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

[EverythingAttachments]

Is it correct that the 54" is the same weight dual or single lid? Or a typo?

It's correct. The single top lid is wider, so it requires being beefed up with more bracing to prevent twisting/bending.
Travis

 

[Milo]

Not really. 50" really isn't enough width to justify putting a dual lid on.
Also, smaller tractors have lower flow, which would slow down the cycle time to open/close the lids.

People really love the 50" single lid though. It's one of our best sellers!
Travis

Thanks for the quick reply Travis.

My question was from looking on your site it appears on your dual lid grapples the outside of both tops are a few inches narrower than the lower grapple claw. The light duty 50 being only 4" narrower than the 54" standard I wondered if dual top lids could be made to about the same outer width as a 54" dual lid grapple. This would make the bottom and top claws about the same width with an 8" or whatever gap between the two tops.
It just seems dual lids should be able to grasp an irregular load or tapered log more securely, and a little slower close and open speed may not be such a detriment in all cases. But your points must be valid or you would have already considered it.

 

[DieselBound]

I went with the 66" grapple with single lid. Out of the singles, the 66" has the largest single lid as a percentage of the total width of the grapple: lid is 36", or 54.5% of the 66" width (the dual lid 66" has 2 18" lids, which also calc out to 54.5%). Interestingly, for/to me, for the 66" grapple, the single and doubles weigh the same. Where did the weight of the one less hydraulic cylinder (and mounts) go on the single lid? More metal (single lid is stronger)? Anyway, a single lid is simpler, one less cylinder and set of hoses to worry about.

My hydraulic bits came in the other day. When the weather is better, or my garage is able to accommodate the tractor, I'll be hooking it all up. In the meantime I'm using my EA pallet forks

 

[TomSeller]

It's correct. The single top lid is wider, so it requires being beefed up with more bracing to prevent twisting/bending.
Travis

Hmmm.... I would not think that would offset the cylinder, mounts, etc. And of course the extra weight of the higher price tag must not be factored in.

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks for the quick reply Travis. My question was from looking on your site it appears on your dual lid grapples the outside of both tops are a few inches narrower than the lower grapple claw. The light duty 50 being only 4" narrower than the 54" standard I wondered if dual top lids could be made to about the same outer width as a 54" dual lid grapple. This would make the bottom and top claws about the same width with an 8" or whatever gap between the two tops. It just seems dual lids should be able to grasp an irregular load or tapered log more securely, and a little slower close and open speed may not be such a detriment in all cases. But your points must be valid or you would have already considered it.

In eleven years of experience with a single lid grapple, I've never found an object I couldn't securely grasp where two lids would have made a difference. The "benefit" of dual lids on grapples less than about six feet wide is questionable. I'm not aware of any complaints by single lid owners that they wished for more. Perhaps an exception if the main duty will be moving split cut firewood but then a grapple bucket would make more sense anyways.

How many thumbs does the human hand have? How often have you wished you had more?

 

[Milo]

You make a good point, IslandTractor and the fact you and most everyone else is satisfied with their single lid grapple eases my concern.

I might take exception to your single lid grapple to human hand with only one thumb analogy though. Observe how a hand can grasp practically any shape, even a round ball, by the way the thumb and all four fingers wrap around independently.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Or ........ maybe the lower part of the grapple is the thumb and the lid(s) is/are the fingers? So ........ can you grip something, of odd shape, better with thumb and one finger or thumb and two fingers?

Single finger fastball? Nope!




If One only had a single lid grapple, One might work hard to justify that position?

I'm glad I am lucky enough to have one of each?

 

[k0ua]

Or ........ maybe the lower part of the grapple is the thumb and the lid(s) is/are the fingers? So ........ can you grip something, of odd shape, better with thumb and one finger or thumb and two fingers?

Single finger fastball? Nope!

View attachment 489471


If One only had a single lid grapple, One might work hard to justify that position?

I'm glad I am lucky enough to have one of each?

Here are some more questions we will never have and answer to:

R1 or R4 tires
Hydrostatic or geared transmission
9mm or .45ACP
Direct impingement or push rod operated AR15's.
Cats or Dogs.
Blondes or Redheads.

And on and on and on.

 

[TomSeller]

Here are some more questions we will never have and answer to:

R1 or R4 tires
Hydrostatic or geared transmission
9mm or .45ACP
Direct impingement or push rod operated AR15's.
Cats or Dogs.
Blondes or Redheads.

And on and on and on.

Add the "Best type of oil to use is:"

 

[IslandTractor]

The analogy of hand and grapple assumes you use your hand palm up to scoop a load and simply hold the load in place with your thumb. That is how the most common type of grapple works. Gravity does the work for L shape or "open bottom" grapples like those sold by EA. The load sits on the bottom tines so there really isn't a need to have more than a single thumb to secure the load.

Rotate your hand so palm is facing down when you grasp an object is like using a clamshell grapple. A clamshell doesn't take advantage of gravity but rather fights it as the load is held only by clamping pressure. Open a clamshell grapple and the load falls out immediately. Open an L shape grapple and the load just sits on the bottom tines....unless you move or have a load that's center of gravity is outside the grapple.

Throwing a split fingered fastball is an example use of the remarkably flexible human hand that allows us to use the same implement to swing an axe or hold a baby or pick up a pin without needing SSQA.

Bottom line is that grapples and humans do well with one thumb.