The WICKED Root & Debris GRAPPLE!!!!!!!

[EverythingAttachments]

Dealers and manufacturers just want a sale. Can't blame them but the bottom line is that they will sell you virtually anything they can and if you express interest in a certain size or type of grapple they have no interest in talking you out of it unless it is wildly inappropriate for your tractor. As most of our tractors can physically mount and operate just about any size and type of grapple that means there is little useful guidance from the people for whom you are a potential customer. They'd rather sell you a little too much than nothing at all.

I missed this until now. What is should say is that Dealers and MOST manufacturers just want a sale. We make grapples that do not compromise lift capacity and we enjoy watching the fruits of our labor on TBN.

We do want to make a sale, but we make sales by helping them choose the PERFECT grapple for their tractors, not by simply selling them what we want to for no good reason.

You may be the ring leader of grapple passion on TBN, but I'm the ring leader when it comes to grapple passion at EA and I think my customers will agree!!
Travis

 

[lostcreekranch]

Don't get me wrong, LOT's of good info and I appreciate your insights but it's not helping enough so I can decide what to put the money down on. Has anyone put together a spreadsheet or power point type presentation that outlines what each of EA's offerings in the SAME SIZE excel at? Everything Attachments Wicked Root Grapple for Large Compact and Utility Tractors 55" Mega Compact Utility Grapple - Free Shipping! $2,490, 627 lbs Everything Attachments Wicked Root Grapple for Compact Tractors, 54" Everything Attachments Wicked Root Grapple for Compact Tractors $1990, 349 lbs Everything Attachments Single Lid Wicked Root Grapple for Compact Tractors 54" Single Lid Root Grapple $1690, 349 lbs Most of my applications will be moderately dense hardwood forest and already my 72" bucket requires more tree cutting so I can see that a narrow 55" grapple may be ideal for my M4700. I'm not just trying to convince myself, but also SWMBO.

I am leaning towards the EA 55" grapple for utility tractor because of the 42" opening. Will use it specifically for brush and trimmed tree limbs so, no great weight. It will be used on our LS XR4046HC.

I already have an 84" dual lid grapple (34" opening) on New Holland TL100A that can lift 5000 lbs. to over 12' height. That one is used to push over and pickup dead trees.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[IslandTractor]

I missed this until now. What is should say is that Dealers and MOST manufacturers just want a sale. We make grapples that do not compromise lift capacity and we enjoy watching the fruits of our labor on TBN.

We do want to make a sale, but we make sales by helping them choose the PERFECT grapple for their tractors, not by simply selling them what we want to for no good reason.

You may be the ring leader of grapple passion on TBN, but I'm the ring leader when it comes to grapple passion at EA and I think my customers will agree!!
Travis

I think you guys at EA are wonderful and you make great grapples but the concept of "perfect grapple" sold to your customers seems to vary quite widely even with very similar sized tractors. That's not a knock on you as I am sure the customer is making the final decision. It does suggest that there is a fair amount of "going along to get along". Again, if someone wants to buy a F250 to go grocery shopping there is no stopping them and the same is true for grapple purchases. I think the most useful post in the last few days was by Tom Sellers who actually owns three different types and size grapples and gave his pros for each one. The fact that if he only had one it would the the smallest says a lot. Ted did a very nice job showing the capabilities and strength of the light duty 54" grapple on the Bobcat (Kioti) CT20 (is that the right model??) which shows that the lightest grapple you make is fine for anything under 35hp. How about sticking the mid range 54" single lid on to a 40-60hp CUT and showing Ted beating the crap out of it to show that it too is tough enough. I'll put money on that grapple as being stronger than the FEL itself on any CUT in that range. I really think the Mega 54" is way way overkill for any CUT under 60hp and is really for Bobcats and utility tractors so it is misleading to call it a Mega "Compact Utility" grapple. IMO it is just dumb to put a 627lb grapple on a CUT when a 350lb grapple will stand up to anything the CUT can dish out. Even offering the Mega as appropriate for CUTs is kind of like telling an old lady that a Corvette would be just fine to drive to church and the grocery store!

 

[EverythingAttachments]

I think you guys at EA are wonderful and you make great grapples but the concept of "perfect grapple" sold to your customers seems to vary quite widely even with very similar sized tractors. That's not a knock on you as I am sure the customer is making the final decision. It does suggest that there is a fair amount of "going along to get along". Again, if someone wants to buy a F250 to go grocery shopping there is no stopping them and the same is true for grapple purchases. I think the most useful post in the last few days was by Tom Sellers who actually owns three different types and size grapples and gave his pros for each one. The fact that if he only had one it would the the smallest says a lot. Ted did a very nice job showing the capabilities and strength of the light duty 54" grapple on the Bobcat (Kioti) CT20 (is that the right model??) which shows that the lightest grapple you make is fine for anything under 35hp. How about sticking the mid range 54" single lid on to a 40-60hp CUT and showing Ted beating the crap out of it to show that it too is tough enough. I'll put money on that grapple as being stronger than the FEL itself on any CUT in that range. I really think the Mega 54" is way way overkill for any CUT under 60hp and is really for Bobcats and utility tractors so it is misleading to call it a Mega "Compact Utility" grapple. IMO it is just dumb to put a 627lb grapple on a CUT when a 350lb grapple will stand up to anything the CUT can dish out. Even offering the Mega as appropriate for CUTs is kind of like telling an old lady that a Corvette would be just fine to drive to church and the grocery store!

I understand where you're coming from.

The one he uses on the CT122 Bobcat is the 50" Single Lid for tractors up to 35hp.

James(KoUa) has the same 50" on his DK35 and he hasn't hurt it.
If a customer wanted to put one on a DK40,45,50 then I wouldn't put up much of a fight, but I would tell him about the 54" Single Lid, which adds 75 pounds and just over $200.00.

The same goes for the 72" that EricTheOracle has on his NX6010 mega compact. We know he's ROUGH and he hasn't hurt it.

But.......Since we have the heavier 55" and 73" ones with a wider opening, I would explain that they're available because there are madmen like Ted out there!

We started out with one compact grapple in 4 sizes. People wanted lighter, smaller, bigger, wider opening, single lid etc.........so we obliged!!!
Travis

 

[IslandTractor]

Don't get me wrong, LOT's of good info and I appreciate your insights but it's not helping enough so I can decide what to put the money down on.

Has anyone put together a spreadsheet or power point type presentation that outlines what each of EA's offerings in the SAME SIZE excel at?
Everything Attachments Wicked Root Grapple for Large Compact and Utility Tractors 55" Mega Compact Utility Grapple - Free Shipping! $2,490, 627 lbs
Everything Attachments Wicked Root Grapple for Compact Tractors, 54" Everything Attachments Wicked Root Grapple for Compact Tractors $1990, 349 lbs
Everything Attachments Single Lid Wicked Root Grapple for Compact Tractors 54" Single Lid Root Grapple $1690, 349 lbs

Most of my applications will be moderately dense hardwood forest and already my 72" bucket requires more tree cutting so I can see that a narrow 55" grapple may be ideal for my M4700.

I'm not just trying to convince myself, but also SWMBO.

I cannot keep their naming system straight and have never attempted a spreadsheet. However, I do have about eight years experience with a tractor that is roughly the same size, weight and loader strength as yours (mine is the Kioti DK40se). I have been using a 48" Millonzi which is a 300lb 3/8" mild steel open bottom (or L type) single lid grapple. I would say that it is about the same as the 54" EA for Compact Tractors up to 35hp except that I'm not sure their lighter gauge high strength steel is exactly the same as my 3/8" mild steel.

Regarding what each of their grapples is best at, I can only comment based on their specifications. In a nutshell, the 50" lightweight grapple is about the only thing I would consider for any tractor under 40hp. No reason to have a heavier larger grapple or to pay more. Their midrange line naming system is confusing to me but the 3/8" high strength steel grapple should be fine for any tractor up to 60hp which is to say any CUT above 35hp. The mega line of grapples is really misnamed IMO and should be for utility tractors not big compacts. Horsepower doesn't matter, it's framesize/weight and loader capacity that count and there is no CUT made that can overpower the midrange line of grapples as far as I can see so to me the mega is for skidsteers and utility tractors.

I would summarize by saying that the Goldilocks principle holds here. The light duty grapple might be a bit too light duty for a big CUT (40+hp) but the mega grapple is way overkill. The medium size EA grapple seems to be the sweet spot. I'm still a bit confused about jaw opening sizes as they have changed recently. I like what they call the version 2 middleweight grapple except that I don't like the dual lids.

The EA 55" mid range for compact tractors with a single lid is what I would want myself if I was replacing mine. 349lbs is fine. 3/8 mild steel is fine and I think they now use high strength so that's even nicer. I'd be even happier if it was a 50" but 55 is fine. I think everyone knows that I think double lid grapples are a waste so I won't address that again. I do wish they had designed their mid range single lid to have 40" or more of opening. My Millonzi has more than 42" and while I cannot say that 37" would cramp my style, I do find that a very wide opening grapple works brilliantly when coming down onto a pile of debris to maximize the load you can crush into it. Photo of Millonzi grappling from above posted below. (Note, most of these photos were with the grapple on my CK20. I moved it to the DK40 in 2007)

 

[KenB2920]

Ok, I have a complaint too!!!!!
My grapple has to come off as I feel it would be horrible removing snow. Just saying

 

[IslandTractor]

Ok, I have a complaint too!!!!!
My grapple has to come off as I feel it would be horrible removing snow. Just saying

Actually, that is an example of where a dual lid grapple has an advantage: pushing snow.:cool2:

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Ok, I have a complaint too!!!!!
My grapple has to come off as I feel it would be horrible removing snow. Just saying

Alas, a valid complaint!!! :laughing:
Travis

 

[TomSeller]

Alas, a valid complaint!!! :laughing:
Travis

Yes, but the first and only !

 

[wsc9tt]

Ok, I have a complaint too!!!!!
My grapple has to come off as I feel it would be horrible removing snow. Just saying

But it is still great at grabbing all the little compact cars that end up in my ditch!