Is a grapple worth it?

[sw18x]

Starting a new thread now that I've decided on the B2650 and need to get serious about implements. FEL, BH with thumb, RFM are now set. I dropped the Brushhog since our 1 acre pasture isn't too far gone yet that I can run the RFM through there occasionally and keep things under control, and going with the RFM over the MMM saved me money too. Bottom line, I can get the third function and a grapple for $2300 which puts me right back where my original quote was for the package with the brush hog and MMM.

So I'd like to hear from grapple owners - is it worth the expense? Is it one of those tools you find using more frequently than you expected, or do they end up sitting in a corner? I have two huge brush piles of downed apple trees that the previous owner pulled out, and a good deal of brush around the perimeter of the mowed portion of the property to play in. So in the short term, that grapple will come in **** handy. But once that stuff is cleaned up, I wonder how much I'll use it in the woods. I will be cutting some trails through light brush eventually and do have 30 acres of woods to play in, but what do you think? Do you rate your grapple a necessity or a luxury?

 

[ovrszd]

I made my Grapple by adding claws to a bucket. So my information might be a bit skewed. I rarely take mine off. It's the 2nd most used tractor attachment I have. Only led by the FEL itself.

In my case I keep my property better maintained because I have a Grapple. I never drive by a mess on the ground, brush, etc., without picking it up and hauling it to the pile.

Warning, Grapple will make a lazy man out of you. You'll spend a couple minutes trying to pick up the smallest things with the Grapple rather than getting off the tractor and doing it by hand.

 

[TripleR]

One of those "it depends" type of questions. We got by for years without one as I was able to use a chain saw, had kids who could cut and drag trees. Kids got scarce, so we got by with forks. My brother and I are much older and I swear the tractors are getting taller, so I bought our first grapple two years ago the another one the next year as we have three primary properties with quite a few trees. What once was considered a luxury is now a necessity.

Yes our grapples may sit idle for months, but no one rents them in my area and a good ice storm or summer thunderstorm makes having one handy essential.

It took ovrszd and k0ua a while to convince me, but I'm glad they did.

 

[teg]

In the long run... Yes, it's worth it if you have the acreage and woods. A couple of qualifiers... I bought a used bolt on "grapple" (basically like a "Thumb") and I installed a 3 spool valve (to also run hydraulic Top and Side link) for a LOT less than $2300. I would learn to do it yourself and look for used grapples.

 

[rswyan]

In the long run... Yes, it's worth it if you have the acreage and woods.

Yupper ...

A couple of qualifiers... I bought a used bolt on "grapple" (basically like a "Thumb") and I installed a 3 spool valve (to also run hydraulic Top and Side link) for a LOT less than $2300.

:thumbsup:

$500 will buy ya a lot of rear remote action if ya roll your own.

I would learn to do it yourself and look for used grapples.

... or just build it yourself ...

 

[Tomtint]

Worth every penny to me

 

[EddieWalker]

After the front loader, the grapple is the best attachment out there!!!! Trees die, they lose branches, and sometimes you just need to remove some timber. Having grapple is the only way to do this in a productive manner. Being able to pick up the branches and stack them on a burn pile means cleaner burns,and less dirt to deal with when it's all burned up. Knowing what I know now, I would willingly pay twice what I did for my grapple. It's something I couldn't live without.

 

[mecan]

yes to grapple
and somethings you never thought of.... that was an old lawn tractor.

 

[k0ua]

They are pretty handy, I don't use mine every day either, but when you need one, everything else is a compromise. I stacked little bits of brush in my bucket for years, and later when I got forks, I used them, but a grapple beat the heck out of both for handling brush, and tree limbs and logs. I used the forks today to move several pallets of bricks after stacking them on the pallets.

Nothings beats forks for moving pallets. Nothing beats a grapple for moving brush and limbs. It is hard to say how much you would use it, as everyone's tractor usage is different, but I am glad I have mine.

Richard is right about the lazy man syndrome, I pick up little rocks and twigs all the time with mine. It is convenient and fun.

 

[4570Man]

I wouldn't be without my grapple. It gets used more then any other implement I have.