Grapple 4n1 bucket or grapple

[JimMorrissey]

What do you think is more useful.....

I've got some trash to deal with (old broken down barn full of old tires, tin, rusted barrels, rotten wood and such. I also have to deal with removing an old fence, and stumps. I was thinking about a grapple for my bucket, but the 4n1 looks good for dozing and back-filling trenches too. Wonder which one would be more useful in the long haul....likely the 4n1. Not sure it would be so good at picking up junk though.

Also....do you see a problem with a 66" universal 4n1 in place of a 72" loader bucket?...AND has anybody seen a 4n1 with a tooth bar.

 

[PineRidge]

Jim I have no personal experience with a 4 in 1 bucket but they look like they can't be the best choice for picking up downed trees. I have also always wondered that if you spring the bucket how well the two halves will mate after that.

I considered one, then decided on a grapple instead.

Results may vary for different users and uses but I'm thrilled with the help of a bucket grapple/tooth-bar combination that can easily be removed if the need arises.

 

[hhw]

I'm glad you posted this. I am in a similar situation. I have been researching the same attachments. Right now I am leaning towrd the 4in1 for my 110TLB. Hopefully there will be some good input.

While checking with my dealer on the $ for the 4in1 I was told to expect about $2K for it from Deere. The grapples I have seen fall into the $1600.00 range. I'm told that a bolt on toothbar for the multi-purpose bucket is not a good idea becuase of the stress it could put on the overall system?

 

[JimMorrissey]

hhw...I would not worry about the bolt on tooth bar damaging your 110. That's a pretty stout machine from what I've seen (buddy has one). I have a tooth bar for my L39 and have used one on two other Kubota machines with absolutely no problems; as have many others on TBN. The bolt on tooth bar is perhaps the most useful, least expensive addtion you can make to a tractor IMO. You'll be able to dig!

 

[JimMorrissey]

Pine, That was my original intent, then I went to the WR Long site and started to look around. 4n1 looks pretty sweet.

You think the tooth bar with the manufactured grapple would be good at picking up junk tires, old wood, piles of broken cement and cinder blocks?

How is your grapple at picking up rocks? How easy is it to remove?

 

[jmc]

Jim,

4 in one buckets are nice for many reasons but using them as a dozer isn't one of them, in my opinion. In my hands, it can't do much more dozing than a normal bucket. The big thing a real dozer has going for it is its ability to tilt in 2 or 3 directions. That said, there are quick attach adapters that allow you to hydraulically tilt your implement from side to side, like for crowning a road.

For trash, have you considered a root grapple? I just got one from W R Long and they open wide enough to pick up about anything. See attachment.

John

 

[PineRidge]

Jim I have picked up trees that taxed my 17LA loader without dropping the tree on the way to the burn/cut pile. The 17LA loader is rated at about a ton. I think this is where a grapple can out-shine a 4 in 1 bucket as you can grab loads that extend way beyond the width of the bucket and not have to worry about dropping them.

I am also amazed at how easy it is to pick up or pluck a large boulder from the ground. You are again only limited by your loaders lift ability.

Plus using a tooth-bar in conjunction with the bucket gives the added ability for digging easily and still having the use of the grapple and the bucket.

I wasn't sure if a tooth-bar was recommended for a 4 in 1 bucket but it just seems to me like the pivot point of the mechanism might not take a lot of stress to put the whole mechanism off alignment, then what?

I think if you talk to more guys about grapples you will find that they are made to take a beating and be used heavily without coming away from the job damaged or unusable.

The fact that a tooth-bar is not recommended for a 4 in 1 kinda hints that the whole structure might not be as stable as a conventional bucket equipped with a tooth-bar ramming into the same pile of dirt. And after all why have a bucket if you can't use a tooth-bar? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Most grapples are easy to remove. With mine I pull two lynch pins for the hydraulic cylinder, unhook the hydraulic quick connects and set the cylinder to the side.

Then I pull three lynch pins on the grapple arms and set the arm section to the side.

The base for the grapple can either be left on the bucket or unbolted and removed. Although I don't know why that portion of the grapple might ever need to be removed from the bucket itself. It shouldn't interfere with anything that you might need the bucket alone to do.

And the hydraulic cylinder and set of lift arms can be set up to work with multiple buckets and pallet forks that you might own sharing the same saving more than a few bucks if that is the route that you want to take, something that you can't do with a 4 in 1 bucket.

 

[KennyV]

I remember this question from last year… good topics never go away /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. My choice is still the 4n1. I do have both. Have not used the grapple in a long while. We had a LOT of downed trees and limbs from an unusually bad ice storm a couple mounts ago… 4n1 did everything /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif.

As to tooth bar on a 4n1, see the attached picture, the holes on the leading edge are there for tooth bar attachment. This is a Thomas bucket and they sell the tooth bar that attaches to it. KennyV.

 

[KennyV]

Hello John,
That is a great looking root grapple /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif…
I think you are right about the angle, left/right of a true dozer blade, but for a wheel tractor this type 4n1 ‘dozer’ works ‘ok’. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif KennyV.

 

[Cactus]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> Jim I have no personal experience with a 4 in 1 bucket but they look like they can't be the best choice for picking up downed trees. I have also always wondered that if you spring the bucket how well the two halves will mate after that. </font> )</font>

I have the 4 in 1 on a JD 4400 and I have picked up many logs,16' to 18' long and 16" to 20" through and stacked them on my 16' trailer and hauled them to the lumber yard and sold them. I have had tree's laying across the road and picked them up and at times pulled them down out of other tress by using the 4 in 1 loader. I can grapple rocks up to a 1000 pounds with the 4 in 1 . I can open my 4 in 1 up and push Multiflora rose out of the way. Never had any problems with sprining the bucket. I have used the heck out of my 4 in 1 and never had a problem with springing anything on the bucket. It is one tough attatchment,at least mine is. I would not have a tractor without the 4 in 1.