Grapple Which type of grapple is best suited for...

[T Dew]

This thread could not have come at a better time, since I need to buy a grapple. I have been putting it off far too long, so I was hoping to do it this week. I learned a lot from this thread, but I also have a lot more questions than I did. It confirmed that any sort of grapple with a bucket would not work for me, but I am really torn on the 1 vs 2 upper jaws. Up until reading this I just assumed I would get one, since that is what most people have/sell. Now I am starting to see how 2 might be better. I'll continue to follow this threat, and I thank everyone that as contributed.

 

[Xfaxman]

This thread could not have come at a better time, since I need to buy a grapple. I have been putting it off far too long, so I was hoping to do it this week. I learned a lot from this thread, but I also have a lot more questions than I did. It confirmed that any sort of grapple with a bucket would not work for me, but I am really torn on the 1 vs 2 upper jaws. Up until reading this I just assumed I would get one, since that is what most people have/sell. Now I am starting to see how 2 might be better. I'll continue to follow this thread, and I thank everyone that as contributed.

Check this thread, good info on grapples: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/270967-just-looking-some-grapple-bucket-2.html

I have a lot of hours on this one and have never wished for a single upper jaw.

6' wide, 51" opening and weighs 1200 pounds.

For a small tractor get the lightest, strongest one available (Wicked! :thumbsup.

 

[94BULLITT]

This thread could not have come at a better time, since I need to buy a grapple. I have been putting it off far too long, so I was hoping to do it this week. I learned a lot from this thread, but I also have a lot more questions than I did. It confirmed that any sort of grapple with a bucket would not work for me, but I am really torn on the 1 vs 2 upper jaws. Up until reading this I just assumed I would get one, since that is what most people have/sell. Now I am starting to see how 2 might be better. I'll continue to follow this threat, and I thank everyone that as contributed.

1 or 2 jaws is a popular topic on here. Everyone that has 1 says get 1 and everyone that has 2 says get 2. The same goes for the size everyone that has a small one likes it and everyone that has a big one likes it. I prefer the biggest grapple the tractor will handle with 2 jaws.

 

[TomSeller]

1 or 2 jaws is a popular topic on here. Everyone that has 1 says get 1 and everyone that has 2 says get 2. The same goes for the size everyone that has a small one likes it and everyone that has a big one likes it. I prefer the biggest grapple the tractor will handle with 2 jaws.

This mean that you can't lose by getting a grapple. People like what they have. Unusual, but refreshing. All thing being equal as evidenced above, save some dough and go small.

 

[TSO]

Yeah, thanks to everyone that has, and keeps, posting on this thread. TomSeller, I think you're conclusion is spot-on. I'm still up in the air on which one I'll buy. I haven't seen anything that has REALLY swayed me one way or another towards any specific design

 

[wcampbell47]

I wrestled with this question for my B3200. I bought Westendorf's Brush Crusher. I can say that I am happy with it for what I use it for. It works well on brush, anything round and anything 4 ft or longer. It is not well suited for small trash stuff. In particular I took on a new house construction clean up job which the Brush Crusher did not work as well as I would have liked it too. Brush - different story. Works great - same for logs. I can pickup a 2x4 off the ground as long as it is 4 ft long. Price and the fact that I did not have to do any plumbing were ++ for me. The front loader hydraulic system automatically adjusts for varying diameters of the material being picked up. My right side clamps hard first, then the left. I have the BC 4000 which is plenty heavy duty for me.

The down side is unpinning the bucket and mounting the Crushers. Just two pins on each one but you have to develop a procedure that works for you. Pinning the bucket back on can be a little bit of a chore. If it is brush and logs or similar you are wanting to move the Brush Crusher leaves all the dirt behind.

I shred lots on the coast where there are lots of things that have drifted onto the lot during high water. The brush crusher is great to have to move pilings, telephone poles, dish washers, tires and the like before I hit them with the mower. The tines on the bottom also allow me to use it as a rake for long loose material.

I recently made a flower bed that I lined with used RR ties weighing 150 lbs each. The Brush Crusher allowed me to place them precisely with no manual labor. If I were going to do more construction clean up I would go for a solid bottom bucket, otherwise I am happy with my Brush Crusher.

Attachments for Tractor & Skid Steer: Hay, Snow Plow, Forklift: Westendorf

 

[Guesseral]

1 or 2 jaws is a popular topic on here. Everyone that has 1 says get 1 and everyone that has 2 says get 2. The same goes for the size everyone that has a small one likes it and everyone that has a big one likes it. I prefer the biggest grapple the tractor will handle with 2 jaws.

Yep that is odd, NOT. Everyone who has a Kubota says buy a Kubota, avery one with a NH says buy a NH, everyone with a JD, Kioti, Manindra, LS ect says buy one of those. Go figure.:confused3:

 

[IslandTractor]

I prefer a grapple with 2 lids/ jaws. Here is a picture of stump I got out and if I had one lid I would not have been able to get it out unless the load was off center.



I can also handle a really big load of brush.

I could and have lifted nearly identical stumps with my one jaw grapple in the same orientation. Why do you think that could not be clamped by a single jaw?

 

[Guesseral]

I could and have lifted nearly identical stumps with my one jaw grapple in the same orientation. Why do you think that could not be clamped by a single jaw?

Did you acturally pick that rock up? That one looks pretty heavy.

 

[IslandTractor]

1 or 2 jaws is a popular topic on here. Everyone that has 1 says get 1 and everyone that has 2 says get 2. The same goes for the size everyone that has a small one likes it and everyone that has a big one likes it. I prefer the biggest grapple the tractor will handle with 2 jaws.

Your logic is odd. If everyone who buys a small single arm grapple reports they are happy with it, what is the argument for a heavier, more expensive, double arm grapple that will cut your net worth and your net lifting capacity???? Do you know anyone who complained about their single arm grapple and sold it to upgrade? I don't.

If I need to tow a 3500lb trailer, and an F150 does the job just fine, what is the advantage of a more costly and fuel inefficient F350 for that task? Do you need a Hummer to drive to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk?

Most grapples were originally designed for skid steers and skid steer tasks. While we on TBN focus on CUTs, the vast majority of grapples are sold for use with skidsteers and that distorts the market. The dealers who sell them are often not very experienced with grapples on CUTs and therefore tend to oversell. Many grapple manufacturers don't even make a 48" single arm grapple because no skidsteer owner would buy one. CUTs do very different work with grapples than skidsteers and the CUT FEL is nowhere near as strong or tough as a skidsteer FEL either in lift capacity or in resistance to abuse. The heavy duty wide grapples used on skidsteers were never designed with CUTs in mind. CUTs are used very differently than commercial skidsteers so it is appropriate to rethink the nature of the CUT grapple. The CUT FEL is longer and more delicate than the skidsteer so is not designed for ramming/bulldozing but rather to lift. A grapple might well need to be made of T1 steel and with 1/2" or bigger tines to withstand the ramming work done with a skidsteer but such overbuilding has absolutely no advantage to a CUT owner. CUT FELs are not designed for ramming/bulldozing and are much more prone to being damaged by torquing forces that would occur if the edge of a wide grapple meets a stump or large rock while pushing. You would destroy your FEL well before you damaged your light duty narrow grapple. My DK40se has a 2700lb lift capacity and I have not destroyed either the FEL or grapple in years of aggressive but appropriate use. I can also lift items that are heavier than someone with the same FEL capacity but a heavier grapple. I can maneuver in tighter areas than someone with a wider grapple. I can put more more per square inch on a root than someone with a wider grapple. I can lift as much or more brush simply because brush is "sticky" and I have more net lift capacity than someone with a heavier grapple. I can also leave more money in the bank or have the money to buy extra implements. My grapple cost me $500 plus shipping. At the time I bought it I would have had to pay triple that amount for a heavier, wider double jaw grapple that would simply never have done anything more than my lightduty 48 and in fact would have limited my ability to dig or lift very heavy objects.