Grapple Grapple research and tentative conclusion what may be best for me; what do YOU think?

[dustinfox]

I saw this one too when I was looking and was considering it but iirc it was alot of $$$. Looks like a beauty though!

Holy smoke... Just called three dealers and got $2,876, $2,900, and $3,200. The thing must be made from titanium.

 

[IslandTractor]

Holy smoke... Just called three dealers and got $2,876, $2,900, and $3,200. The thing must be made from titanium.

No but it is a Bradco which is a big company. Those are the retail prices which have dealer markup in them I imagine. The real deals on grapples are from little mom and pop outfits that sell direct to consumer.

By the way, I suspect there is an error in their specifications. They list the 60 inch grapple as weighing 303lbs and the 66 inch version weighing 404lbs but they are spec'ed with the same steel and openings etc. If six extra inches weighs 100lbs then the 60 inch version should weigh 600lbs. I suspect the 303lb figure is wrong. 350-375lbs is more like it.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

You can spend a fortune buying these things ... or spend a little like Island and I did. It's up to you. I'm delighted with my purchase. Even with shipping, the hoses and connectors, I have less than $900 invested. If you spend less, you'll have more $$ to spend on other attachments.

(I'm even thinking about buying a grapple stump bucket from them, too eBay - Wildkat Grapple Stump Bucket)

 

[dustinfox]

You can spend a fortune buying these things ... or spend a little like Island and I did. It's up to you. I'm delighted with my purchase. Even with shipping, the hoses and connectors, I have less than $900 invested. If you spend less, you'll have more $$ to spend on other attachments.

(I'm even thinking about buying a grapple stump bucket from them, too eBay - Wildkat Grapple Stump Bucket)

I have no intention of spending that kind of money... :confused2: I just want something light. It's really hard to find anything under 400 lbs though. I like the one you have, but at 440 lbs, it is still a bit heavier than I would like.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

I don't know for sure what it weighs, call WildKat and ask 'em.

 

[JFS2295]

I was going to order this one from them at the end of the month, but they just upped the price by $200, so back looking at another brand.

NEW 66" ROOT RAKE SKID STEER ATTACHMENT W/TEETH | eBay

 

[dustinfox]

I don't know for sure what it weighs, call WildKat and ask 'em.

I did... 440 lbs. Maybe that's as light a grapple I'll find without mortgaging my house...

Actually, they are not making yours any more. The new version has only one hydraulic so I'm surprised the weight hasn't gone down.

 

[IslandTractor]

I did... 440 lbs. Maybe that's as light a grapple I'll find without mortgaging my house...

Actually, they are not making yours any more. The new version has only one hydraulic so I'm surprised the weight hasn't gone down.

I believe the Gator 48" grapple is in the 350lb range. If you have a truly light tractor like a SCUT or one of the Kubota B series, you might also consider some of the grapples designed for the minitrack devices like the Dingo. It also would be easy for someone like Gator to make a 30 inch version of their 48" grapple and that would still have a lot of utility. They build on a semicustom basis anyways so it should cost less and certainly not more than what they charge for the standard light duty 48.

 

[dustinfox]

I believe the Gator 48" grapple is in the 350lb range. If you have a truly light tractor like a SCUT or one of the Kubota B series, you might also consider some of the grapples designed for the minitrack devices like the Dingo. It also would be easy for someone like Gator to make a 30 inch version of their 48" grapple and that would still have a lot of utility. They build on a semicustom basis anyways so it should cost less and certainly not more than what they charge for the standard light duty 48.

Thanks. I'll check it out. My loader lift capacity is 1,150 lbs so I just hate to use up 450 of that just lifting the attachment. Maybe I need to do more thinking about what I will actually be lifting. 600 - 700 lbs may be more than enough. Probably the heaviest thing I would lift would be 10' logs of pine and spruce. I wonder if there is a table somewhere listing the weight per cubic foot of various softwoods.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks. I'll check it out. My loader lift capacity is 1,150 lbs so I just hate to use up 450 of that just lifting the attachment. Maybe I need to do more thinking about what I will actually be lifting. 600 - 700 lbs may be more than enough. Probably the heaviest thing I would lift would be 10' logs of pine and spruce. I wonder if there is a table somewhere listing the weight per cubic foot of various softwoods.

My first tractor was a Kioti CK20 (see my avatar photo) and it handled a 300lb grapple beautifully. 1150lbs of lift is plenty even for a 350lb grapple and will leave you with enough capacity for as much brush as you can possibly cram into the grapple. Big logs and rocks are another matter but those things can overwhelm any tractor/grapple combo. I was able to lift and move logs/trees that were way too big to move without heavy rear ballast like a bush hog or BH even though I had loaded tires.