I finally got the North American Implements 48" LD grapple up and running and had sometime to use it a little this weekend. I have not seen anyone with these on here so I have posted some pics. The grapple along with the WR Long 3rd function valve works flawlessly and IMHO is the only way to go when purchasing a grapple. I measured the opening at 36". I know alot of you are "big mouth" fans and will not care for the meager 36" mouth on this unit. But to be honest for what I do around the house it is more than enough. I noted that these grapples definately feel a little different than having the bucket on the front. The weight difference on front takes some getting use to and having added counter weight in the rear is a big help. I can not imagine what a douple HD grapple would feel like on this tractor (DK40HST).
I hope the photos are enough for our resident engineers and grapple experts to look at and break down the pros and cons of the design. I think it is built very well and they were a very good company to deal with. Just a reminder NAI's normal LD grapple only comes with 5 lower tines. I requested two additional tines be added to mine which they gladly added for $20 a tine. The hinge pins have grease fittings which are probably not needed but nice to have. So far my only complaint is I wich the design allowed the mouth to close further so I could pinch down on single logs.
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