Landpride grapple for SCUT?

[dragoneggs]

It is interesting to see a BX moving something that large with a grapple. I am sure you will find your new grapple, is a big "force multiplier" for you. I had a dealer tell me when I was looking for a SSQA adaptor for an L3400 that the tractor was too small for forks or grapple, and it would just be a waste of money to equip it for one.. I just laughed at him and went elsewhere for the SSQA adapter and enjoyed the use of the forks.

Hey James, I think the dealers tend to be overly conservative. Especially with new buyers of small tractors. It is good to manage a customer's expectations. But I am doing far more than my dealer said I could do with my BX. My back blade is 'too big' and my rake is a size higher than recommended but I didn't want the 'sized' rake... it seemed wimpy. I am finding the extra weight is a bonus. I know there is a point but I think these SCUTs are more capable than 'pitched' by the dealers.

 

[CHDinCT]

I have not played with tweaking my hydraulic pressure. I do not think I will need to, but I would not discourage anyone from doing so. I estimate it took me about 6-8 hrs to install over three days in a very cold shop and I still want to shorten the joystick and revise the mounting. It would have been double that without the help from CHDinCT and his pictures and instructions. LP could have done a better job in the manual and more pictures would have been helpful there. Chris' instructions and pictures were like an addendum to the manual. A lot of my time was spent in contemplation and worry before I would turn the wrench. Also a lot of time was spent finding the right tools as sometimes things were metric and sometimes not. I would say the hardest thing was working under the tractor taking out the short section of hydraulic line. Once you crack that line open you are on your way. I would bet a dealer could do it in 3 hrs tops once they have done the first one. I was very slow as my tractor and I need to both work properly. I'm in the process of shooting a video or two showing me moving some trees that either feel down or were cut down last year or so ago. I went out earlier and practiced a little so I don't get too many HA HA's. This is now more than eye hand coordination. The fingers get involved also. I'll post them later today as my videographer seems more interested in watching bull riding on TV right now rather than me on my little BX. ...and, no, I'm not a cowboy - I was a lawyer.

Lowell, glad my pic's and descriptions were helpful. That's what TBN is for, sharing info and knowledge, and even mistakes so that others can learn from them. And by the way, I was once an accountant/CPA (but mostly spent my career in corporate finance). I've owned a BX since 2008 and knew nothing about hydraulics before getting one. If not for TBN and a few other sites, I probably still wouldn't. Maybe I know just enough to be dangerous as they say, but so far no major mess-ups. Anyway, now that I'm retired, I love working with my hands and tools; especially my BX25. I like cutting my own firewood and doing carpentry work in the house in the winter. I think I probably always preferred working with my hands since the results are plain to see as soon as you're done, but accounting/finance work paid the bills and put my two girls through college (glad that's behind me now, just need to worry about weddings someday ). Working in the corporate world was sometimes like banging your head against the wall, but sometimes very rewarding too.

Go'nna take a look at your latest video now, but that pic of your BX24 with the log is impressive. One of the things I want to use mine for is to pic up and lift larger logs onto my log splitter. Before the grapple, I'd have to get off the tractor and roll the logs into the bucket, then hope they'd stay there while I want back to the joystick to curl it. Should be nice driving up to the log and just picking it up. It will also be useful for moving cut logs to where I can finish cut them easier, and to move the brush.

 

[CHDinCT]

Here's Lowell's two latest video's for those who are interested.

 

[CHDinCT]

Second video:

 

[lowellw2]

CHDinCT
The grapple should be great for your firewood work. Just don't try drive between two close trees with a wide log. That would be my MO. Yesterday I got my hands on a big oak tree burl from my neighbors land (in the grapple actually) that I'm going to let dry for a year or so and fry to turn a bowl or two out of it. Making things out of chunks of trees seems like something interesting to me also. Oak is not that good to turn I'm told, but it's from the land here so I'll give it a try. I only wish I had some of your nice northeastern hardwoods. I think the oak burl I moved was at the limit of the LP grapple. It was very heavy and I went 4 wheel drive in low range about 2" off the ground for about 300 yards. It definitely makes these type of operations easier. I might have been able too chain it to the bucket but I doubt it could be lifted then. My next work will involve seeing how well I can place some fairly large rocks I collected (dug up) over the years. I've used my thumb on the BH but you can only set a couple at a time and the "right one" is always out of reach so its off-on-move-get in bucket-move-on ... You get the idea. I'm building a rock counter base for an outdoor kitchen area. I think the grapple should make moving and stacking the big rocks into place a lot easier. By curling the grapple down you can clamp around the rock and then lift it almost straight up. Of course this puts the load way past the pivot point so the capacity will be greatly diminished and the dangers increased in any movements. Probably the best action will be to curl the load back, move to location, and then curl it forward into place. It's colder here again so no playing with rocks for a while.

 

[dragoneggs]

Boy those videos make me anxious to get one!

 

[CHDinCT]

CHDinCT
The grapple should be great for your firewood work. Just don't try drive between two close trees with a wide log. That would be my MO. Yesterday I got my hands on a big oak tree burl from my neighbors land (in the grapple actually) that I'm going to let dry for a year or so and fry to turn a bowl or two out of it. Making things out of chunks of trees seems like something interesting to me also. Oak is not that good to turn I'm told, but it's from the land here so I'll give it a try. I only wish I had some of your nice northeastern hardwoods. I think the oak burl I moved was at the limit of the LP grapple. It was very heavy and I went 4 wheel drive in low range about 2" off the ground for about 300 yards. It definitely makes these type of operations easier. I might have been able too chain it to the bucket but I doubt it could be lifted then. My next work will involve seeing how well I can place some fairly large rocks I collected (dug up) over the years. I've used my thumb on the BH but you can only set a couple at a time and the "right one" is always out of reach so its off-on-move-get in bucket-move-on ... You get the idea. I'm building a rock counter base for an outdoor kitchen area. I think the grapple should make moving and stacking the big rocks into place a lot easier. By curling the grapple down you can clamp around the rock and then lift it almost straight up. Of course this puts the load way past the pivot point so the capacity will be greatly diminished and the dangers increased in any movements. Probably the best action will be to curl the load back, move to location, and then curl it forward into place. It's colder here again so no playing with rocks for a while.

Here ya on driving between two trees with a log in the grapple. I've done similar with brush on my BXpanded forks, though the brush will bend to a point. Yes, plenty of hardwoods here, but I only use it for firewood so far. Moving rocks, like you're planning, is also on my list. I had rebuilt an old stone wall to a point using the backhoe thumb, but lately, when I find a large rock I want to move, I've just been dumping it near or on the wall thinking I'll do the final placement later. Well later has come and gone.

Anyway, I was suppose to get my QC's today. Got the tracking number from Chappell Tractor. Long story short, UPS put them on the wrong truck, so now I'm promised them tomorrow. It's almost getting comical, almost.

 

[lowellw2]

So all you have to do is screw in the male QCs, connect the hoses and start the engine? If you need to put on the grapple, that was easy even for me and you have the QA if I remember correctly. Oh, don't forget to top up the hydraulic fluid as you cycle the buttons. I was surprised at how much fluid those hoses and cylinders hold. For some reason I remember from high school there are 57.75 cu inches in a quart. Having nothing better to do right now I calculated if the ID of the hoses are 3/8th then there is approximately 1.3 cu in for each foot of hose. Just guessing that each cylinder holds 5 cu inch then you have enough left from that 57.75 to fill up about 36 ft of hose not considering the valve. I put in almost a quart but may have been a little low to begin with.

 

[CHDinCT]

So all you have to do is screw in the male QCs, connect the hoses and start the engine? If you need to put on the grapple, that was easy even for me and you have the QA if I remember correctly. Oh, don't forget to top up the hydraulic fluid as you cycle the buttons. I was surprised at how much fluid those hoses and cylinders hold. For some reason I remember from high school there are 57.75 cu inches in a quart. Having nothing better to do right now I calculated if the ID of the hoses are 3/8th then there is approximately 1.3 cu in for each foot of hose. Just guessing that each cylinder holds 5 cu inch then you have enough left from that 57.75 to fill up about 36 ft of hose not considering the valve. I put in almost a quart but may have been a little low to begin with.

Yes, basically screw on the male QC's and mount the hose that routes out to the FEL torque tube (round cross-member), put the fuse back in the fuse holder, then remove my bucket and mount the grapple - I do have the Kubota FEL quick hitch. However, it's 14 F degrees here and will get to the low 20's today and tomorrow, then more snow on Thursday. With about a foot of snow on the ground now and more coming, I really can't use the grapple for anything yet. The good news, on the other hand, is that UPS delivered my missing QC's last night. Didn't even know they had until I checked the tracking info this morning. Finally.

As for the SUDT2 level, I'm a bit overfull now since I added too much after my valve leaked fluid last week. However, I will check again for sure after I cycle the cylinders to remove all the air from them and the hoses. Just need some warmer weather to motivate me to actually finish the installation and also to check/adjust my relief valve pressure. Darn, this winter won't take a break.

 

[smitesmash]

CHDinCT
Yesterday I got my hands on a big oak tree burl from my neighbors land (in the grapple actually) that I'm going to let dry for a year or so and fry to turn a bowl or two out of it. Making things out of chunks of trees seems like something interesting to me also. Oak is not that good to turn I'm told, but it's from the land here so I'll give it a try. I only wish I had some of your nice northeastern hardwoods. I think the oak burl I moved was at the limit of the LP grapple. It was very heavy and I went 4 wheel drive in low range about 2" off the ground for about 300 yards.

I love turning oak, but is can be somewhat of a challenge. In my office at work I have at least two bowls that I have turned myself. The local oak that I can get can split weirdly and randomly. the burr would be especially prone to cracking.

the problem with turning wood is that there is so much waste for so little result.

however if it really is as big as you say, a year is not going to be enough. to get to dry/finished product, the suggested rate is 1 year per inch of thickness, plus one year. Less than that and you could potentially get cracking and warping when you go to use it as a finished product.
For very thick pieces, you can try to saw them into 3" or 4" slabs, then dry/plane/laminate back together.

you might also check out the commercial prospects of selling that. I know of another couple who purchased property at the same time that I did. during the DNR walkthrough as part of the forest management class, we found a huge maple burr. They bought the property, cut down one tree, sold the burr, and used the proceeds to mostly pay off the property they just bought. kind of like winning the lottery.