Grapple styles?

[Lucky Dog]

Shopping for a grapple and see that there are two distinct styles. One has a long horizontal bottom / base with a closing claw, and one is more of a clam shell, with little to no lower horizontal bottom.

What are the intended uses of the two different styles?

Thanks.

 

[nyone]

It's really all in what you plan on grabbing. Short bottoms are better for root raking but a long bottom grabs more brush.

I have a long bottom because that's what came with my used tractor. I can see the benefits of both though.

 

[m5guy]

You will also want to consider the weight of the grapple. I have a long bottom rock bucket grapple and it is quite heavy, works good on the skid steer, but too heavy for the tractor loader.

 

[oosik]

I have a Land Pride SGC1560 grapple. It's a heavy ( 820 pound ) rock and root grapple. It's made of AR400 steel. Used to move heavy rock and chunks of pine tree trunk.

I have no brush on my 80 acres. The grapple is controlled with a WR Long third function valving. I've had this grapple for eleven years.

I choose this style because - I have little to no brush - and - the brush style would soon get bent and crushed moving the rock and trunks I handle.

Also - when you get a grapple - do something like this to your grill guard. This will save damage to your radiator, grill or battery from sticks, stobs or limbs.

 

[oosik]

I choose one of the heaviest duty clam shell style grapples. I've been out here on my 80 acres for 43 years now. I've seen and have experience with light or standard duty implements. One of two things happen to these type implements.

You are so very concerned about damage to the implement - it takes forever to get a job done.

You find that the light or standard grade simply will not hold up to the projects that you plan to complete.

My Land Pride grapple has functioned great and has sustained absolutely no damage.

 

[Xfaxman]

I have had both styles and like the long bottom dual lid the best.

Also have this unique narrow one:

 

[LouNY]

I have a long bottomed rock bucket type grapple. I got this with the thought that it would be good for logs, brush and rocks. It is not, if you can keep the points just skimming the earth and push into brush enough it will get a good grab of brush. To pick up a log if it is in the air it will work good, if the log is laying on the ground you have to curl the grapple all the way back lower it over the log and then the grapple will be able to go under or into the the log, if it is just pinching it, when you try and roll around to lift it, often it will pull out. If the grapple points go under it you can lift up and carry one log. It did work OK for loading logs onto a saw mill, I could curl way under and then close the grapple to carry the log and gently set the log on the table feed arms.
It doesn't work for rocks unless the soil is powdery dry with no clods or you get more dirt then rocks.
I am constantly thinking about getting rid of this one and getting one of the "root rake" style.

When the grapple is closed the upper teeth are several inchs behind the tip of the bucket teeth

This is picking up a small log

 

[Torvy]

There's a big difference between that rock bucket grapple and a root grapple...the sides on your rock grapple...those are for keeping rocks in. A root grapple doesn't have the triangle shaped end, so you can actually hold/pick up logs with it.

 

[ruffdog]

I have the optional grapple attachment on one of my Bobcat buckets. It has worked fine and can do bucket work and grapple to haul piles of branches to the burn pile. If all I did was haul logs, I would cut the ends more open. Mostly, I haul the branches and some firewood and it does what I need it to do. It releases the branches cleanly without hangups.

 

[Torvy]

OP, be aware that some mfgs only make one of these styles. Homestead (unfortunately) only makes the clam style.

I just picked up a CID HDRG63. AR400. Under 800 lbs. Roughly $2800 with optional covers for the cylinder rods.

Another pitfall...if you want a heavy duty grapple, many mfgs start them at 72" wide. That's great if you want a wide one. Not so much if you work in wooded or confined areas.

 

[JCoastie]

I went with a Homestead clam shell type, 60" ~310 pounds, AR450. Had it a few years, no complaints.

 

[mikester]

I started with a single lid clamshell and have upgraded to a twin lid long bottom style.

If you have the loader capacity the twin lid and long bottom works better for grappling everything IMHO.

Another benefit to the long bottom is if you are handling brush, the branches are a lot further away from your radiator. Get yourself a grill guard if you plan on handling brush.

Long bottom grapples work better for grabbing bunches of logs, firewood, rocks, better visibility.

Long bottom grapples are harder on your tractor because it pushes the load forwards. If you don't have the loader capacity the clamshell single lid will give you more lift capacity.

 

[oosik]

I think most everyone who has a grapple has their own technique. MY rock & root grapple does not work well - trying to "slide under" anything. It will pick up too much dirt and this dirt will not fall off.

I come over the object - rotate the grapple, straight down - drop the grapple down over the object and clamp shut. Then I rotate the object/grapple to an upright position. Works for me.

 

[ruffdog]

I come over the object - rotate the grapple, straight down - drop the grapple down over the object and clamp shut. Then I rotate the object/grapple to an upright position. Works for me.

Yep, that is what I do too. I can compress down and grab a big bunch of branches that way.

 

[LouNY]

I think most everyone who has a grapple has their own technique. MY rock & root grapple does not work well - trying to "slide under" anything. It will pick up too much dirt and this dirt will not fall off.

I come over the object - rotate the grapple, straight down - drop the grapple down over the object and clamp shut. Then I rotate the object/grapple to an upright position. Works for me.

That is how I have to operate mine as well, it tends to irritate me when I end up having to grab just one or if lucky two small logs at a time. I have the size and hydraulics to handle several 6-8 inch logs at time, getting just one and traveling to drop it and then travel back for another is aggravating to me.

 

[EddieWalker]

Any grapple is better then not having a grapple. Whatever you buy, you will adjust to it and figure out how to do what you need it to do.

Mine has two lids on it, which I think is very important when picking up a large variety of things. Stumps are probably the hardest to get ahold of, and having two lids gives me a better grip on them in my opinion. I also pick up a lot of branches and trees. Being able to have two lids allows me to hold it more solid since each lid closes as far as it can, and it's rarely the same.

 

[JCoastie]

That is how I have to operate mine as well, it tends to irritate me when I end up having to grab just one or if lucky two small logs at a time. I have the size and hydraulics to handle several 6-8 inch logs at time, getting just one and traveling to drop it and then travel back for another is aggravating to me.

odd, in my clamshell, I can easily carry (2) 10-12" logs at a time, 3 if they are smaller.
I do have to usually stack them to get 3 in there, with a smaller on on top of a pyramid. If a big one is at the top, then yes, the lid won't close down enough to grip the bottom log of 3, but stacked right, no problem with (3) ~8" logs, and 2 larger ones all day long with no issues.

 

[LouNY]

odd, in my clamshell, I can easily carry (2) 10-12" logs at a time, 3 if they are smaller.
I do have to usually stack them to get 3 in there, with a smaller on on top of a pyramid. If a big one is at the top, then yes, the lid won't close down enough to grip the bottom log of 3, but stacked right, no problem with (3) ~8" logs, and 2 larger ones all day long with no issues.

Lot different styles.

 

[oosik]

Lots of styles that work - everybody has the grapple that works best for them.

The one thing we can all agree on - having a grapple is far better than not.

My grapple has allowed me to take on projects that I would not even consider - without a grapple.

 

[EastTexCowboy]

Any grapple is better then not having a grapple. Whatever you buy, you will adjust to it and figure out how to do what you need it to do.

Mine has two lids on it, which I think is very important when picking up a large variety of things. Stumps are probably the hardest to get ahold of, and having two lids gives me a better grip on them in my opinion. I also pick up a lot of branches and trees. Being able to have two lids allows me to hold it more solid since each lid closes as far as it can, and it's rarely the same.

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This!

I had both styles up until last year. Bought the first one after a hurricane in 2008. My daughter didn't have a grapple and I don't think she and son-in-law thought they really needed one. So I gave them the dual clamp, which I found works better for odd size loads, logs, etc. They had a lot of fence row cleaning and land clearing to do on a couple hundred acres. Needless to say they fell in love with it immediately. I found I could use either one for just about anything but yeah, some things work better with one or the other style. You will absolutely learn to use whichever one you get and will wonder how you ever survived without one.