Grapple Advice

[Msamt]

Great topic/thread. Gonna be a long one. My experience was I wanted one and a versatech 66" showed up at auction. Stole it for $800. Diverter was installd on the tractor as part of the purchase deal. As an in experienced person, the grapple was a guided purchase, and has given me a huge short cut on learning the limits of my loader, and techniques for moving stuff. Only gripe is the lid is a bit too small (for getting under rocks) but rocks have been a bit bigger than I should have been going after with a graple. Whichever way you go budget extra for lonliness therapy for your bucket, it'l miss being on on your tractor!

 

[Msamt]

Great topic/thread. Gonna be a long one. My experience was I wanted one and a versatech 66" showed up at auction. Stole it for $800. Diverter was installd on the tractor as part of the purchase deal. As an in experienced person, the grapple was a guided purchase, and has given me a huge short cut on learning the limits of my loader, and techniques for moving stuff. Only gripe is the lid is a bit too small (for getting under rocks) but rocks have been a bit bigger than I should have been going after with a graple. Whichever way you go budget extra for lonliness therapy for your bucket, it'l miss being on on your tractor!
View attachment 452859

 

[CJONE]

Oh, boy.. I best go buy some more popcorn. Gonna need it.

No, collective wisdom. Just a lot of differing opinions. Wanna hear mine?

L shaped grapple. Narrow width. Single lid. Run hoses from rear remote on a Kioti as its control valve is convenient to use (especially after you lengthen it.)

View attachment 452671View attachment 452672View attachment 452673View attachment 452674

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ects-loader-torque.html?highlight=torque+tube

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ontrol-valve-lever.html?highlight=torque+tube

Agree 100% The only thing I can add is get one with the biggest opening of the clamp/lid as you can find. That is my only complaint on my econo grapple. The only problem I have had with mine is the cylinder mounting being weak and tearing. it was about a 2 hour repair. For the $550 I paid it has been a great value. Used the C style ones. They are great for clearing jobs but the L style excels for everything else. CJ

 

[CJONE]

Oh and as far as it being handy, it is on the front of my tractor far more than anything else by 2 to 3 times. CJ

 

[4570Man]

Agree 100% The only thing I can add is get one with the biggest opening of the clamp/lid as you can find. That is my only complaint on my econo grapple. The only problem I have had with mine is the cylinder mounting being weak and tearing. it was about a 2 hour repair. For the $550 I paid it has been a great value. Used the C style ones. They are great for clearing jobs but the L style excels for everything else. CJ

I have had the same 2 problems with my cheap grapple.

 

[IslandTractor]

Oh, boy.. I best go buy some more popcorn. Gonna need it.

No, collective wisdom. Just a lot of differing opinions. Wanna hear mine?

L shaped grapple. Narrow width. Single lid. Run hoses from rear remote on a Kioti as its control valve is convenient to use (especially after you lengthen it.)

View attachment 452671View attachment 452672View attachment 452673View attachment 452674

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ects-loader-torque.html?highlight=torque+tube

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ontrol-valve-lever.html?highlight=torque+tube

Totally agree with James on this. (And we don't always agree....)

 

[IslandTractor]

Any grapple is better than no grapple, but a Wicked Grapple is better than any grapple!
For what it's worth, that's my :2cents:.

On a more serious note, James is right. The opinions that you get will be various and strong in all directions.
L Shaped is BY FAR the most popular.
Single lid is cheaper than Dual lid. People with single lid grapples are as content as the people with dual lid grapples.
Narrow grapples are cheaper than wide grapples. People with narrow grapples are as content as those with wide grapples.
The Wicked Grapple for compact tractors is extremely strong and the weight is ideal. Your lift capacity will be maximized.
There are cheaper ones out there, but take a close look. The value in our grapples is not hard to find.

I'm not biased either way because we have them all covered, but here is the strongest point that someone recommending a dual lid grapple will make.
Travis

View attachment 452770

What I don't understand is why anyone would think that a single lid grapple would have any trouble at all with that type of load. I pick stuff like that up all the time. Can you pick up an ice cream cone with one hand??? If so then a grapple with a single lid/thumb can pick up a conical shaped object too. The weight is on the bottom tines. The lid just stabilizes the load with such a shape. Easy peasy.

On the other hand, how would a dual lid grapple pull this out of the ground: (note: rock was buried, turning it sideways was not an option)

 

[IslandTractor]

When I choose a grapple I looked at what others in the area had and how they were using them. I got a Land Pride SGC1560 and had a new joy stick installed with the controls on it. It has a WR Long third function valve installed. Its a single lid grapple and has done everything I want to do. I never have the occasion to move a root wad like pictured above. I gather up brush, limbs,small trees, appropriate sized big chunks of pine trees and the occasional very large boulder. I also use the unit to "back drag" and loosen, level and move the ultra hard sod.

I've found that this grapple is extremely heavy duty and is able to hold up under some very difficult situations. That being said - the grapple is quite heavy(820 lbs) due to its materials and construction. I would rather have a HD grapple and loose a little lifting capacity than one of lighter build and have it twist up like a pretzel.

The breakdown on price is - - grapple - $3175 third function valve and installation - $1975. View attachment 452779

Another item - modify the grill guard. It not nice to get a stick poked thru and into the radiator. View attachment 452780

You may think your are going to be very careful, and you probably will be. However, you will find that its ever so easy for the wayward branch, stick, stob to find its way past your grill and on thru the radiator or battery.

Please let us know when you next see a grapple "twisted up like a pretzel". I've never seen such a thing posted on TBN.

IMO, spending $5000 on grapple and installation just means your dealer reamed you. My grapple ($500) and the simplest of hydraulic controls (rear remotes) work just fine. Ten years of grappling have left a few battle scars just as they would on a bush hog but the grapple works perfectly. My tractor is a tad smaller than yours but still lifts 2760lbs and weighs about 7000lbs with BH and ballast. Of note, based on your tractor's lift capacity minus weight of grapple, you can lift about 1800lbs to full height. Given that my grapple weighs about 320lbs, my net lift capacity is over 2300lbs. Why put a heavy grapple on a CUT????

It is possible to hurt a grapple but it just isn't very likely if the operator observes simple rules of keeping loads midline and not ramming. There is simply no good reason to invest $5000 to have use of a perfectly functional grapple.

 

[4570Man]

What I don't understand is why anyone would think that a single lid grapple would have any trouble at all with that type of load. I pick stuff like that up all the time. Can you pick up an ice cream cone with one hand??? If so then a grapple with a single lid/thumb can pick up a conical shaped object too. The weight is on the bottom tines. The lid just stabilizes the load with such a shape. Easy peasy. On the other hand, how would a dual lid grapple pull this out of the ground: (note: rock was buried, turning it sideways was not an option)

I would have used my backhoe or pallet forks. There is no reason why a duel lid grapple couldn't do the same thing. It just would have caused more soil damage.

 

[IslandTractor]

I would have used my backhoe or pallet forks. There is no reason why a duel lid grapple couldn't do the same thing. It just would have caused more soil damage.

Oh I certainly agree that the rock could be removed with a dual lid grapple, but it would have not been as simple as clamping on and lifting. Not a big deal, I just pointed out that there are some things a single lid can do more efficiently.

Folks are always concerned with the thought that the dual lid grapples are somehow "better" as they cost more. Simple point is that they are better if you are running a skidsteer and collecting construction debris with the bucket grapple. Grapples after all were first developed for skidsteers, not CUTs and were first used in construction. It is only in the last couple decades that CUTs have been on the scene with loaders powerful enough to consider adding grapples. The first grapples adapted to CUT use were therefore right out of the skidsteer parts bin. It stands to reason that some of the skidsteer features don't translate to CUT use very well. CUTs don't have as powerful loaders as skidsteers and in general are not used in construction but rather in brush/field work. Every implement design involves compromises and that is especially so when an existing design is adapted to a new purpose. Excessive width, weight and dual lids are amongst the SS features that don't IMO make as much sense when putting a grapple on a CUT.