Grapple root grapple: bradco vs. loflin

   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #1  

psuedofarmer

Gold Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
311
Location
new hampshire
Tractor
Kioti DK55 Cab, 3 NHs (from 40-90HP)
i've read the posts concerning root grapples in general, but i'm now trying to figure out the differences between these two manufacturers.

the bradco unit is nearly 2x the cost of the loflin unit.

does anyone own a bradco unit, and if so, are you happy with it? any comments on the Loflin unit also appreciated.

<font color="green">CampWags - if you're reading this, i tried to contact you with a PM but the system can't process the request @ the moment. </font>

thanks in advance.

pf
Kioti DK55
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #2  
Just curious psuedofarmer, did you look at the Addington Equipment Grapple/Rakes there in N.H. ?

David
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #3  
By glancing at the grapples' respective sites, I could not see a difference that would justify a doubling in price. However, I don't know what type of material the grapples are made of, what type of cylinders they use, what the welds look like, or a bunch of other details that could be where you would find the price difference. Another grapple worth looking at is the AnBo grapple.
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin
  • Thread Starter
#4  
thanks for the leads - i'm looking at both of them right now.

as i mentioned, the bradco unit is more than 2x price. checking now to find out what justifies the difference.

pf
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #5  
We bought 10 horse stalls last summer, 3x3 meter cages, with boardings up to 4 foot and a fence above it. Very cheap, though on the outer appearance it looks fine.

Now, 7 months later when we put some young animals inside, after having run in the field all summer, a young horse kicked right through a 22 mm pipe (about 1") just like that... Both welds snapped off so luckily the horse wasnt injured when we put its leg back through the fence, as it hung on the boarding barely touching the ground with its other leg.

Having a closer look, we found that the wall thickness of the fence pipes was only 1,5 mm !!!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

When we took a look at all the new stables, we found dents and pits in 8 of the 10 fences.

So this answer might apply to the grapples as well: not what you see on the outside, but the tubes wall thickness is what makes them cheap ??
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #6  
I am very impressed with the Addington Grapple. My neighbor up the road has one just like mine, he spent all summer moving rocks, big rocks. The ones the loader (400x) wouldn't lift he pushed into a pile and there is no damage or visible ware other than paint to the grapple. I have another neighbor down the road that has one on his JD 110, he has the heavy duty model (made with 3/4 steel instead of 5/8's) and has been moving rocks and brush all summer and loves it.

We all don't know how we lived without it before, it's a very handy implement and tuff as nails, well actually it's tuffer /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

David
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #9  
as a whole Bradco makes some of the best stuff money can buy. I'd have no doubts about the quality of their product.
 
   / root grapple: bradco vs. loflin #10  
<font color="blue"> the bradco unit is nearly 2x the cost of the loflin unit. </font>

pf, this might not be the case. I looked at the Loflin grapples and they seemed to be very similar to my Bradco in weight (around 800 lbs.), design and construction.

I found the following website, Loflin Grapple prices - Discount Eqpt.com and it seems to me that the prices are nearly identical as well. The "street price" on my (72")Bradco was around $2,850, and they're getting $2,895 for the Loflin. I believe the Bradco has a larger jaw opening, too.

I looked at Addingtons but preferred to larger volume of the Bradco, which is more a brush grapple than a "root" grapple. Again, I can see the advantages that the shallower "root" grapple design might have in "grubbing" out roots, but I believe that comes at the expense of raw carrying volume.

The Bradco, and from the look of it the Loflin, especially the "Monster" version of it mentioned on their site, would seem to be able to carry more than the typical "root" style of grapple.

Here are links to the Loflin and Bradco grapples (Bradco has other styles, but this is the one I have, which I consider to be the "best" for handling logs and brush). Adding some possible confusion is the fact that Loflin refers to their grapple as a "root" grapple, but I'd call it more of a "brush" grapple.

Loflin root grapples

Bradco brush grapple


John
 
 
 
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