Another Grapple Weight Question

[old and tired]

...Dealer is trying to sell me a 66 inch wr long grapple. It weighs about 670 pounds....

Sounds like he has one on the lot he is trying to get rid of?? 66" is great if you need to pickup lots of brush/trash at a time. 66" is not so good if you work in tight spaces (the woods).

I love WR Long products, I have their Bolt on Grapple on my bucket. I've been to their office in Tarboro, NC and seen them making stuff in their factory... Good company.

 

[CoyPatton]

One of the best 400 pound grapples might hold up but a cheap mild steel construction one won’t.

And width of the grapple, if anything increases the likelihood of bending. As it 1) increases what you think you can pickup
2) allows more leverage in the mild steel from its support frame.
Bottom line bigger and heavier no not equal stronger.

 

[sd455dan]

Yes. 2700 at the pins. Will be running fluid in the tired and 900 lbs at the back for additional ballast. I would keep logs to 10 feet long and perhaps 18 to 24 inches

I think you will be fine, have a 66 inch L style grapple on my 55 HP Rhino tractor and have lifted a few 28-30 inch by 14 foot pines without a problem.
That said , if you will not be moving lots of brush in addition to logs , i would probably get a bit narrower grapple as others have suggested.
If you will be moving some brush regularly then a 66 inch grapple may be a good width.

 

[JohnnyMX]

I have the W.R. Long open bottom, 2 clamshell grapple on my MX5200. I have never tried to lift something that wouldn't go, and the times I did it was ballast limited not loader capacity. It has been a great grapple. Great for brush. The longer tines on the bottom let you dump the bucket down and come down and in on a pile to let you rake it up as you go.

 

[Red Horse]

I am getting a branson 4820HC. Heavy for its class and lift capacity of 2700. Dealer is trying to sell me a 66 inch wr long grapple. It weighs about 670 pounds. Grapple will be for clearing brush and lifting logs for a mill I have. Too heavy? I'm struggling to decide. Dealer says I will want the heft as he sees lighter 300 to 400 lbs grapples get bent.

Well for what its worth I have had a 48" Wildkat Economy grapple. I got in on ground floor 9 years ago and paid 700 bucks delivered to Mass. Only issue I ever had was I was trying to "hog out" a buried bolder by opening all the way and digging with teeth while trying to roll back with grapple locked onforward edge of rock I cracked the welds where cylinder is attached to box beam. Cut a couple of 1/4" thick wedges and welded on-end of problem. As my avatar shows you can get a lot of firewood on it Like you, I use it for clearing brush as well as bucking logs. I'll take the weight savings (350lbs) any day vs lost payload with a heavier, wider grapple.

 

[CADplans]

My 584 IH weighs about double the weight of the Branson,,
I think my real lift capacity is about 2,200 pounds.

I built a metal building, and asked the guy sending me the steel not to palletize the material over a ton per bundle (it was beams, so the weight was easily known).

I struggled to unload the truck when it arrived, because the unloading spot was not level.

I would not want to handle 2,700 pounds with a tractor that weighs 4,400 pounds,,
after having handled 2,200 pounds with an 8,000 pound+ tractor.

Actually, I would spend that grapple money getting a heavier model of tractor now,,
then, later get a grapple,, after a lot of reading a lot of reviews,,

 

[ericm979]

The OP's Branson will end up being more like 6000 lbs with loader, filled tires and the counterweight on the back. I've carried around a lot of IBC totes filled with firewood that weigh about 2000 lbs. My 3725 is the same frame size as the Branson the OP is buying. Mine has filled rear tires and a 550lb weight on the back, but as an open station model it's not got the cab. While I know the weight is out there and I'm careful with it, the rear end doesn't get too light and it handles uneven terrain ok. I'd be fine with another 500 lbs on the loader if I had a heavier counterweight.

 

[the old grind]

I recommend a Hound Dog Grapple from MIE. I ordered a 48" in custom color to save weight and I appreciate the lack of width more than I feared it wouldn't be enough. IMO it's not gonna break if it hasn't after 5 years of tractor tipping use.

That said I rarely move 10" logs >16' long or way-thicker ones much > than 6-8'. My loader is weak for size, but I can curl to get heavy rocks just up enough to skid them. Most anything I can lift at all I can lift to near full height, always enough to load on a trailer or into a truck. (Not my job to unload)

Note that the cyl base pin and lid pivot shaft are anchored to extensions of the teeth vs to welded-on brackets. I have a hanging scale and can weight it off the pallet next time I hook it up. It tends to stay on my #1 tractor for the Summer, switched only for the other grapple. (tree Puller)

 

[Matt VA]

Im going to go with the WR Long for now. Dealer said we could do a swap if I am uncomfortable with it.

 

[oosik]

You won't beat that deal anywhere. Matt - be sure you REALLY need that 66" grapple. A 60" grapple is going to do everything that a 66" will. The 60" will weigh around 70# less.

I've heard good reports on WR Long grapples also. You will be surprised how handy a grapple is.