units through to larger heads with double-cut capacity, and Total Tree Control braking variants for managed lowering where sections must be controlled rather than simply held.

Buyer fit

Who this suits — and who should look elsewhere

An equipment reference that only says where a brand fits is a brochure.

Suits you if

  • Urban and roadside removals where sections must be lowered under control
  • Utility, rail and corridor work near live assets
  • Storm response where loading is unpredictable and braking matters

Look elsewhere if

  • Open-site felling where a shear is faster and cheaper per stem
  • Production felling measured in tonnes per hour

Buyer background

Why cutting capacity is the wrong grapple saw specification

Grapple saws are sold on cutting diameter and constrained by lifting capacity, and those two specifications are unrelated. This is the single most consequential misunderstanding in the category, and manufacturers themselves warn about it.

What is available to lift timber is the carrier's lift chart at working radius, minus attachment weight, minus rotator weight, minus quick coupler weight. That remainder is the real limit. A grapple that can cut a 550 mm limb will frequently be unable to hold one safely at the reach the job requires.

Australian conditions sharpen the problem considerably. Green eucalyptus is substantially heavier than the equivalent softwood section of identical diameter, so a head specified against northern-hemisphere assumptions will hit its workload limit sooner here than the brochure suggests.

Specify accordingly: establish maximum grapple load first, calculate realistic green hardwood section weights for the work you do, then check the lift chart at the radius you actually work at. Cutting capacity is the last number to consider, not the first.

Before you commit

What to confirm with this supplier

  • Maximum grapple load against your typical green hardwood section weight
  • Carrier lift chart at working radius minus attachment, rotator and coupler mass
  • Whether the braking variant is warranted, and what the extra mass costs in lift
  • Saw chain and bar consumption per working day

Comparison

Realistic alternatives

Where another supplier would genuinely serve the same requirement better.

OMEFGrapple saws alongside shears, pruners and stump equipment from one distributor.
HultdinsGrapples and saw units where a combined grapple and saw capability is needed.

Method

Running the comparison properly

Comparing GMT like for like

Against OMEF and Hultdins, cutting capacity is the least useful figure in a grapple saw comparison. Compare maximum grapple load and opening, since holding and placing the section is what the attachment is for; compare rotator type and its service requirement, because rotation is the capability you are actually buying; and compare recommended flow against your carrier's continuous rating. Then run the weight budget with coupler and rotator included.

Range

Products relevant to Australian buyers

  • Grapple saws
  • Total Tree Control braking systems

Model pages

GMT machines covered in this guide

Published specifications, commercial fit and verification points for each.

Cross-reference

Machine classes covering this brand

Benchmark specifications, buying criteria and specification traps for each class.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What is GMT Total Tree Control?

It is a braking system fitted to certain GMT grapple saw variants, for managed lowering of severed sections rather than simply holding them. It suits urban removals, work over structures and storm response. The braking variant adds mass, which reduces available lift — a genuine trade rather than a straightforward upgrade.

Why can't my GMT grapple saw lift what it cuts?

Because cutting diameter and allowable piece weight are separate specifications — a point GMT itself emphasises. What is available to lift timber is the carrier lift chart at working radius, minus attachment, rotator and coupler mass. For green Australian hardwood that remainder frequently binds well before the saw's cutting capacity does.

GMT035 or GMT050?

The GMT035 (~275 kg, 850 mm opening, 400 mm single cut) suits smaller carriers and lighter sections. The GMT050 (~420 kg, 1,220 mm opening, 550 mm single cut, 800 mm double cut, 2,500 kg maximum grapple load, 45-65 L/min) handles larger sections and avoids a second setup on big stems. Decide on maximum grapple load against your section weights, not on cutting capacity.

Before comparing this brand with another

Brand strength is one input among eleven in the machine selection scorecard, where purchase price carries 3% and reliability, local service and parts availability together carry 40%. Make sure two quotations are genuinely comparable first — use the dealer quote checklist.