Grapple My new Bobcat grapple

jtheise4 · May 25, 2011

dstig1 said:
That's about the same as the Markham/Gator 48", for anyone who is curious. The solid back will solve some problems (the lack of staying put on some QA like Kubota's, is the primary issue it solves), but it does cut down on visibility. Would have been nice if they put expanded metal or a grate in the center section to see through. Looks like a solid unit. You can't beat a grapple for a lot of work with brush and trees.

I agree with you. Like I said, I haven't actually used it yet, but I can already tell that there will be some visibility issues. I was concerned about objects poking through and taking out hydraulic lines or the radiator, so I decided to go with the solid back and live with the reduced visibility. Hopefully I made the right decision.

dstig1 · May 25, 2011

Try it out, give it some time and see. If you find the visibility is an issue, it isn't that hard of a change to make.

IslandTractor · May 25, 2011

I'd cut a bunch of viewports into that back plate. You'll never see what you are trying to grapple otherwise. Might save you about thirty or forty pounds of weight too. I wonder why Bobcat makes them that way. I guess for scooping up construction debris or just blindly running into brush there would be no issue. However, for more precise work like digging up a stump or picking up individual logs or rocks it will be a challenge to see what you are doing.

I have an open back grapple. I can recall only a few instances where something like a branch poked through. In each case it is pretty obvious because that is exactly where you are looking so you just stop forward movement, back up a bit, raise or lower the grapple to bend the offending stick and keep going. Never poked anything into the engine compartment in the past six years of brush removal.

I do like the upper grapple jaw compared to a traditional clamshell. This grapple still has a forward projecting bottom jaw that will hold material with just gravity while a clamshell will not. I imagine this one will not open as wide as a clamshell but there are relatively few times when that is an issue.

deereman75 · May 25, 2011

Looks good:thumbsup:

dstig1 · May 26, 2011

I've had lots of stuff poke through, and even hit the grill occasion. Now I added some expanded metal in the center and it helps grab brush better as it provides a "stop" for it to push against better. And doesn't hurt visibility.

I assumed bobcat made it that way as the basic standard interface for a SSQA implement is a solid flat plate across the back like that (with the angled hook at the top and the bent hook slots at the bottom, of course). Maybe they had another reason to offer this option...dunno.

kennyd · May 26, 2011

jtheise4 said:
According to the specifications, it weighs in at 379 lbs. When I was wrestling it out of the bed of my truck, I swore it weighed a ton!

Thanks, not as bad as I thought from the pictures...what was the price?

IslandTractor · May 26, 2011

dstig1 said:
I assumed bobcat made it that way as the basic standard interface for a SSQA implement is a solid flat plate across the back like that (with the angled hook at the top and the bent hook slots at the bottom, of course). Maybe they had another reason to offer this option...dunno.

The "standard" SSQA mount does not require a solid back even though most are built that way. It is possible to just have two smaller solid pieces at each side with a clear area in the middle. This second type, perhaps with a mesh brush protector would allow much better visibility for the grapple operator.

Reg · May 26, 2011

Ya just KNOW the safety police are gonna jump on Ya for having that ROPS folded (-:

jtheise4 · May 26, 2011

Reg said:
Ya just KNOW the safety police are gonna jump on Ya for having that ROPS folded (-:

Let them jump away! I only pulled the tractor out of the garage to take pictures of the new grapple, so I wasn't about to put the ROPS up for that.

jtheise4 · May 26, 2011

kennyd said:
Thanks, not as bad as I thought from the pictures...what was the price?

It was not cheap. I paid around $2K, which is more than I would have paid for a Gator or WR Long, but I'm very leary about buying from Gator with all the drama going on there. And I was unable to get a dealer to quote me a price on a WR Long. My local Massey Ferguson dealer sells Bobcat, so I was able to get excellent service as ususal and he worked with me on the price. He also plumbed it up so that it fits perfect with my tractor. To me, its worth it to pay a little extra to get good service and support.