Grapple grapple uses and companies

[ScottOkla]

I've read lots of good posts in the past about grapples, but I would like to throw my specific needs out there to get suggestions from you experienced people.

I have a Kubota L5030HST (skid-steer quick attach) - about 1800 lbs lift capacity at bucket center on the loader according to the Kubota specs. The grapple is for this tractor and loader. I have the rear remotes and am leaning towards using those hydrolics for the grapple. I will NOT be loading my tires because the low weight of the tractor is very important to me at certain times/applications during the year. I will use a box blade or similar on the 3PH for ballast.

I have 30 forested acres at my place and another 100 at my fathers place to use this attachment. Most of this property is in mature, overcrowded pecan trees. For those of you unfamiliar with pecan trees, they drop many branches and smaller 1 to 3 foot long "twigs" during the year due to shading, weight of crop load, twig girdlers, etc.

I have a need to do these things:

1. Move large logs and canopy tops to fires while removing about 30 mature (1 to 3 ft diameter) trees per year.

2. Clean up large dead branches that fall each year. Many are broken up on the ground and are pretty tight with the ground in the grass.

3. Clean up many small branches and 12 to 24 inch ends that come off the trees in the fall. If possible, I would like to be able to use the grapple rake to gather this material and then clamp down on it and carry it to brushpiles for burning. Some grapples may be useful here.

4. General removal of debris in areas I am gradually reclaiming, etc.



I have read about these choices from various posts and on websites:

a. WR Long
b. ATI (preseeder.com)
c. rootgrapple.com
d. Worksaver
e. Markham
f. Borgford
g. ANBO (same as ANB from skidsteer solutions)
h. local dealer uses Vassar (near Stillwater, OK) grapple sold by Price Brothers, but can find no detailed information about it.


As with past posts on the subject from other users, I am concerned with the weights of these grapples (and price of course). I am also thinking that closely spaced, but flatter, bottom tines and ones with some curvature on the ends will help me gather the scattered smaller material. However, this type may not be good when trying to open wide and take bites out of large brush piles.

I would appreciate replies from users of each of these. There are 3 or 4 other L5030 owners with grapples that have given me some info on these boards already, but I would appreciate more comments from these and others about this specific list of needs based on your experiences.

Scott

 

[RedRocker]

Look at Virnig under products then compact tractor attachments. They have a rock bucket that's light if you use the smaller model and you can add a grapple to that or a bucket.

 

[TechJ]

I have the worksaver and my only regret is that I didn't buy it sooner!

We have about 9 acres of pine & oak. at least 2/3 was damaged/destoyed during the Cedar fire. But it didn't all burn down, lots of trash, large logs, branches, etc.

Until I bought the worksaver I had been using the loader bucket, toothbar, pallet fork and a LOT of back power!

With the grapple I can move most trees up to 2 ft diameter without cutting, anything larger I will saw first.

One thing that I found that I didn't realize before is that by taking the whole tree I can move it to one location where I can limb & buck it leaving the tree in the grapple -- saves my back! The only part that can't be done is the 5 ft or so that's in the grapple itself, that I do the old fashioned way.

Other uses are to pick up and move branches and rocks. Only downside is that small pieces aren't that easy to pickup.

I have used it to build a rock retaining wall with some rocks (up to about 800 lb) from my property.

I had a set of rear remotes available and use those; while it would be easier to operate with a remote attached to the loader control, I don't think that it's a big deal.

OK, there's always a downside; in my case it's the work involved in switching between the loader bucket and the grapple. If I had to do everything all over again I would have gone with a quick-attach for these.

 

[RonMar]

For what you described, you might be able to use just the rock/fork bucket without a grapple. I was looking for one but price and weight sent me in the direction of building my own. Most of the ones I looked at(many on the list you mentioned) were all too heavy duty and seemed more for riping up roots, stumps and other below ground debris. My needs were more along the lines you described, cleanup and log movement. I built mine 60" wide with 11 tines made of 2"X1/4" wall square tube and weighs 300 pounds. I originally designed a grapple for it but decided to try it without before I added the additional hydraulic circuit(and weight). It has worked excellent for me and I can quite easilly fill it from existing piles with more material than I can safely hold. On occasion the material will drag out when attempting to fill the bucket from older piles that I am reforming into smaller piles to burn. I keep finding these old piles in the brush as I clear land That has been the only time I really could have used a grapple but just making another scoop from the pile usualy nets me a full bucket. It works pretty well for picking up branches and brush from the ground but it does tend to tear up the surface. For final cleanup I will be using a landscape rake with gauge wheels on it. Rake the small stuff into a pile, then turn around and pick up that pile. I have also used it to move around logs that are headed for the woodpile. The fork bucket has been so usefull, I hadn't put the regular bucket back on for months till 2 days ago to move some dirt.

If you are not of the fabrication persuasion, you might be able to have a local weld shop build one for you at a competitive price to one of the ones you listed(+shipping).

 

[stevenf]

Scott, I bought my 84" grapple rake from my tractor dealer he ordered it for me from FFC/CE attachments it is the BTR grapple and cost a little over $4,000 with all the plumbing and installation it is hooked to one of my rear remotes and uses one of my existing valve levers for opening and closing. I can't imagine a more useful tool for what your doing as long as you have room to maneuver and the limbs aren't laying flat on the ground unless it doesn't matter what the ground looks like after you finish. I don't think I enjoy anything as much as using it, its just cool to be able to roll up to a downed tree or brush that weighs thousands of pounds and pick it up and if your cutting firewood its really nice you can pick up the tree to a comfortable chain saw height and cut away. I will warn you though because in reading your post it sounds like your wanting to gather up 2 and 3 foot long limbs off the ground either your going to tear the ground up or get off and load them unless there is something to stop them from moving it is very difficult to just slide under small stuff and scoop it up without roughing the ground up adding to the problem is even though the grapple is seethru pretty much by the time your at the point where the grapple is next to it you can no longer see to finesse it into the grapple because its on the ground right in front of the tractor. If you get to San Antonio look me up and you can come play with mine to get an idea as to what I'm saying, its just not a gentle, finesse oriented implement but I love mine. I rarely have my loader bucket on unless I'm moving dirt or using it to transport stuff around the ranch with.
Steve

 

[RobA]

ScottOkla: I have the same tractor setup as you. I wound up with the WR Long after reading about it on this site. One of the selling points was the hydraulic valve kit it came with. When I called the dealer I bought the tractor from he had never heard of WR Long's grapple. When he saw the valve kit he was immediately sold on it. I have been very happy with the purchase.

I am also clearing my property. I hope to eventually clear 10 or 15 acres (if I were in a rush I would hire a dozer). There is a lot of brush and trees. I had some of the property timbered 6 months ago and there is a lot of debris (big and small) that was left behind. I already have 2 burn piles each the size of a school bus. The grapple handles piles of brush, branches, trees and logs quite easily. However, I do have my tires filled for ballast. If you were going to be moving logs, especially long ones, I'd be careful.

I am sure there are other good grapples out there but I am very pleased with WR Long's.

 

[ulbhunter]

ScottOKLA, I am in El Reno and I just recently purchased a root grapple for my Kioti DK65. I am using it for making burn piles of cedars that I am clearing on 40 acres. I purchased mine online from www.rootgrapple.com I bought the standard duty and with shipping from Denton, NC to Oklahoma City the total delivered price was only $1,650.00. The grapple is extremely tough and built quite hevy. I could not find anything local that came even close to that price. I will try to take some pics tomorrow and post.

 

[ScottOkla]

ulbhunter,

My father has a new tree sheer on his M9000. We have thousands and thousands of small trees that have grown under the mature pecan trees over the last 20 years. I'm talking about 80 acres or so. With his sheer and my L5030 and grapple, we are hoping to do 4 times the work we could previously do in a day. Plus we won't damage the bottomland floor much and can be selective in which seedlings to leave. I picture your work as being similar. Our bottom land doesn't have much cedar, but I love to throw the occasional one on the fire and enjoy the sounds and smell of it as it burns.

The grapple from rootgrapple.com was the design I thought would be one of the most versatile, while not being too heavy or expensive.

I'm glad you posted, fellow Okie.

 

[JoeR]

I have the WR Long, and it works great!

Although, the thought of trying to pick up small tree limbs may be difficult. If the limb in not perpendicular to your path, it will most likely slide between the rake. If the rake is too closely space together, then the rake gathers too much dirt along with debris. I would approach the problem this way: What is the maximum diameter my brush hog can handle? Then choose a grapple/rake the has a minimum spacing of that. This way in the summer, the pieces of limbs that slipped through the grapple will get mulched by the brush hog when you are mowing down the weeds. Of course, there may be a better way to do that, but I was just brainstorming without much thought to anything else. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good luck,

Joe

 

[ns_in_tex]

Hi Scott,

I have 10 mature pecan trees in my yard, so I am aware of the clean up involved.

Here is a link to the grapple I built for my L4610. It was my answer to wanting a Anbo grapple.

I do not know the weight, but expect it weighs at least 5 to 600 lbs. I never cease to be amazed at the work it will peform. It is by far the most useful attachment FOR ME, of maybe 8 to 10 I have for the front end loader.

The teeth on it are 9" centers. I recently adapted a 6' landscape rake so I could pick it up with the grapple to rake up the little stuff into a pile. I can then set then set it down & pick up the pile with the grapple to move. This is done without getting off my tractor.

Sorry, I don't have pictures with me of this landscape rake setup, but can post at a later date if anyone is interested.