Texas Grapple Shootout

[IslandTractor]

Looking a bit further.
3rd function auxilliary hydraulic kits for all brands of tractors and loaders! purchase online, free shipping within 1,000 miles!!
That adds another 30% to the cost of your grapple.

I'd keep doing it the way you are now. But I'm a cheapskate.
I really wouldn't want a couple hoses with couplings on them up there if the grapple was not attached.
Then they'd have to be covered to keep the dirt off.

If you are referring to couplings on the FEL torque tube, If ends are loose, they can be easily hooked together so that they don't allow dirt in. If you mount them to a bracket then plugs would be needed.

 

[txdon]

If you are referring to couplings on the FEL torque tube, If ends are loose, they can be easily hooked together so that they don't allow dirt in. If you mount them to a bracket then plugs would be needed.

That reminds me I need to move some connectors around on the FEL and Grapple so I can connect them to each other. Caps on hoses on the FEL always seem to pop off for some reason out here.

 

[IslandTractor]

That reminds me I need to move some connectors around on the FEL and Grapple so I can connect them to each other. Caps on hoses on the FEL always seem to pop off for some reason out here.

Yeah. The other problem with caps is that they get dirty if you forget to mate them after removing from the quick connectors. I prefer to just hook hoses to each other.

 

[TomSeller]

Ted is great but his premise that "you're going to want to operate the grapple open/close and loader dump/curl at the same time" is debatable. Many of us do just fine with sequential operation.

I have a lot of grapple experience, yesterday alone I probably grappled 70 to 90 scoops. The vast majority of the time I am getting under/to the load I want and then securing it with the lid as two separate functions. Securing the load is sometimes done when I am driving/backing away with the load. So to that extent I have two operations going at once. The number of times where I can scoop and secure in one motion (eg where I don't even slow down, the "load" has daylight under it or whatever) is maybe 1%. IMHO, If a 3rd function works for someone, that is great and it is what they should have, but it is not necessary. If someone wants to save some $, they can use their rear remotes just fine. When dumping, I always curl towards me when approaching the destination, open the lid while driving and uncurl on the pile/fire as I reverse.

 

[jinman]

For $524 I can get a Kubota third remote added to my Kubota double stack. There is already an open slot for the remote lever next to the other two.

Don, if you can add a factory remote for $524, I say go for it. Having a Kubota brand on that remote means Kubota support for anywhere you go or to anyone whoever buys your tractor. That's a bargain in my opinion.

 

[jinman]

This Fasse kit looks pretty nice and is competitively priced. If you installed one of these, it could easily be moved to another tractor and allow a single grapple to easily be moved between tractors where all remotes were in use. Pretty slick!

 

[texasjohn]

I don't fully understand how the Fasse kit works. Looks like you plug it into a hydraulic circuit and electronically operated solenoids select one of two circuits. Does the operating lever have a detente so it selects circuit A or B (ie, NOT a momentary switch)? If so, then it would be mounted out of the way and operation would be done via the existing hydraulic circuit lever??

 

[txdon]

Jim, that does look interesting but I found the right rear OME Kubota remote package (L8303 plus L8307) for my tractor and the price for both is only $473. installing it is the big unknown but hopefully the parts will come with some directions.

 

[k0ua]

I don't fully understand how the Fasse kit works. Looks like you plug it into a hydraulic circuit and electronically operated solenoids select one of two circuits. Does the operating lever have a detente so it selects circuit A or B (ie, NOT a momentary switch)? If so, then it would be mounted out of the way and operation would be done via the existing hydraulic circuit lever??

It plugs into the existing hydraulic outlets, via the eccentric couplers (so it can match the spacing) and then the control box is just a bat handle toggle switch to control which solenoid which of the two circuits on the face of the hydraulic block are active. As you said you mount the box wherever you want and control the selected circuit with your existing SCV lever. They make several other models also, including a 3 circuit one that is not a whole lot more. And a stackable one.. well in fact they make dozens of different ones for diffferent applications.

 

[texasjohn]

Thanks, James. An interesting and portable option..