Texas Grapple Shootout

[foreman Etexas]

Its hay left over from where I feed all year and what doesn't get burned off,I usually use bucket and have to pitch fork it in to bucket. I feed about 130/160 round bales so you can figure what the waste is. Something is always washed out or bare ground,so I fix it then put the old hay over the area until grass grows back,sometimes Till it under.. And the other working with my dozer to get stuff to piles,instead of having to roll it all the way to the pile tto keep dirt out with dozer and if miss a yaupon here and there just get it up with grapple.
I looked at the one grapple but brandi made good point could dig to deep not having the bars. There may just not be a one grapple that will do everything I'm thinking and not cost me an arm and leg like some of those prices I seen..

 

[sd455dan]

foreman Etexas


We have horses and it comes in very handy for picking up a old hay or bales, but really shines when cleaning stalls- any grapple with tied tines will push the old hay and manure up like a really thick piece of carpet- and then has to be pulled away from the wall usually by hand with a Pitch fork and hand loaded in the bucket just as you described...

the tined grapples will penetrate in without rolling the old hay and then the grapple can be closed and the stall cleaned right up to the walls this whole thing about digging is more about setting the FEL controls correctly, but I have dug out some tree stumps with mine although I am sure that it was not the intent of the designer.


If the main use for You is moving hay- new or old, then a round tine bucket / grapple is hard to beat as it mimics the function of a pitch fork with the ability to clamp the material with a lid.

But is not the hot set up for grubbing...
Melecio builds strong stuff- but there are more affordable grapple builders out there that might cover your needs at a more feasible price...
I got mine used (and don't know who built it) and had to convert the mounts-
A good used unit may be the best choice...
Good Luck and I hope you find a grapple that suits your needs

 

[TomSeller]

Thanks Dave. But OUCH. A 72 inch one costs more than double the cost over mine from palletforks.com.
hugs, Brandi

Right. It is hard to beat the value of the PalletForks.com Titan grapples. I even see Titan grapples on Amazon and EBay now.

 

[bindian]

Right. It is hard to beat the value of the PalletForks.com Titan grapples. I even see Titan grapples on Amazon and EBay now.

...........and palletforks.com has free shipping to a nearby commercial address.
hugs, Brandi

 

[blueriver]

If you get me a set of plans ... I'll build one.

 

[pacerron]

If you get me a set of plans ... I'll build one.

There ya go TxDon..
It never hurts to ask.
Some/all of the features you wanted could be incorporated by having it custom made by blueriver.
You might get the normal closure plus the pinch beyond closure by having a bracket with holes at different points for one
end of the lid cylinders. A bolt on bar for the dig depth control.

I was wondering about your bucket mount. Is it the Kubota pins or a universal skid steer quick mount?
I recall somebody on a Deere FEL having to modify the locking pins for some attachment. It may have been blueriver?
The forces on the locking devices may be a little different for a grapple than a bucket or pallet lift attachment.
The machine is only as strong as its weakest link.
Ron

 

[blueriver]

Ron .. I did make a conversion for my Deere FEL .. Uses the JD hook and pin that converts to SSQA.. It sure is handy I can use JD or SSQA by simply putting it on the Deere then hook to anything that uses skid steer.

Don.. Just rough draw your idea on paper .. Scan and send to me ...

 

[bandaidmd]

Everthing Attachments builds there 50" single lid with the deere pin on mounts.
I have the ssqa version its light and seems pretty tough.

 

[blueriver]

Everthing Attachments builds there 50" single lid with the deere pin on mounts. I have the ssqa version its light and seems pretty tough.

I build a few of my hay accumulators and grapples with the JD hook and pin when a customer wants that ... There are so many SSQA attachments that I can use on my FEL that I decided I needed a simple conversion so I'm not limited

 

[blueriver]

Ron .. So true about the weakest point ... So far I haven't been able to tear my conversion apart ... I've used my pallet forks which are SSQA to lift some pretty heavy stuff ... I recall the rear end of the tractor coming off the ground !! That's a high quality "pucker" factor!!