Why AR400F Steel Matters: The Backbone of a Stronger Grapple

AR400F Steel Matters: The Backbone of a Stronger Grapple

When you’re shopping for a grapple rake, one of the first questions should be: what steel is this made of? Not all steels are created equal, and the difference between mild, structural, and abrasion-resistant steels can mean thousands of hours of extra life — or early, costly replacements.

At ANBO Manufacturing, we’re unapologetic about our materials. We believe “steel quality” isn’t just a marketing slogan — it’s the foundation of performance. That’s why we build all of our grapple tines from AR400F — not just the outer tines, like many other companies that use AR400F. This approach ensures every tine performs consistently and lasts longer under heavy-duty conditions.

What is AR400F?

AR400F is a quenched-and-tempered, through-hardened abrasion-resistant (AR) steel with a nominal Brinell hardness around 400 HBW (typical surface hardness: 360–440 HBW depending on supplier). The “F” variant emphasizes formability and toughness, making it less brittle than harder AR grades like AR500, and ideal for welding, bending, and fabrication.

Key properties of AR400F:

• Brinell hardness: ~360–440 HBW

• High tensile and yield strength for heavy-duty use

• Superior Charpy impact energy relative to harder AR grades

This combination of abrasion resistance and toughness makes AR400F ideal for grapples that experience both wear and repeated impact.

AR400F vs AR500 and Structural Steels

• Wear resistance: AR500 is harder and may resist pure sliding abrasion better.

• Toughness: AR400F is less brittle and handles repeated shocks, prying, and bending without chipping.

• Fabrication: Easier to weld and form, ideal for curved or tapered tines.

In many grapple use cases, impact and fatigue are more critical than pure hardness, making AR400F the better all-around choice.

AR400F vs “High-Quality Steel” (Grade 36 / A36) Many manufacturers advertise “high-quality steel” but use Grade 36 structural steel. While inexpensive and easy to source, Grade 36:

• Wears quickly in abrasive environments

• Lacks hardness for high-impact operations

• Requires thicker sections to compensate, adding unnecessary weight

ANBO’s AR400F tines are 5x stronger than Grade 36 steel, offering consistent wear resistance, toughness, and long service life.

Why U.S.-Made AR400F Matters 

Not all AR400F is created equal. U.S.-made AR400F steel undergoes strict quality control standards that ensure consistent hardness, chemical composition, and impact toughness across the entire plate. Foreign or imported AR400F may meet nominal hardness specifications on paper, but it can vary more in actual toughness, weldability, and defect-free consistency. This variability can lead to premature cracking, uneven wear, or fabrication challenges. At ANBO, we exclusively use U.S.-produced AR400F, guaranteeing that every tine — outer or inner — delivers predictable strength, abrasion resistance, and long-term durability in the toughest field conditions.

Why ANBO Uses AR400F for All Tines

Many competitors only put AR steel on the outer tines, leaving the inner tines as weaker structural steel. ANBO does it differently: every single tine — inner, outer — is AR400F.

Benefits of full-tine AR400F construction:

• Uniform wear resistance across the full grapple width

• Consistent structural stiffness and predictable performance

• Eliminates fatigue or failure at material transition points

• Optimized strength-to-weight: no unnecessary thickening of weaker steel

This design philosophy is why ANBO grapples outperforms the competition in durability and efficiency.

Strength-to-Weight Advantages

AR400F allows the reduction of thickness in non-critical zones without sacrificing durability. This provides:

• Lighter overall grapple weight, preserving machine lift capacity

• More responsive and efficient operation

• Longer-lasting tines in high-stress zones

ANBO matches material grade to load path, using full AR400F tines while tapering and reinforcing sections where necessary for maximum performance.

Summary

• AR400F combines wear resistance, toughness, and fabrication ease — ideal for grapples.

• AR500 may be harder, but sacrifices impact toughness and formability.

• Many “high-quality steel” grapples still rely on Grade 36 / A36, which wears quickly and adds weight.

• ANBO grapples stand apart by using AR400F for all tines, ensuring uniform performance and longer service life.