picker77
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2006
- Messages
- 385
- Location
- Central Oklahoma
- Tractor
- JD 3032E, dual remotes, TnT, tooth bar, grapple
Now that I've used this thing a while, here's an update. David is right, there is an amazing amount of force/leverage put on the bucket top with a grapple, especially with a grapple that's "center" mounted like this one. My bracing job on the underside of the top of the bucket lip has proved insufficient, resulting in bending the top of the bucket upward on one occasion (I was able to bend it back to fairly straight, with some effort). So this spring I'll be doing a re-do on the mounting setup, and will install something very strong (probably a large chunk of rectangular tubing) across the entire width of the bucket.
On the positive side, it did take a lot to bend it. At the time, I had the bucket rolled fully down with the teeth a few inches off the ground, had the grapple about 2/3 closed, and accidentally hooked the grapple on a big root while backing up. Proved to be too much for the top of the bucket to take. So this time around I plan to stiffen the bucket top ALL the way across, and weld/bolt the stiffener to both sides of the bucket. That should counteract the huge torque that gets exerted on the sheet metal on the top of the bucket. I obviously underestimated the amount of that torque. Live and learn.
With that one exception (my fault!), I couldn't be happier with the way I have this little tractor set up. The combination of dual rear hydraulics, tooth bar, grapple, and top and tilt have made my life 3000% easier when clearing brush and maintaining roads and ditches. Now that it's been a while, can't see how I could have done without any of them. Every penny has been well spent, in my opinion, but I'm biased, because it's MY poor old back that's being saved here!
On the positive side, it did take a lot to bend it. At the time, I had the bucket rolled fully down with the teeth a few inches off the ground, had the grapple about 2/3 closed, and accidentally hooked the grapple on a big root while backing up. Proved to be too much for the top of the bucket to take. So this time around I plan to stiffen the bucket top ALL the way across, and weld/bolt the stiffener to both sides of the bucket. That should counteract the huge torque that gets exerted on the sheet metal on the top of the bucket. I obviously underestimated the amount of that torque. Live and learn.
With that one exception (my fault!), I couldn't be happier with the way I have this little tractor set up. The combination of dual rear hydraulics, tooth bar, grapple, and top and tilt have made my life 3000% easier when clearing brush and maintaining roads and ditches. Now that it's been a while, can't see how I could have done without any of them. Every penny has been well spent, in my opinion, but I'm biased, because it's MY poor old back that's being saved here!