Grapple Size ??

[mike69440]

My bucket is 72" and at times it has been a little wide for the work I wanted to do in and around my big & little pines. So I went with a Land Pride SGC1560.

Its 60" wide and weighs 820#. It would be called a root & rock grapple. Its heavy duty to the extreme - I've never wanted a wider/narrower unit and its great for grubbing out rocks, trees and roots. Its very handy for light grading/leveling in either forward or reverse. Very nice for bunching up limbs from a trimmed up fallen pine.

The beauty of purchasing a grapple is that you DO have such a wide field to select from...... "choose wisely, grasshopper"

View attachment 497768

I like the construction, the gussets, the serrations and the way the claws interlock. Plus it so new! Root and rock grapple is different from root grapple.

 

[LD1]

My grapple is well over 800lbs. Only ever used on my MX. I don't know what else to say.
View attachment 497858

1/2" steel?

Your grapple is of a different design than mine. Looks like yours has several inches of unsupported "tine" there at the end.

Look at tall the pictures of this one at the side and you will see why I dont bend the tips Tomahawk Attachments :: Tomahawk 66" One-Cylinder Brush Grapple

 

[sdef]

I've use mine on big rocks and slabs of concrete, moving junk, logs, ripping up roots, moving implements, etc. Just about everything you can imagine. Trying to push and pry against a rock or root, with everything she's got, I still stand by my comment. Ain't no mx-sized loader gonna hurt a well made 400-500# grapple. And IMO, an 800# grapple is a waste of money and lift capacity.

Now if I was shopping g for a grapple for my backhoe with 6000-7000# lift capacity with 18k pounds behind it...Then yea, that would justify the added cost and weight for a heavy grapple

+1. Here are a few pics of my 500# rock bucket. It has dug out many large rocks from my heavy clay soil and only has scratched paint to show for its efforts. Did have one tooth break off but that was due to a strange metal weak point early on in its life.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that the OP needs an 800# grapple. Heck, I'm not positive I do! But the certainty of the statement is misleading:

I still stand by my comment. Ain't no mx-sized loader gonna hurt a well made 400-500# grapple.

It's a Land Pride SGC2072 at 895#. Yes, 1/2 AR400 steel tines. I'm pretty sure I would have destroyed a Tomahawk grapple by now but the extra lift capacity would be nice for sure. Cheers. :thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

Keep in mind guys that all steel is not created equal.. Having thick 36,000 psi steel is nowhere near as good as having a grapple made from 80,000 psi steel that can be made much thinner and be as strong or stronger. 36,000 psi steel is the so called "mild steel" that most farm implements are made from.

 

[LD1]

I'm pretty sure I would have destroyed a Tomahawk grapple by now but the extra lift capacity would be nice for sure. Cheers. :thumbsup:

If all you got to use it on is the MX4800, I dont think you could "destroy it". I have tried.

I have bit down on ~12" diameter logs ~30' long BETWEEN the teeth, to drag backwards out of the edge of the woods and into the field. Sometimes limited on space, it involves backing up while turning. So if you can imagine a 30' long, 12" diameter log, between the teeth like a prybar. Sometimes this log snags on a stump or tree enough that I break traction and it forces the tractor where it wants.

Like I said, look at how the teeth are gusseted. 3/8" mild steel with gussets all the way to the tip is gonna be alot stronger than 1/2" T1 unsupported for several inches.

But its all in the design. I am not saying your grapple is a bad design. It was made for a different purpose. It was made to sink them think tines in the ground and rip out roots, so gussets would hinder its operation.

Mine was designed with scooping and loading logs and brush, rocks, etc in mind. So the teeth are very well gusseted because it aint made to be teeth down in the dirt.

 

[Xfaxman]

I'm looking to get a grapple for my MX5800 with LA1065 FEL and have a question regarding the best width to get. The bucket on the 1065 is 72" and matches the rear tire width. In the past, I've always sized my implement width to be equal to or greater than the tire width. Should the same be true for a grapple? The main use for the grapple is moving logs, large tree branches and brush. Any suggestions?

A narrow grapple will handle long logs just fine.

You will have to decide which basic style will work best for you.

Clam / rake:

L Bottom / root, get the widest opening possible:

Sometimes the brush is small and scattered around. I loaded this by hand, can't do it on a clam / rake style.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

If all you got to use it on is the MX4800, I dont think you could "destroy it". I have tried.

I have bit down on ~12" diameter logs ~30' long BETWEEN the teeth, to drag backwards out of the edge of the woods and into the field. Sometimes limited on space, it involves backing up while turning. So if you can imagine a 30' long, 12" diameter log, between the teeth like a prybar. Sometimes this log snags on a stump or tree enough that I break traction and it forces the tractor where it wants.

Like I said, look at how the teeth are gusseted. 3/8" mild steel with gussets all the way to the tip is gonna be alot stronger than 1/2" T1 unsupported for several inches.

But its all in the design. I am not saying your grapple is a bad design. It was made for a different purpose. It was made to sink them think tines in the ground and rip out roots, so gussets would hinder its operation.

Mine was designed with scooping and loading logs and brush, rocks, etc in mind. So the teeth are very well gusseted because it aint made to be teeth down in the dirt.

That grapple is definitely a good value. I keep toying with the idea of getting one just for brush and loose rock work (but SWMBO would not look kindly on it :confused3.

Back to the OPs question: If it were me, I'd want a 5-700# "flat bottom" grapple... I'd have a slight preference for one lid over two... And I still don't know about the width (which was the point of his post ).

 

[Snapper Head]

FWIW - I put a EA Wicked Root Grapple on my L3940. Bucket was 6 feet, so I went with something slightly narrower, the 60-something-inch width. I have been extremely pleased with it. I like the dual claws and there is no issue with the hydraulic setup (though I did rip a hose early on while I was in 'bulldozer' mode. The grapple is just too handy, it stays on the tractor unless I need the bucket or forks. I feel the weight a bit if I don't have anything on the rear, but I don't work with it in that mode, I always have my weight bucket on it when using it.

When I was shopping for one, I was told here on TBN that a root grapple does not convert your tractor into a bulldozer. That is an accurate statement.


Big Al