Grapple question

DonRybak · Dec 24, 2019

I've been eyeing the 72" grapple sold by Rural King. Watching the video by Mike Morgan the RK37 can handle the 72" grapple as well as the 60" one. I bought a hay spear attachment from Titan last year and was super impressed with the their customer service when I received the box with the two spears and one was missing. The box was torn on one end so not their fault. Today for some reason I went to their website to look at grapples and they have one on sale for something like $600 off plus free shipping. It looks heavy duty being the teeth are made of 1/2" steel and are replaceable. IT's about $700 cheaper than the Big Dog Granite that RK sales but I'm concerned with the weight. The Titan weighs over 900 lbs verses a little over 600 for the Big Dog. Any idea how much of an issue the extra 33% in weight would be with the RK37?

72" Extreme Root Grapple Rake Attachment

AllByteNoBark · Dec 24, 2019

The RK37 shows the same gross power as my L3560. I have a 60 inch Armstrong mini grapple that is the perfect size in my opinion. I would not want a grapple any bigger, width or weight. It does everything I have asked of it. Mine weighs 440 lbs.

oosik · Dec 24, 2019

Look at your owners manual. What does it say that your FEL can lift. With the heavier 900+ pound Titan - what is left for the load.

How high and how much weight are you expecting to lift. Look at the weight/height lift charts in your Owners Manual.

Remember - it's universal - the higher you lift, the less weight you will be able to lift. The lift charts will tell you all of this.

BTW - BEFORE you start using this grapple consider doing something like this to your OEM grill guard. Any old stick, stob or branch can raise real havoc with your grill, radiator or battery.

View attachment 633987

EverythingAttachments · Dec 24, 2019

In my opinion, based on experience, putting a 600 or 900 pound grapple on a 37hp tractor will unnecessarily tax its ability and agility. 600 pounds is probably over 50% heavier than your bucket and 900 pounds is just ludacris. If you want to totally maximize your tractor's pushing, prying and lifting ability, our 239 pound Wicked 55 root rake grapple is in a class of its own. Best Rated 55 Inch Wicked Root Rake Grapple from Everything Attachments The AR450 Steel and DOM Tubing we use is the strongest, most premium combination of materials in the industry. Most other manufacturers do not even tell you what they use, but we're proud to offer you the best. Click the link I shared to see details, pics, videos(including testing with our 60hp Kubota), and 200+ customer reviews. My words are kinda jumbled because I'm at home today and my phone won't let me create paragraphs, but you deserve to know the best option... If you want the best results, that is. Travis

Leo182 · Dec 24, 2019

Don,

I also have a RK37 and went with the wicked 55. I think it's a pretty good match for my needs. I assume you may be considering the 72 inch for the purpose of carrying larger loads. You may be able to get a slightly bigger bite, but your giving up almost 700 lbs of payload for that, so your really not gaining anything. I'm not pushing any brand but definitely think you'll have some regret going with that big of a grapple.

Jchonline · Dec 24, 2019

I agree with Travis here. There is no way I would get a 900 lb grapple for a 3500lb machine. My machine is 8500 bare and I still think 900 is pretty hefty (mine is 922). Stick in the 500 lb range.

TractorGuy · Dec 24, 2019

DonRybak said:
I've been eyeing the 72" grapple sold by Rural King. Watching the video by Mike Morgan the RK37 can handle the 72" grapple as well as the 60" one. I bought a hay spear attachment from Titan last year and was super impressed with the their customer service when I received the box with the two spears and one was missing. The box was torn on one end so not their fault. Today for some reason I went to their website to look at grapples and they have one on sale for something like $600 off plus free shipping. It looks heavy duty being the teeth are made of 1/2" steel and are replaceable. IT's about $700 cheaper than the Big Dog Granite that RK sales but I'm concerned with the weight. The Titan weighs over 900 lbs verses a little over 600 for the Big Dog. Any idea how much of an issue the extra 33% in weight would be with the RK37?

72" Extreme Root Grapple Rake Attachment

Titan has an issue in their shipping and handling department. A grapple shipment would be hard to mess up but anything with loose items will be hit or miss with them. The first thing I ever bought from them was some bucket teeth that they sent with the wrong pins. For some reason they fell off the map and I had the purchase charged back through paypal and completed for a month before I ever got a response from them. I bought a weld on thumb that came quick with no problems. When I tried to buy their landscape wheel kit it took months of back and forth and 3 attempts to finally get all the parts. Each and every time it arrived with the package torn open and parts missing. The last time by some miracle all the parts were in the box but the box was torn up with parts hanging out.

On the grapple topic I think a 60" is plenty wide for any application or tractor. I wouldn't want a 72" grapple. It's up to you to consider weight, maneuvering space, and type of grappling you need.

The styling is different but while you are price shopping consider the offerings from MTL. I have their RK5 model made for a JD hookup and am fairly pleased with it for the money. It's not a good design for root ripping though so if that is your need it probably isn't the best choice.

GMIslander · Dec 24, 2019

I have this grapple, almost exactly, on a DK45. It's small light and rugged. I've used it in the woods three winters now with do damage or complaints. I don't baby it either and I would not want anything larger.
Compact Tractor 48" HD Root Grapple Hydraulic - quick attach — MTL Attachments

BRMyers · Dec 24, 2019

I got my first full day use of the Wicked 55" EA Grapple and it worked GREAT!

I'm still amazed on how much that the grapple and my tractor can accomplish. I have a 37HP gross(35HP net) and the grapple works wonderful with my tractor.

4570Man · Dec 24, 2019

A 900 pound grapple is way too heavy for that tractor. I didn’t even want a grapple that heavy on my M59 and I found one that’s about 650 pounds. A 72” is too big too.

DonRybak · Dec 26, 2019

Thanks for the responses. I too thought that the 900 lbs was way over the top. I have a small 1/2 acre patch of land across a canal at the back of my pasture that is over grown with brush, grape vines and some saw palmettos. My intention is to go in and clean that area up so I can get in there to fence it in for my horses. It's so thick now that you can't even walk through it. I'll continue to read reviews and follow listing of the smaller and lighter grapples. Thanks again.........Don

digdirty · Dec 26, 2019

I have the RK 24 with the 54" grapple from Big Dog and love it's size and shape for a small tractor. the weight comes in at 235# giving me plenty of lift remaining. The grapple that RK recommends for the 37 hp. is the 60" and that comes in at 390# and the 72" grapple from Big Dog is at 540#. Not trying to push any brand of grapple to anyone, just giving the facts as I know them! I've had the grapple on the tractor more than the bucket or the forks and find new uses for it all the time but I don't think you'll benefit much more with anything over 60"

shooterdon · Dec 27, 2019

I got the MTL 60” grapple for my LS...it is about the same size as your RK. I would not want a bigger unit. It is not super heavy duty, but for $1000 shipped is a bargain for the occasional uses I have.

markie61 · Dec 30, 2019

oosik said:
BTW - BEFORE you start using this grapple consider doing something like this to your OEM grill guard. Any old stick, stob or branch can raise real havoc with your grill, radiator or battery.

Ok: done! (still need to "pretty it up", but it will work for now...)

TractorGuy · Dec 30, 2019

markie61 said:
Ok: done! (still need to "pretty it up", but it will work for now...)
View attachment 634798

Never thought about mounting the diverter valve there. That came out pretty neat.

Better frame that expanded metal in with some angle before it cuts somebody to shreds.

WoodDuck · Dec 30, 2019

I agree with the others, 900 lbs is way too much weight for a grapple on a CUT, you'd lose too much of your lift capacity. The RK L102 FEL is claimed to lift 2116 lbs. to full height at the pins. Since the load will always be in front of these pivot pins, the actual lift capacity is always less than this value. Slapping a 900 lb. attachment to the FEL will effectively cut your lift capacity in half or thereabouts. Not a great trade off. I researched grapple designs and weights for months before deciding on a 60" Wicked Root Rake Grapple for my Kioti NX5510. You really need a design that's light and strong both, for optimum performance. A Wicked 55" or 60" Root Rake would be a great combo for that tractor in my opinion. The Wicked lower tooth design was something I preferred over some of the other grapples I looked at. The lower teeth on the Wicked grapples are parallel to the direction of travel, meaning they will "cut through" the soil with less resistance and surface damage than the horizontal "spade-type" teeth I saw on some other units. The 55" is 239#, and the slightly larger 60" comes in around 400#. The 60" has some thicker steel in places, larger bore cylinders for more closing force, 3 hinge points instead of 2, and opens a little wider than the 55" grapple does. All these beefed-up "upgrades" make the 60" considerably heavier, and somewhat more costly, than the 55". I can't honestly say that I've ever had my 60" in a situation where the 55" wouldn't have probably worked just as well though. Whatever brand/design/type you decide to go with, weight definitely needs to be a major consideration in my opinion. Good luck with whatever you get! The grapple is my FAVORITE tractor attachment so far!

BRMyers · Dec 31, 2019

WoodDuck said:
I agree with the others, 900 lbs is way too much weight for a grapple on a CUT, you'd lose too much of your lift capacity. The RK L102 FEL is claimed to lift 2116 lbs. to full height at the pins. Since the load will always be in front of these pivot pins, the actual lift capacity is always less than this value. Slapping a 900 lb. attachment to the FEL will effectively cut your lift capacity in half or thereabouts. Not a great trade off. I researched grapple designs and weights for months before deciding on a 60" Wicked Root Rake Grapple for my Kioti NX5510. You really need a design that's light and strong both, for optimum performance. A Wicked 55" or 60" Root Rake would be a great combo for that tractor in my opinion. The Wicked lower tooth design was something I preferred over some of the other grapples I looked at. The lower teeth on the Wicked grapples are parallel to the direction of travel, meaning they will "cut through" the soil with less resistance and surface damage than the horizontal "spade-type" teeth I saw on some other units. The 55" is 239#, and the slightly larger 60" comes in around 400#. The 60" has some thicker steel in places, larger bore cylinders for more closing force, 3 hinge points instead of 2, and opens a little wider than the 55" grapple does. All these beefed-up "upgrades" make the 60" considerably heavier, and somewhat more costly, than the 55". I can't honestly say that I've ever had my 60" in a situation where the 55" wouldn't have probably worked just as well though. Whatever brand/design/type you decide to go with, weight definitely needs to be a major consideration in my opinion. Good luck with whatever you get! The grapple is my FAVORITE tractor attachment so far!

I have been using my 55" Wicked Grapple. Here are some pictures of what it has accomplished:

As we have been cleaning brush, we have found long forgotten equipment and I have used the grapple to dig them out and move them to the found equipment pile so we can sort through what is worth keeping and what is heading to the scrap yard. I don't have pictures of it, but I used the grapple to take down an old hog house and move all the scrap wood to the burn pile.

DonRybak · Dec 31, 2019

Thanks for all the replies and pics. I'll definitely go with a lighter weight grapple. I too like the lower tooth design on the wicked grapple. TractorGuy, the mounting position of the third function valve in the pic is the stock position that RK mounts the valve. At least on the RK55 and 37......Don

TractorGuy · Dec 31, 2019

DonRybak said:
Thanks for all the replies and pics. I'll definitely go with a lighter weight grapple. I too like the lower tooth design on the wicked grapple. TractorGuy, the mounting position of the third function valve in the pic is the stock position that RK mounts the valve. At least on the RK55 and 37......Don

Was looking closer and was confused by the connections. The valve I put on my JD looks identical but the normally open path is straight through. RK must have a special version to get the NO ports on top.