GMT · Grapple saw

GMT GMT050

Name: GMT GMT050
Brand: GMT

420 kg grapple saw with 1,220 mm opening, 550 mm single cut and 800 mm double-cut capacity.

6 published specifications

Positioning

Where this machine sits

The GMT050 is a 420 kg grapple saw with a 1,220 mm grapple opening, 550 mm single-cut and 800 mm double-cut capacity, a 2,500 kg maximum grapple load and a recommended flow of 45-65 litres per minute. The double-cut capability is the specification that distinguishes it: material beyond a single cut can be taken in two passes.

The 2,500 kg grapple load is the other figure worth dwelling on. Combined with the 1,220 mm opening, it describes an attachment specified to hold substantial sections, which is what controlled removal near assets actually requires — the cut is rarely the hard part.

Published figures

Specifications

Indicative published manufacturer and distributor information. Confirm every figure, lift chart and hydraulic requirement with the manufacturer or authorised dealer before purchase.

Weight	~420 kg
Grapple opening	1,220 mm
Single-cut capacity	550 mm
Double-cut capacity	800 mm
Maximum grapple load	2,500 kg
Recommended flow	45-65 L/min

Interpretation

What the published figures actually constrain

A specification table tells you what the machine is. This is what each of those numbers means for the work you would put it to.

Published figure	What it means commercially
550 mm single cut, 800 mm double cut	Single-cut capacity is the figure for routine work; double-cut extends capability at the cost of a second pass and the handling that goes with it.
1,220 mm grapple opening, 2,500 kg maximum load	Substantial holding capability. The load figure is the practical bound on what can be held and placed, and it is often what governs rather than the saw.
~420 kg attachment weight	Compact enough for modest carriers, but the carrier's chart with attachment, rotator and coupler fitted still governs what can be held at reach.
45-65 L/min recommended flow	A modest and widely available requirement, which broadens the range of carriers it can work on. Confirm the carrier's continuous auxiliary flow against it.

Before it fits

The four checks that decide whether your carrier can run this

Each of these can fail independently, and passing one says nothing about the others. Weight class alone is the weakest of the four and the one most often relied on.

Check	For this attachment
Mass the carrier must control at reach	~420 kg plus rotator and coupler. Modest, but the chart still governs what can be held once the grapple is loaded.
Continuous hydraulic flow	45-65 L/min recommended — a widely available requirement that broadens the carriers this will work on.
Working pressure	Confirm pressure at that flow, including the rotator circuit.
What usually binds first	The 2,500 kg maximum grapple load against the carrier's chart at reach. Size against the single-cut 550 mm figure for routine work; double-cut is for exceptions.

Commercial fit

Where this machine earns its cost

Right machine when

Large sectional removals near buildings, roads, rail and utilities
Work where double-cut capacity avoids a second setup on big stems
Carriers with enough remaining lift to use the 2,500 kg grapple load

Wrong machine when

The carrier's lift chart cannot support the section weights the grapple can cut
Straightforward open-site felling, where a shear is cheaper and faster

Before you sign

Verify these for this specific model

Beyond the standard buying criteria for the class, these are the questions this machine in particular raises.

Maximum grapple load against your typical green hardwood section weight
Whether the TTC braking variant is warranted for your work
Saw chain and bar consumption per day

Running cost

What drives the cost of owning this machine

As with any grapple saw, the return comes from work that becomes possible rather than work that becomes faster. Controlled sectional removal near buildings, conductors, track and traffic is priced on being completed without incident, and that is what the attachment delivers.

The 2,500 kg grapple load broadens the sections that can be handled in one piece, which reduces the number of cuts and the handling per removal — a real productivity effect distinct from cutting speed.

Chain, bar and rotator service are the recurring costs. Rotator condition in particular affects the control that justifies the attachment, so it warrants inspection rather than assumption on a used unit.

In practice

Ownership considerations in Australian conditions

Plan around the single-cut figure

Double-cut capability is useful for exceptions. Sizing the attachment against routine work means using the 550 mm single-cut figure, because a second pass costs time and handling on every piece.

The grapple load and the lift chart are separate limits

The attachment can hold 2,500 kg; whether the carrier can hold that at reach is a different calculation. Both have to pass at the working geometry.

Inspect the rotator on any used unit

Rotation is what makes a grapple saw a placement tool rather than a cutting one. A worn rotator degrades exactly the capability you bought the attachment for.

Questions

Common questions about this machine

What does double-cut capacity actually mean in practice?

That material beyond the single-cut rating can be severed in two passes rather than one. It extends capability for occasional large material without sizing the whole attachment up. It is not a substitute for single-cut capacity on routine work, though — a second pass costs time and requires repositioning on every piece, so size against the single-cut figure for what fills the day.

Why does grapple load matter as much as cutting capacity?

Because the point of a grapple saw is holding and placing the section, not just severing it. Near conductors, track, buildings and traffic the client is paying for controlled placement, and the grapple load is what determines how much can be handled in one piece. The saw rating tells you what can be cut; the load rating tells you what can be done with it.

What should I check on a used grapple saw?

The saw unit and bar, the grapple pivots and cylinders, and above all the rotator. Rotation is what converts a cutting attachment into a placement tool, and a worn rotator degrades precisely the control that justified buying one. Also confirm the hydraulic requirement matches your carrier's continuous auxiliary flow before price enters the conversation.

Same class

Alternatives to compare against

Other grapple saws covered in this guide.

OMEF

GS400

Compact 390 kg grapple saw for 5-8 t excavators with 360-degree control and 1,500 kg workload.

In service

Fleet packages that use this class

Package E

Utility vegetation management

Work for electricity networks, rail operators, road authorities, councils, mining companies, pipeline operators and renewable-energy developers. Precision and transportability matter more than raw production.