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

k0ua · Dec 11, 2015

You can not only pickup from the top but you can drop them down from the top. This is particularly useful when building rock walls and stacking rocks precisely on one another. With a hydrostatic transmission and careful grapple work you can precisely place rocks. I have the single lid, and have never used a double lid, so I am going to stay out of way on this fight. But with my EA single lid compact grapple, I can pick up all sizes of rocks from as large as my lift capability on my Kioti loader down to pebbles the size of a walnut. You have to use care in feathering my control valve not to smash the little ones. One of the advantages of using my rear remote valve control of the lid pressure instead of an electric/hydraulic valve. I can also pick up very small sticks without smashing them. It can be handy when you are cleaning up the little debris without getting off the tractor.. Yeah I am lazy.. I have a grapple!

Helitech · Dec 11, 2015

Took a few tries, but I finally got this big chunk of Oak.

lostcreekranch · Dec 11, 2015

My only grapple is an 84", dual lid which I bought about 3 years ago. It is almost permanently installed on my 96 hour tractor. It has done everything I have asked of it which is primarily handling dead trees. I have no experience with a single lid grapple so cannot offer a comparison.

I am looking at a grapple for my 46 hp tractor which will be used exclusively for brush and trimmed tree limbs. No heavy lifts involved so, primary criteria will be jaw opening. High on my list is the new 55" EA Wicked Utility Grapple with 42.5" opening. The $delta between dual and single lid is low so, I will stay with a dual lid when I make my purchase.

As stated clearly by Island, there is nothing that a dual lid grapple can do that can't be done with a dual lid, I believe the reverse holds true as well.

Also think this is a silly debate. My 2cents worth. Flame away!

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

IslandTractor · Dec 11, 2015

Nothing "wrong" with dual lids. The main downside generally is that they cost and weigh more. If budget and net lift capacity isn't a concern then no issue.

My grapple opens somewhere between 42-46 inches. I forget which exactly. I do like and use the full opening when clearing brush. I wish EA was able to design greater opening sizes on their medium duty size grapples as that is structurally all anyone with a CUT needs.

TomSeller · Dec 11, 2015

How many on here have both a heavy wide dual lid grapple and a lightweight narrow single lid grapple and have used both a significant amount?

I do and I think the single lid narrow light grapple is the more useful of the two. Anyone else have both?

IslandTractor · Dec 12, 2015

TomSeller said:
How many on here have both a heavy wide dual lid grapple and a lightweight narrow single lid grapple and have used both a significant amount?

I do and I think the single lid narrow light grapple is the more useful of the two. Anyone else have both?

The only people with both would be the ones who bought the heavy wide dual lid grapple first.

IslandTractor · Dec 12, 2015

Duplicate post. (why after five years does this duplicate post business continue to plague us??? I've not seen it on any other forum site)

Jim Timber · Dec 12, 2015

IslandTractor said:
Note that EA lids are wider than mine. I'd think they work better but mine has been no problem.

Also, another advantage of picking up logs or trees from the top is that you can better judge whether the load is balanced.

I pick and curl for reasons mentioned. Not gouging a hunk of earth with your log is a big plus.

I also placed a bunch of rocks with a single lid, but I could move two dissimilar size rocks at the same time because my lids would clamp them regardless of which was hung up first.

So the engineer in me says if a dual lid can do 100% and a single can do 95% of that, then a dual wins. Just say'n.

Drag races are won and lost by thousandths of a second, but 2nd place is pretty cool. lol

Do you want to sort these with a single lid or a double?

I don't have any stake in this game either. I bought mine based on how well built it was and how decent a price I got it for. But like EA just showed, they're pretty sweet for moving splits, and I have a firewood business in the works.

IslandTractor · Dec 12, 2015

Jim Timber said:
I pick and curl for reasons mentioned. Not gouging a hunk of earth with your log is a big plus. I also placed a bunch of rocks with a single lid, but I could move two dissimilar size rocks at the same time because my lids would clamp them regardless of which was hung up first. So the engineer in me says if a dual lid can do 100% and a single can do 95% of that, then a dual wins. Just say'n. Drag races are won and lost by thousandths of a second, but 2nd place is pretty cool. lol Do you want to sort these with a single lid or a double? I don't have any stake in this game either. I bought mine based on how well built it was and how decent a price I got it for. But like EA just showed, they're pretty sweet for moving splits, and I have a firewood business in the works.

After 10 years with a 300lb 48" single lid grapple, I'm still waiting for the 1% of jobs it cannot do much less 5%.

I've maxed out my lift capacity on a number of objects that I would not have been able to move with a wider or heavier grapple. And, a 48" grapple is always going to dig better than a wider grapple so there are additional reasons to stay small and simple.

Of course any grapple is better than no grapple so I don't suggest for a minute that y'all throw away those fancy wide as a Caddy and heavy as a battleship anchor grapples you've already invested part of your kid's college fund in. Just keep reminding your self that if one is good then two is obviously better! (Insert smiley here)

(Why can't we access emoticons with the TBN iPhone app ??)