Grapple 48" WildKat grapple on order

bigballer · May 18, 2012

well i finally made the plunge into the world of grapple ownership, ordered up my very own 48" wildkat today and it's already shipped out! alot to do between now and next thursday when it's scheduled to arrive but it can't come soon enough!

RJJR · May 18, 2012

bigballer said:
well i finally made the plunge into the world of grapple ownership, ordered up my very own 48" wildkat today and it's already shipped out! alot to do between now and next thursday when it's scheduled to arrive but it can't come soon enough!

Congratulations. I never take mine off the tractor unless I need to move dirt. It's a great tool. Like having a couple of buddies around to help move STUFF...

dustinfox · May 18, 2012

You will like it. I have the same grapple and I hardly ever take it off. There really is no reason to have one wider than 48" If you can afford it, I recommend getting the W.R. Long 3rd function hydraulic mounted to your stick. If you do a lot of grapple work, it makes things so much easier to open and close the grapple with your thumb.

One thing to watch, check the hairpin clips on the top jaw often. I've already lost two. I bought a bag of them here. ITW Bee Leitzke 23-10 Cotter Pin, Clip, 0.105x2 5/64L, Pk50 $7 bucks for a whole bag and free shipping!

bigballer · May 18, 2012

RJJR said:
It's a great tool. Like having a couple of buddies around to help move STUFF...

just what i need, a couple of buddies to help me!

dustinfox said:
If you can afford it, I recommend getting the W.R. Long 3rd function hydraulic mounted to your stick. If you do a lot of grapple work, it makes things so much easier to open and close the grapple with your thumb.

is there anything better out there for the money? originally i thought about building my own kit but it became too much hassle trying to source all the parts, plus my luck i wouldn't really save any money because i would end up with the wrong parts, etc..

thanks for the tip on the pins..

buck12 · May 18, 2012

bigballer said:
just what i need, a couple of buddies to help me!

is there anything better out there for the money? originally i thought about building my own kit but it became too much hassle trying to source all the parts, plus my luck i wouldn't really save any money because i would end up with the wrong parts, etc..

thanks for the tip on the pins..

When I did my research the Wildkat Ecno was the best deal I could find. I have been pleased with the grapple. Only wish I bought it sooner.

bigballer · May 19, 2012

buck12 said:
When I did my research the Wildkat Ecno was the best deal I could find. I have been pleased with the grapple. Only wish I bought it sooner.

great to hear, what about the WR long kit? is that the best out there? i haven't really ready too many complaints except maybe the hoses could be protected more up front..

buck12 · May 19, 2012

bigballer said:
great to hear, what about the WR long kit? is that the best out there? i haven't really ready too many complaints except maybe the hoses could be protected more up front..

I used the WR Long kit but it was not plug and play as advertised. Apparently there are different FEL controls used on my tractor depending on the year. The kit I got from WR Long required modification to work on the loader it was suppose to be made for. It would have been cheaper and about the same amount of trouble to buy the individual components myself.

bigballer · May 19, 2012

buck12 said:
I used the WR Long kit but it was not plug and play as advertised. Apparently there are different FEL controls used on my tractor depending on the year. The kit I got from WR Long required modification to work on the loader it was suppose to be made for. It would have been cheaper and about the same amount of trouble to buy the individual components myself.

buck - good to know, i will check on this further to make sure the kit works with my setup. i also have a backhoe which is using the PB port so will need to research to see if changes are needed to accomodate this..

Rockgod · May 19, 2012

bigballer said:
well i finally made the plunge into the world of grapple ownership, ordered up my very own 48" wildkat today and it's already shipped out! alot to do between now and next thursday when it's scheduled to arrive but it can't come soon enough!

Not to scare you but have you checked out this thread? Seems like wildkat mean "economy" when they say it. It appears their upper frame is made out of 1/8" material. This may or may not be fine with your L3400. Just something to keep in mind.

Broke my grapple ( Am I the only one?) - Page 3 - TractorByNet.com

dustinfox · May 20, 2012

bigballer said:
is there anything better out there for the money? originally i thought about building my own kit but it became too much hassle trying to source all the parts, plus my luck i wouldn't really save any money because i would end up with the wrong parts, etc.

Not sure if there is or not. Do some searching and see what you come up with. The WR long was the only one I found. I know it is expensive but I do grapple work all day long and it makes things go much smoother and quicker cause you never have to take your hand off the stick.