Caterpillar VPG-35

The Cat VPG-35 is a mechanical demolition and sorting grapple, a work tool rather than a self-propelled machine. It carries no engine, ECU, or independent hydraulic circuit of its own; its jaw cylinder runs entirely off the host excavator's auxiliary hydraulic line, and the carrier's own schedule governs engine and hydraulic fluid service, not the grapple. The VPG-35 sits in the middle of Caterpillar's VPG family, above the smaller VPG-25 and below the VPG-45 and VPG-55, matched to mid-size excavators running demolition and material-sorting work. It mounts through a bracket group and coupler plate sized to the carrier class, using a mechanical jaw arrangement rather than a powered rotating head. Caterpillar has not published a standalone spec sheet, operating weight, or model-year production window for the VPG-35; it is documented mainly through the parts catalog rather than a consumer product page.

The VPG line arrived alongside, and in places replaced, Cat's older G-series mechanical grapples as demolition attachments moved toward standardized bracket groups and shared jaw hardware across mini and mid-size excavators. Within the VPG family, the 25/35/45/55 sizes share the same basic mechanical jaw design and scale by pin diameter, tine length, and bracket footprint rather than by a different operating mechanism. Because it is a passive, engine-free attachment, a used VPG-35 holds its value as long as its pins, bushings, and jaw cylinder are within spec, since none of a carrier's engine hours or emissions history carry over to it. In the parts and used-equipment market it trades as wear-item hardware: buyers price it on pin and bushing condition, jaw tip wear, and cylinder integrity rather than on an hour meter, and replacement pins, bushings, and hardfacing are the parts that turn over most on this tool.

Below: full specifications, fluids & capacities, the factory service schedule, common service parts, verified fault codes, what owners discuss, attachment guidance, the complete assembly directory, and a serial-number reference. Complete parts lists with full OEM part numbers, exploded diagrams, quantities, and fitment data are available free in Heavy Parts AI.