Bucket with add on grapple,

[123maxbars]

Getting ready to take delivery of a new Mahindra 4550, comes standard with the bucket. one of the main uses for this tractor is keep my woodmizer feed with logs.
I am looking at getting a grapple, but I also saw where you can get a grapple added to the bucket. Anyone have any experience with this bucket with add on grapple?
Also is it comparable to what you can do with a standard grapple? Thanks for any advice,

 

[Gordon Gould]

I looked on the Mahindra site but wasn't sure what type grapple you are asking about. If it is like my ATI bolt-on grapple I have have lots of experience with it - all positive. I have tons of pictures here are a few. Most people here have the dedicated type grapples so you won't get much response on a bucket grapple.











gg

 

[/pine]

max...if you're looking at "thumb" type grapples (which is all you need for gripping about any size log) search the site for the plethora of thumb grapple threads...

IMO the best 3rd party product is The Thumb

the threads you will find will provide an overload of data about how to plumb hydraulic controls to power a thumb grapple...for even a moderately skilled fabricator they are not a difficult thing to make yourself especially with the guidance that is here in the TBN archive...

Good luck...

 

[Stomper]

GG Looks like that thing works prety good. I like it

 

[123maxbars]

I looked on the Mahindra site but wasn't sure what type grapple you are asking about. If it is like my ATI bolt-on grapple I have have lots of experience with it - all positive. I have tons of pictures here are a few. Most people here have the dedicated type grapples so you won't get much response on a bucket grapple.

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gg

That is a nice set up, and yes the one I am referring to looks almost identical to your set up. Does it perform well when grabbing logs? Also do the teeth on the bucket make a big difference in grabbing material or would it still work well without them? I need this to move logs to my sawmill and like the idea of just adding the grapple to the bucket for two reasons. Cheaper just to add the lid grapple to the bucket rather than buy a whole grapple, and I don't have to change the attachment between loading logs and a hauling off sawdust form the mill. Thanks again for your input on this, much appreciated,

 

[Gordon Gould]

That is a nice set up, and yes the one I am referring to looks almost identical to your set up. Does it perform well when grabbing logs? Also do the teeth on the bucket make a big difference in grabbing material or would it still work well without them? I need this to move logs to my sawmill and like the idea of just adding the grapple to the bucket for two reasons. Cheaper just to add the lid grapple to the bucket rather than buy a whole grapple, and I don't have to change the attachment between loading logs and a hauling off sawdust form the mill. Thanks again for your input on this, much appreciated,

I will try to answer your questions so you will understand - I hope. Here goes. First, my main use of the grapple is loading logs on my one-ton. When I first got the grapple I mounted it the easiest way on my bucket. It work really well on medium diameter logs and smaller. I added the teeth on the bucket edge and grapple tines to help with bigger logs. When you look at the next picture of my original set-up note that to pick a log you can't get under it. You have to grab the log by pinching it between the bucket edges and grapple tines. If you try to pick a big diameter log the grapple opening is like a pair of open scissors and the log tries to shlip out as you close on it. Putting the teeth on allowed the grapple to bite into the log so it wouldn't shlip out. The teeth are just short sections of 1/2" rebar. It still worked pretty good before I welded the teeth on. The second picture was taken before the teeth were put on and I was able to load those snowy logs w/o any trouble.





My next improvement was adding a tooth bar to the bucket and I would strongly recommend doing this because it is a major improvement. It allows you to get under the log and also forms a stop if the log tries to shlip out as described above. You can work much quicker because you can almost grab the log any old way. It makes really crooked and bent logs no problem and it is easy to pick two logs at once. It also grabs large rocks much better. If I had the tooth bar first I doubt that I would have felt the need for the little teeth I put on.





When I first mounted the grapple I just put it on there. After a while I realized I could make it better if I mounted it forward a little more to give me wider gape. Better for bigger logs and holding more brush. So the last thing I did was change the way it was mounted by moving it forward an down. That left the bottom open a little when closed empty so I added some little tine extensions to close the opening and cup the back of a big log or prevent a very small log from dropping out. You will want to pay attention when you mount it. Give yourself the widest gape possible and at the same time make sure it will close on a small log if you handle them.



Hopefully all that will help you get an idea of what to look for when you check out the grapple.

gg

 

[japody]

Did you need a 3rd function? If not, how is it plumbed?

 

[Gordon Gould]

For the first 3 years or so I operated the grapple off of one of the rear remotes. The control lever was down beside the seat beside my (Ed:-oops) right hip. It worked for me. Then I wanted to use the remotes for a TnT set-up. So in 2011 I added a manual valve into the power beyond line from the loader to control the grapple. I made a bracket and mounted the valve above the loader valve. Now I have two side by side joy sticks, one for the loader and one for the grapple. The grapple lever can swing left-right with the loader lever curl/dump movement but opens and closes with a pull back push forward like the loader up/down.Total cost about $250. $100 for the valve the rest for fittings and hoses. A link to that:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...on-valve-project-post2282644.html#post2282644






gg

 

[nybirdman]

I added a Green's Machine Thumb+tooth-bar;works great.Not as big an opening as a full grapple but does well.
Mine is removable with four bolts;maybe 60 # or so.

 

[Saitcho]

Cotech

I looked for bucket clamp also but decided to go with a log clamp on my forks. Main issue for me with bucket clamp is capacity. If you work with big logs and you move them one at the time bucket clamp is good. But I mainly work with 4-6 inch logs so I need to move as many as possible with each trip. I can also scoop more branches with the forks and use forks to move pallet and other misc stuff around. The main drawback is you need to switch back from bucket to fork but if you have a quick attach system like I do its only a 2 min job. Another useful feature of forks is you have a better reach so you can drop the log further down on the pile.