jcummins
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,636
- Location
- Creal Springs, IL
- Tractor
- Kubota M7040, F3680, Mule Pro Fxt
Based upon your posts on this forum, and the PM exchange we had, I ended up buying a Markum grapple exactly like yours. My tractor is an M7040 so it is basically the same tractor as well. My use matches the way you use the grapple a great deal, in particular rooting out trees. You do put some serious grunt to this grapple, but it works fairly well for that. The 2-3 inch trees that are limber are actually harder than a 5-6 inch one?or at least that痴 the case thus far. Once the tree is large enough, it tends to snap right below the ground line. The smaller stuff is to limber every thing bends, and doesn稚 break. At that size seems it has enough roots, that it hangs into that ground real well. A little axe work will probably have to be done. Perhaps my technique will also improve, I know it has in the short time I致e had it. I just wish I had bought earlier. Last winter I cut about 250 locust type trees down with a chain saw?and pushed everything around. This grapple would have saved a huge amount of work doing that. Already taken out, best guess 50 small trees, but I致e got a bunch more to do, so I suspect the grapple will be on the tractor most of the time for awhile.
There is one issue. Markum痴 tolerances on the quick connect dimensions are off, at least on this grapple. I popped the grapple loose from the FEL ?nd knew then this isn稚 good. I continued to use, since it came loose when I was trying to pry loose some large concrete slabs?way too much for the grapple and the tractor, and dissed it off due to the 蘇ard use?hen it happen again. I stopped and check closer, and found the grapple wasn稚 binding in tight enough?it simply slipped and moved under hard pressure. I did not contact Markum, but it is a bit of sloppiness on their part. I welded on an extra strip of metal at the bottom that made the quick attach pistons 壮nap in place. That seems to resolve the problem.
There is one issue. Markum痴 tolerances on the quick connect dimensions are off, at least on this grapple. I popped the grapple loose from the FEL ?nd knew then this isn稚 good. I continued to use, since it came loose when I was trying to pry loose some large concrete slabs?way too much for the grapple and the tractor, and dissed it off due to the 蘇ard use?hen it happen again. I stopped and check closer, and found the grapple wasn稚 binding in tight enough?it simply slipped and moved under hard pressure. I did not contact Markum, but it is a bit of sloppiness on their part. I welded on an extra strip of metal at the bottom that made the quick attach pistons 壮nap in place. That seems to resolve the problem.
