Deciding on grapple type, not brand yet.

[JohnnyMX]

One thing that seems useful no matter what style you go with is get one where the clamshell comes down and makes contact with the lower teeth give you more of a tweezer-like ability. I'm sure many do this, but some slide past each other . If they connect I find it useful for grabbing a single rock or small piece of brush that dropped out of the grapple on my way to a pile.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

I wouldn't recommend going with anything other than EA Attachments. They've got a couple videos of their wicked root rake grapple on their SVL I do believe.

I dont think they make a ctl grapple. Just the dudes brother(construction attachments) and at those weights there is a lot of other grapples a lot cheaper.

 

[mikester]

I am leaning towards a single lid instead of the dual lid, and the shorter bottom. This will be for a svl75. I have no ability to try them out so watching vids and etc.. my main thing will be woods cleanup, lots of old downed trees, honeysuckle, and undergrowth. I like the bigger rake style lid with ability for back dragging. Anybody got both or bought one and wish they羆*e got the other?

I bought a no-name heavy duty (aka heavy 3/8 mild steel plate) root rake (short base) style with a single lid. Works ok for pushing out roots but not good for moving wood. The single lid also has trouble grasping odd shaped pieces like large tree trunks with a wye in them and I can't grab a full load of logs each time. Mild steel tines are heavy and easy to bend.

I now wish I bought a long bottom style with double lids. I'd find a grapple that was made of AR300/AR400 and lighter weight (ie. 1/4 AR300 will be stiffer than 1/2 mild steel). I'd also spec that all pins were fully bolted and everything needs to be grease-able.

Most of the time I want the grapple for hauling logs, wood and brush. I am tempted to add a thumb onto my forks for the logs. I never feel like I get a full load when handling brush on my current setup.

Put a grill guard on your tractor as your first priority. I was an unhappy camper when I discovered I punched a hole in my new M59 plastic grill. Also make sure your hoses and steel lines are protected, tucked up and out of the way.

 

[Redbug]

I have a root rake type with single lid made by WR Long. I really like it. I also welded up a brush guard which is needed when using a grapple. Make sure your grapple is as wide as your front tire width. That way you are not driving over debris when pushing up a load.

 

[4570Man]

I dont think they make a ctl grapple. Just the dudes brother(construction attachments) and at those weights there is a lot of other grapples a lot cheaper.

I didn’t find anything in the EA lineup that I liked for my M59. The largest 125hp and larger grapple was too excessive and the next size down wasn’t enough. I ended up buying a Favor grapple which is really made for a skid steer and I’ve been very satisfied with it. I paid close to 3k so it wasn’t cheap either though. I didn’t care about the price. I’ve welded enough implements back together to know I didn’t want a repeat of that.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

I didn稚 find anything in the EA lineup that I liked for my M59. The largest 125hp and larger grapple was too excessive and the next size down wasn稚 enough. I ended up buying a Favor grapple which is really made for a skid steer and I致e been very satisfied with it. I paid close to 3k so it wasn稚 cheap either though. I didn稚 care about the price. I致e welded enough implements back together to know I didn稚 want a repeat of that.

Ok, I like this grapple. All ar400 and pretty simple. 850ish lb. looks like $3500. I like how tight it closes.

Home

Faver 8410X & 627SCX Grapple Rake - www.faverinc.com - YouTube

 

[TractorGuy]

True for tractors, but not true for skid steer, CTL and my Versahandler with 4 wheel steering. If the grapple fits, the machine will clear the trees.

View attachment 686201 View attachment 686202

AHHHH! I didn't realize we were talking about a skid steer until now. Just looked up what a svl75 was.

 

[aesanders]

Years ago, like 10, I bought the rake master grapple like the YouTube presenter CotonTop purchased & I absolutely love the thing. At first I thought it was overkill and over weighted for the kind of work I’d was going to be doing. Neither was true.

These in my book are the best grapples money can buy. The pinchers are so convenient. Can pluck saplings right out of the ground. Built like a root rake, and tough as nails, but can out grapple most grapples.

 

[sd455dan]

These in my book are the best grapples money can buy. The pinchers are so convenient. Can pluck saplings right out of the ground. Built like a root rake, and tough as nails, but can out grapple most grapples.

I still like the long bottom open Tine, pretty handy for everything 'but' rooting, r moving large alfalfa bales, logs, rocks, and brush.
Can stack a load of whatever on the lower tines as well. The linked Faver Grapples would be high on my list for me if needing a new one.

But if the OP wants and needs a rooting Grapple, clamshell / short lower tine- that's what he should get.

L style/ long lower tines are not good at rooting.

i see we are responding to a 3 year old dead thread.

 

[Xfaxman]

i see we are responding to a 3 year old dead thread.

At least the OP is still active.

 

[aesanders]

Oh I apologize. Didn’t realize this was an old thread that I brought back to life.

 

[Xfaxman]

No need to apologize, it happens a lot and usually with good results.

 

[mikester]

I am leaning towards a single lid instead of the dual lid, and the shorter bottom. This will be for a svl75. I have no ability to try them out so watching vids and etc.. my main thing will be woods cleanup, lots of old downed trees, honeysuckle, and undergrowth. I like the bigger rake style lid with ability for back dragging. Anybody got both or bought one and wish theyæ±*e got the other?

I started with a single lid short bottom root grapple, sold it last year and now have a twin lid long bottom grapple.

The single lid root grapple worked ok for grabbing between 1 and 3 small diameter logs that were perfectly straight like utility poles. It was ok for small rocks and raking up small branches into piles.

The single lid struggled to grab large roots, large oblong shaped logs (logs with branches or wyes), large rocks. The single lid root grapple sucked for trying to make large grabs of brush or for trying to haul firewood. I always had to have the grapple fully curled back and about 5 feet off the ground in order to manually get a full load of logs.

The benefit of single lids are lighter weight suitable for use with SCUTs. The problem with single lids is single contact points on loads so you are always putting weird torsional loads on the grapple lid and components leading to failure, breakage, excessive wear.

My twin lid grapple is able to grab anything and excels where the single lid failed. Superior for handling firewood and making large grabs of brush. I can grab and carry 1+ ton armourstone that my single lid grapple could never even grip enough to pick up. Picture palming a basket ball by an NBA player vs a 10 year old with small hands.

The other benefit of the long bottom is the grab is a lot further away from my radiator grill. Less of a risk punching holes or damaging my machine with errant branches making grabs.

The negative to long bottom grapples is its harder for the machine to make lifts when the load is further from the pins due to added bending moments. This won't really be as much of an issue for you CTL but is an issue for comparatively light duty SCUTs and CUTs.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have had 3 grapples. I like this type the best if logs and branches are the primary cargo of your grapple.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have often wondered how the dual lids worked. Are they single control? Does the first stop on contact, while the second keeps going until it also stops?

 

[Xfaxman]

I have often wondered how the dual lids worked. Are they single control?

Yes.

Does the first stop on contact, while the second keeps going until it also stops?

Yes.

 

[oosik]

I chose the rock/root clam shell type grapple. It's heavy - 820 pounds of AR400 steel. I have little to no brush or limbs. About 95% of the time - moving large rocks and chunks of pine tree trunk.