Grapple Best 66"/72" Root/Rock Grapple Under 700 Lbs?

[Dougster]

Looking for personal experience and/or recommendations for the very best full-sized (66" or 72"), quick-disconnect, root/rock grapple under 700 lbs. By best I mean the strongest and most versatile for its weight AND for the money. I'm not so interested in scissors-type grapples... I need more of a square-bottomed style kinda like the Millonzi Heavy-Duty... only 150+ lbs lighter. Those 850 lb (and up) monsters out there are going to reduce my lift capacity way too much!!!

Also... Anyone know the weight of the Versatech 72" rock/root grapple? It looks like it might qualify (or come close) weight-wise. Is that brand any good? It certainly is cheap enough and apparently popular... but it seems to be sold mainly through auctions, brokers and closeout houses. I can't find the manufacturer's website. Anyone know it? Is this brand made overseas or here in the good old USA? Are they still in business???

Dougster

 

[Maka]

If you were closer to this part of the world I would recommed Borgford as I think he has the best grapple available. He has a 66" not listed on the web site but I just got one delivered this a.m. and have sold about 20 of them over the past 3 years.

Here is his web site Borgford Manufacturing - Excellence in design & manufacturing for 21 years!

Thanks,
Maka

 

[bones1]

Maka..What does the bucket claw go for.

 

[IslandTractor]

I believe I got a quote in the mid $2000 range for one of the smaller (?48") Borgford grapples. They are nice but not economodels. I wonder how many people really need the high strength steel too. Certainly construction types would but for land clearing mild steel seems to work just fine.

 

[Slippy]

Dougster: There are tons of posts about grapples. It gives you a headache to try to read them all. In the most recent posts you should find a couple posts I have put up. My search so far puts the rootgrapple, Millonzi, Markham in the front running value for product. I also have a post about types, one thumb vers two. But like I have said before, I have not read one post, no matter what someone bought that they have said they don't like it. I think if you check the web sites most of them in 72" are in the 700lb+ range.
IslandTractor continues in these threads to make a very good point: The smaller ones will get the job done. He has a 48" and as you can see by his pics, gets a lot done. One other suggestion I will make is to think about it being on the tractor, put yourself in the seat and invision how you would us it, thinking about things like weight, sized, manuverability, tasks, and frequency of use, etc. It has caused me to think small except I think I will use it for trail making and can invision the full size will make that task faster.
Good luck.

 

[Dougster]

Dougster: There are tons of posts about grapples. It gives you a headache to try to read them all. In the most recent posts you should find a couple posts I have put up. My search so far puts the rootgrapple, Millonzi, Markham in the front running value for product. I also have a post about types, one thumb vers two. But like I have said before, I have not read one post, no matter what someone bought that they have said they don't like it. I think if you check the web sites most of them in 72" are in the 700lb+ range. Good luck.

Hi Slippy. Yeah, I'd done lots of research in the archives and done my own research on-line... and you are right: Almost no one ever bought a brand name grapple and then complained that it didn't work! On the other hand, some have complained generally about weak steel parts bending, welds breaking, etc.

My problem is finding the best grapple I can afford in that flat-bottomed style that won't limit my lifting power so much that I can't pickup what I need/want to move! In another thread, it's been suggested that my gross FEL lifting capability is about 2,200 lbs including bucket/implement. Since I don't want to reduce my net lifting payload below 1,500 pounds with the grapple attached, the grapple cannot exceed about 700 lbs.

This tends to push me down into the "light duty" category (such as the Millonzi light-duty 66"), but I can't see that particular design holding together while doing the rough ground work I plan to do. Hence my hope that someone here can recommend a good compromise... the widest, strongest 700 lb grapple in that flat bottomed design.

Dougster

 

[jpm]

doug i have a worksaver grapple that works great for my use ie:lifting and moving trees but it's a scissor type.i also have a brush fork type that has not
really worked for me if this is the type your looking for PM me j

 

[Slippy]

jmp: Just looked at the worksaver again on their web site, which model do you have? You make a good point. In looking at the others I mentioned, they have a longer bottom that sticks out. The work saver does not. When you said brush fork type, is that what you were refering to?

 

[Dougster]

doug i have a worksaver grapple that works great for my use ie:lifting and moving trees but it's a scissor type. i also have a brush fork type that has not really worked for me if this is the type your looking for PM me j

Hi JPM - Not really looking for a brush fork style grapple. I need a true, hardcore, rock/root grapple. While a brush fork style could probably be used temporarily/occasionally for digging out rocks and roots, I'm not sure the long unsupported teeth/rungs would last very long before bending given the work I plan to do.

I expect this new grapple to become almost a permanent fixture on my tractor given that my stock bucket is a bit on the weak side. It is strictly a dirt mover. I am always afraid that the big rocks I find are going to bend it all up. It needs reinforcing bad... bottom and top!

But you do raise another good point. The scissors type *is* the best for moving logs, branches and brush. In an ideal world, I should have two grapples. I looked up your scissors type grapple and it looks awfully sweet!

Dougster

 

[IslandTractor]

What kind of work are you planning? I ask because you seem to indicate you will be digging a lot and I wonder if a grapple bucket (skid steer type) might be the appropriate tool. The root grapples can definitely handle digging out rocks etc but are generally aimed at working from the surface to less than a foot below grade (distance from tip of tines to first horizontal reinforcement). They cannot move the dirt so you end up "playing in a sandbox" once you get down more than 6-12 inches. They are really more for grasping than for digging.

That said, most of the grapples people use on tractors are far stronger than needed for typical tractor/TLB type work. I imagine the bigger skid steers could easily destroy a grapple made of mild steel but even a pretty big CUT would not have that sort of lifting/digging capability so virtually all of the grapples should stand up to it.