Grapple New WR Long Grapple option

[amigauser]

I own the RBG2 - 48" model which I have been very happy with. A lot of TBN'ers seem to like the Millonzi grapple due to its price. The Long grapple cost me around $1600 were the Millonzi runs around $1000. That is quite a price difference which steers people to the Millonzi model.

Nelson just sent me an email with info on a new grapple option which is more cost affective in comparison to the Millonzi grapple.

Quote:
I thought I would let you know that we now have an attachment called the open bottom grapple "OBG2". The OBG2 is for Loaders, mini skid steers, and light duty skid steers with lift capacities from 800 to 2,200 pounds and comes in widths of 48", 56", 64", and 72". The 48" OBG2 has one cylinder and grapple and the 56", 64", and 72" has two cylinders and grapples. The OBG2-64 is shown below. It is great for picking up logs, limbs, brush, construction debris, etc., and it allows dirt to fall through. Like with our other products we will provide the OBG2 with the skid steer mount or any other mount to hook up to your loader.

OBG2-48 list for $1,195 and weights 327 pounds
OBG2-56 list for $1,526 and weights 430 pounds
OBG2-64 list for $1,633 and weights 460 pounds
OBG2-72 list for $1,739 and weights 490 pounds

Just an FYI. I have no relation to WR Long other than being a happy customer.
Norm

 

[amigauser]

Here at the pics he sent with the email.
Norm

 

[3RRL]

Yeah, I got that same email today.
Looks like pretty good stuff to me. They are a very good company indeed, and Nelson is a nice guy.

 

[lincolnvt]

I got the email too - what do you guys think of the design. I would probably get the 48 inch with only one grapple - I like the flat bottom of the new design for carrying stuff. However, I wonder if you are giving up some clamping power with only one cylinder instead of two on the clamshell.

Brad

 

[IslandTractor]

Looks like a very nice grapple. The WRLong clamshells are great but pricey in comparison to the LD48 from Millonzi. This new line looks like essentially the same basic design as the LD48 and is a pretty good match. Price is competitive which is nice too. I suppose they will stick with making these available only through dealers but even that is a nice option to have for some people.

I'm glad to see a respected company like WRLong start to move towards lighter weight grapples. I've always thought the heavier duty 600-800lb grapples were inappropriate for most CUTs and are basically designed for professional skid steer duty. I hope Nelson also steers prospective buyers away from the notion that your grapple should be the same width as your primary bucket. Lightweight and small grapples are excellent matches for CUTs.

 

[IslandTractor]

I got the email too - what do you guys think of the design. I would probably get the 48 inch with only one grapple - I like the flat bottom of the new design for carrying stuff. However, I wonder if you are giving up some clamping power with only one cylinder instead of two on the clamshell.

Brad

Clamping power is not an issue. A single jaw grapple can hold anything it contacts very well. Having two means that you can hold on to more loose short material but a single grapple jaw can do just as well with a tree, bush, rock etc. I'd want a double grapple or clamshell if I were picking up construction debris on a regular basis but for general use there is no particular advantage. Asymmetric objects are really no problem for a single grapple. You just pick the object up from a different side if for some reason (rare) you cannot get a good grip. There are downsides to a double grapple to consider too. A single grapple has advantages when you are trying to grab a medium size bush as you can grapple it right in the middle. With double top grapples you can get on either side but not the middle of the bush. I'd personally prefer a clamshell to double grapples but a single grapple works just fine for me.

Here are a few photos. The first shows a single tine from a single grapple holding a rock that must have weighed close to a ton. I think that is pretty good evidence of clamping power. I did not know I was gripping the rock with just one tine when I pulled it out of the ground.



Another photo shows an asymmetrical object firmly clamped.

 

[Engine66]

IMHO a double grapple design is superior to a single grapple as the double can grab unequal loads and each clamp grabs to it's rated PSI. I'm impressed, but not fond of the the large stone held by one tooth of a single grapple and would not feel too confident on moving the stone a long distance to it's new home. Also, I prefer a solid bucket to an open design, since an open design ends up allowing branches, sticks, etc to slip through the openings. Now the branches ahve an opportunity to penetrate into your grill or get stuck in the grapple requiring you to get off and screw around with that pulling out foriegn material. Compressing a brush pile with a solid bucket or grapping brush keeps your grapple free and grill clear. That's me...to each his own. If we all could afford it, we would have them all. On th flip side, an open design can grub roots, rocks, etc. and allow dirt and samll debris to fall out, etc. There's my cheap advice...whatever you get...enjoy the ride!

 

[IslandTractor]

IMHO a double grapple design is superior to a single grapple as the double can grab unequal loads and each clamp grabs to it's rated PSI. I'm impressed, but not fond of the the large stone held by one tooth of a single grapple and would not feel too confident on moving the stone a long distance to it's new home. Also, I prefer a solid bucket to an open design, since an open design ends up allowing branches, sticks, etc to slip through the openings. Now the branches ahve an opportunity to penetrate into your grill or get stuck in the grapple requiring you to get off and screw around with that pulling out foriegn material. Compressing a brush pile with a solid bucket or grapping brush keeps your grapple free and grill clear. That's me...to each his own. If we all could afford it, we would have them all. On th flip side, an open design can grub roots, rocks, etc. and allow dirt and samll debris to fall out, etc. There's my cheap advice...whatever you get...enjoy the ride!

Good points.

I actually did not try to travel with the rock held in that position. I dumped it and reloaded as soon as I saw the precarious hold...the point was that clamping power is not an issue. If you look at the photo I did not even have the bottom of the rock in the grapple but was able to hold on to it well enough to break it free and lift if out of the ground.

I agree that a bucket grapple or solid bottom grapple will do a better job cleaning up small sticks than a root grapple. However brush is very easily handled by a loose tine grapple. Brush naturally sticks to itself by intertwining and with a root grapple you are typically picking up whole trees and bushes not kindling sized pieces as the root grapple lets you remove the tree/bush in one piece. Note that with a root grapple you have a much better chance of just ripping a small tree out of the ground rather than needing to cut it down then remove the stump separately. Even with stumps under 5 inches or so it is not hard to stick a root grapple tine under them and pull them up in one piece.

I know that the double grapples are touted to be better at picking up asymmetric loads, I just have never had any trouble securing anything with my single arm grapple. I cannot recall, in the past two years, ever not being able to get any object, except a few small sticks, securely grappled so I could transport it. That goes for funny shaped rocks, stumps and piles of brush. Having two upper arms clearly increases the weight of the grapple and cost. It also lowers the net lift capacity due to the extra weight. I'd need to be lifting an awful lot of unusual shaped objects (other than stumps, brush etc which I do easily) in order to justify the cost and disadvantages of the double grapple style.

As usual equipment designs involve tradeoffs. A solid bucket grapple may well be the best choice for clean up of construction debris as there would be lots of stuff under a couple of feet in length.to pick up. Otherwise, and especially for brush removal and trees, I'll stick with the root grapple or clamshell style. It's nice to see that WR Long is offering both now.

 

[Engine66]

Island-excellent pics of your grapple at work. No doubt your grapple is earning it's keep. I have yet to use mine as extensively as yours...I got mine this last Dec...it will be put to work in the coming months. I lost a headlight lens on my Kubota a while back from a branch and wanted to avoid any protrusions when making brush piles...so I got a solid pan double-grapple. Hope I have the same successful results as you have with yours. Thanks for the pics...they really show off your tractor and grapple at work. I will try to post some pics of mine when I can...enjoy your "work" and hope you enjoy the ride. Take care.