Root / Rock Grapple

[wasabi]

I'm still in the hunt for a good root rock rake / grapple. Anyone familiar with the products offered by Unlimited Fabrications, LLC or have suggestions of alternatives?

http://www.rootgrapple.com/lightroograpple.html

Thanks,

Sabi

 

[tracdoc]

Looks well made and heavy duty, Sabi. KentT in another recent thread was interested in some forks made by the same company.

Have you looked at the Markham Welding grapple and grubbing implements? {HERE} Interestingly, they are located in Denton, NC just like the Unlimited Fabrication folks. I and many other TBNers have been very pleased with Markham's toothbars and their very reasonable prices. I would expect that the quality of their root grapple and grubbers would be at the same level, and fairly priced, too.

 

[wasabi]

Thanks for the link, Doc. I remember seeing comments about Markham over the years, but they were not on my radar screen until your reminder. I'll check them out too.

I'm half inclined to modify the small bucket by adding a root/rock toothbar and a grappler thumb... I'll probably end up just buying something for expediency.

 

[ScottOkla]

rootgrapple.com (Unlimited Fabrication) and Markham's grapples are very similar and the owners know each other. Hmmm. Unlimited can add tines to make it work better for rocks.

The guy at Unlimited Fabrication recommends against the light duty, and they do not warranty it. It is very little $ more to move up to std duty or heavy duty. Still the least expensive around, and I have yet to hear a negative comment from a customer.

Markham's is comparable to the heavy duty of Unlimited, and is also priced well. I've never read anything negative about any of their products. Plus, the lady on the phone has a southern accent. That is a good tie-breaker in their favor.

 

[KentT]

Couple bits of input regarding grapples, having used the PT one...

1. It would be nice if there were more than 3 "fingers" on the grapple when you're picking up lots of little branches or saplings. The aftermarket ones that have four - operated off two cylinders -- look to be a significant improvement. That way, one set of fingers can compress closer to the bucket than the other one. With all three PT fingers on one bar, operated by one cylinder, any one of those 3 fingers can prevent the other two from closing tight. Having them move with two cylinders would help a lot with irregular shaped objects or irregular loads.

2. It would also be nice to have more "webbing" between the fingers. Small limbs can come out between the fingers on the PT grapple. Some, like Fourteen have discussed putting a bar across the fingers down closer to the end. Most aftermarket grapples have somethng down 4" - 6" or so from the end. The problem with doing that on a PT grapple is that anything that contacted that bar could also prevent all three fingers from closing, because of all three fingers being operated off one cylinder...

Hope this makes sense and is of some value...

Don't get me wrong -- the grapple bucket is my favorite attachment -- at least to this point...

 

[wasabi]

I like the idea of separate fingers to adapt to uneven loads.

The grapples I've seen so far seem to be for brush and bigger stuff. While that alone is worth the purchase, I also need to collect root parts and numerous smaller stones out of loosened field soil...requiring closer spacing (more shanks), which I see some makers offer, or another alternative. While at the farm supply shop the other day I saw some stock fencing. Pretty stout stuff. I'm thinking about wiring a stretch across the lower jaw, back from the teeth a bit. If it doesn't get tore up, it may gather smaller stone and roots, but let soil fall through. I think the openings in it are maybe 2 x 4.

 

[wasabi]

I got an e-mail back from Unlimited.

They've never done the brackets for the PT attach, but say they can make it blank so I can get it welded locally.

 

[wasabi]

Well, I've made some progress with my investigations. Both companies can weld on the quick attach plates so that is no worry. They will also add tines to reduce the spacing to about four inches which I think will work. The concern I'm grappling with now (pun intended) is that these units weigh in at 600 to 700 pounds! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Our PT 2445 will lift over 1500 lbs, but I have to wonder about the effectiveness of an implement that uses half the lifting capacity with nothint in it? Our tiller, which is plenty beefy, still weighs less than 400.

The applications I have in mind are not particularly weight intensive....mioving brush and clearing roots and rocks from field soil....but, I might also want to tackle moving rocks or trees with this....something I now typically use forks or bucket for...

Insights?

Sabi

 

[KentT]

As I see it, the root/rock grapple only has one huge benefit over the PT grapple bucket, and that is the ability for dirt to fall out down through the bottom....

Have you tried a PT grapple bucket? You may want to do that before you get one of the much heavier skidsteer grapples....

I think that if you'd sharpen the teeth on a PT grapple bucket, or replace them with an aftermarket toothbar, that you could do almost as well as with the much heavier root rakes. The other main disadvantage of the PT one is that all the teeth operate with one cylinder versus two...

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> The other main disadvantage of the PT one is that all the teeth operate with one cylinder versus two... </font>

Don't forget, if they split the grapple claw and added another cylinder, the price of the implement would go up. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif