wr long or ??? for brush & logs?

[lwm]

Notice how well his R4 front tires are standing up to the weight, no bulge. Anyone that asks about R1 vs R4 should look at that picture.

Interesting. R1 is ag right? So the point is that R4 supports more weight than ag tires?

 

[Deerherd]

Well the first morning went well. First I picked up about 2 dozen trees I had cut and here's the obligatory picture:



Next I attacked a hedge row with lots of fallen trees. Here's the before picture and a picture of the first "bite" out of the hedge row:





Got a little Rambo and had buried the tines all the way to the crossbar and came to a quick stop when I hit this rock. Didn't bend anything and was able to pop it out very easy:



Here's what it looked like when I got through the hedgerow:



Man it's great having a grapple again! :thumbsup:

 

[lwm]

Well the first morning went well. First I picked up about 2 dozen trees I had cut

Man it's great having a grapple again! :thumbsup:

So how are you liking the choice of the RBGD compared to other grapples?

 

[bmurphy777]

Here are a few pics from last January.

View attachment 338161View attachment 338162View attachment 338163

Crikey! That blower must be heavier than it looks!!

 

[Deerherd]

I'm trying to find fault with it because I'm liking it too much!

To be totally fair, I can't compare it to what I previously owned because this large of grapple on a much larger tractor is a totally different beast. I had no where near the lift or weight. Before I worried about width of grapple for digging but not now. You can see how deep I was going on the picture of the rock. If the other style digs deeper then I don't need it in my soil. It can already stop my tractor.

I didn't have a 70" jaw opening to grab that much material in one bite either or the oomph to push one tree into the next so I could grab multiple trees. They were pretty much a bite out of a brush pile or a single tree.

What I did really like was the ability to open the grapple fully and roll it forward and use it like a rake to pull stuff back out of the thick. Another thing I couldn't do before.

But tomorrow I have some big logs to handle and we will see how it goes!

 

[lwm]

I'm trying to find fault with it because I'm liking it too much!

What I did really like was the ability to open the grapple fully and roll it forward and use it like a rake to pull stuff back out of the thick. Another thing I couldn't do before.

So when you opened it fully and say "roll it forward" you mean roll it like you were dumping a bucket, right? You drop the lower tines into the pile and pull out some?

On the logs I think you will be fine, that grapple looks like logs are not a problem. But report back!

 

[TomSeller]

So when you opened it fully and say "roll it forward" you mean roll it like you were dumping a bucket, right? You drop the lower tines into the pile and pull out some?

On the logs I think you will be fine, that grapple looks like logs are not a problem. But report back!

Yes, i believe that is what he is saying. That is one of the features of a rake grapple besides forward raking ..... Back raking (going backwards) with the teeth on the lid touching the ground. You can rake stuff up, including the tire tracks. Also handy for raking loose hay out of the barn, etc. Standard OBG or "L" grapple lids don't work as well for that. Since the lid(s) is on hinges, you do want to be careful, however.

 

[lwm]

Yes, i believe that is what he is saying. That is one of the features of a rake grapple besides forward raking ..... Back raking (going backwards) with the teeth on the li touching the ground. You can rake stuff up, including the tire tracks. Also handy for raking loose hay out of the barn, etc. Standard OBG or "L" grapple lids don't work as well for that. Since the lid(s) is on hinges, you do want to be careful, however.

Sort of makes me wonder why the RBG style isn't the default. I had never seen one before starting my search for the perfect grapple.

 

[Deerherd]

Sort of makes me wonder why the RBG style isn't the default. I had never seen one before starting my search for the perfect grapple.

I think there are a few reasons. From a design stand point it was easier to reduce the size of a flat bottom grapple for the majority of tractor owners. Plus as a group, we were used to seeing that style on skid steers and it was an easier sale. Heck, I bought two! And just look at all the photos of various things owners have grabbed with their grapples on here so they all work to some extent.

But I was never quite satisfied with the way my flat bottomed grapples picked up logs. I had to work the bottom tines under it past center so that when the lid closed I had a chance of pulling it into the grapple. Half the time it would catch in the jaws and I would roll it back, open the jaws a little and it would "settle".

It's different with the RBG style in that you drive up to the log with the tines just on the ground and give it a little push to get as much of it against the tines then close the lid. The lid hits the far side of the log and pushes it up the tines into the grapple. For me, this angle difference of the top lid makes logs much easier.

We'll go bigger tomorrow!

 

[TomSeller]

You can't really dig with a rake style. But you can with an L style bottom, particularly the more narrow. Or put some wood on the bottom and haul a load of bricks, that sort of thing. Both have advantages.