New grapple - W.R.Long Gladiator

[ning]

After a zillion years, I finally bought a grapple. By a zillion, I mean to say I've been shopping for a grapple for almost as long as since I was shopping for a tractor, because I was sure I was going to get one for it, and I've had the tractor almost eight years now... why did I wait? I'm probably going to ask myself that a lot in the next few weeks, but the truth is that I stretched my budget getting a lot more tractor than I had originally intended, so while I did get that tractor with a 3rd function (diverter) installed by the dealer, I didn't feel I could drop the extra cash on the grapple then too.

I bought the W.R.Long Gladiator grapple (link: W.R. Long, Inc. | Gladiator Grapple). I bought via the local tractor shop who's a WRL dealer; ordered 2025-01-14 and delivered today 2025-02-20 in my driveway.
This particular grapple is only offered in one width - 56" - which suits me just fine; I didn't want a very wide one, and this one is a bit narrower than my bucket and right about the width of the front tire track.

It came on a pallet - no straps

The hydraulic cylinders are tucked nicely behind the bottom on the outside; the hoses are routed through a middle rectangular tube and come out at the middle (hoses had zip ties for transit)

It came with one male and one female connector

I'd specified connectors when I ordered, but I suspect that the guy at the feed store who played intermediary probably didn't pass that along to WRL as my diverter has two F's:

I scavenged a M NPT connector from my pressure gauge rig and swapped it for one of the F's on my diverter, as the grapple came with not-NPT threads and I just had to connect it immediately

and besides, keeping things M/F ensures that I hook it up consistently, unlike my TNT in the rear, which I still have yet to label so I relearn it every time I use it.

Lost a little paint in transit here and there

but I suspect it'll lose even more paint soon enough.

I played with the open/close briefly but had other duties today

The bottom spikes are laminated, two layers on the outer spikes and three for the six inner ones.

Looks great IMO, nice welds, grease points, the SSQA slots are very nicely reinforced.
Like many grapples of this type, it's self-standing when off.
It's very lightweight and I was able to easily roll it from the shipping position to standing up to connect by hand.

I'll update this thread with action shots in the near future (though I'll be working alone so there won't be true live action like video); feel free to ask questions and I'll see if I can answer them.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Great purchase. I sure love my grapple. Can't imagine life without it anymore.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Welcome to the club! That grapple looks quite sturdy, you're going to love having it.

 

[Doug Vee]

After a zillion years, I finally bought a grapple. By a zillion, I mean to say I've been shopping for a grapple for almost as long as since I was shopping for a tractor, because I was sure I was going to get one for it, and I've had the tractor almost eight years now... why did I wait? I'm probably going to ask myself that a lot in the next few weeks, but the truth is that I stretched my budget getting a lot more tractor than I had originally intended, so while I did get that tractor with a 3rd function (diverter) installed by the dealer, I didn't feel I could drop the extra cash on the grapple then too.

I bought the W.R.Long Gladiator grapple (link: W.R. Long, Inc. | Gladiator Grapple). I bought via the local tractor shop who's a WRL dealer; ordered 2025-01-14 and delivered today 2025-02-20 in my driveway.
This particular grapple is only offered in one width - 56" - which suits me just fine; I didn't want a very wide one, and this one is a bit narrower than my bucket and right about the width of the front tire track.

It came on a pallet - no straps
View attachment 2772022

The hydraulic cylinders are tucked nicely behind the bottom on the outside; the hoses are routed through a middle rectangular tube and come out at the middle (hoses had zip ties for transit)
View attachment 2772015

It came with one male and one female connector
View attachment 2772016

I'd specified connectors when I ordered, but I suspect that the guy at the feed store who played intermediary probably didn't pass that along to WRL as my diverter has two F's:
View attachment 2772017

I scavenged a M NPT connector from my pressure gauge rig and swapped it for one of the F's on my diverter, as the grapple came with not-NPT threads and I just had to connect it immediately
View attachment 2772018
and besides, keeping things M/F ensures that I hook it up consistently, unlike my TNT in the rear, which I still have yet to label so I relearn it every time I use it.

Lost a little paint in transit here and there
View attachment 2772019
but I suspect it'll lose even more paint soon enough.

I played with the open/close briefly but had other duties today
View attachment 2772020

The bottom spikes are laminated, two layers on the outer spikes and three for the six inner ones.

Looks great IMO, nice welds, grease points, the SSQA slots are very nicely reinforced.
Like many grapples of this type, it's self-standing when off.
It's very lightweight and I was able to easily roll it from the shipping position to standing up to connect by hand.

I'll update this thread with action shots in the near future (though I'll be working alone so there won't be true live action like video); feel free to ask questions and I'll see if I can answer them.

I don't think I have had the bucket on the loader since I received the grapple and the forks. I am sure I will some time in the future, but it is definitely not the main attachment for the loader anymore.

Doug

 

[WM75Guy]

Congrats on your new grapple. W.R. Long makes quality grapples. I have 2, an OBG-2 grapple and a 10-bale hay grapple. They have held up well.

 

[ning]

Most of my work till now has been me cutting trees, setting aside oak trunk wood and branches 2-3"+ (small stuff gets chunked for grilling) and making piles of greens and small branches. I change my minimum "keep for later" size when I have a lot of smalls cached.

I've typically made hand piles about 6-8' long, 5' tall and deep, reasonably easy to fork and a good amount to drop on a burn pile (which is officially supposed to be 4x4' but you really can't make a good hot burning pile so small).

With the grapple I'm able to grab one of my piles and compress the !$#@ out of it by closing the grapple, then drop it on another pile and grab it too, and one time already I've done this to take three piles at once to my burn spot, though I did lose a couple small branches from the mouth.

Still it's an efficiency win just from fewer trips, plus losing much less - and I haven't started making grapple-specific piles yet. Having to fork piles requires that they be more approachable and not be somewhere that the tractor will have any side slope as you can lose much of a load off of forks that way; of course much of the land I've been clearing is on a hill and unfortunately I do have to access it somewhat on a side slope.

Till now I've dragged slash to a nearby area with a fork-tolerable slope to make piles, but the grapple will be able to grab them on the slope and not dump them.

Obligatory grapple shot:

The tractor with the grapple has been nicknamed "Gurgi" after the character in The Black Cauldron who was fond of "crunchings and munchings" because you take a big bite with the grapple then crunch it down

Tractor fits fine in the container with the grapple not adding much length; there are storage racks in the second half and an unfortunate number of bikes in the middle that need to be hung up somehow - also the backhoe is on the tractor in this pic - doesn't fit with the bucket on and definitely not with forks sticking forward.

 

[Jstpssng]

Nice! My grapple is on most of the time; the only time I take it off is when moving dirt or plowing snow. I even tried plowing with it once... then swapped to the bucket and went over the same area again.

unlike my TNT in the rear, which I still have yet to label so I relearn it every time I use

When I got my grapple a TBN member suggested that I put zip ties on one side, so that I always hook them up the same way. That was good advice which has worked out well for me.

 

[dstig1]

You are going to love that for any tree or brush work. You will wish you got it 8 yrs ago... Just watch when you grab long logs as they can weigh a ton and become a tipping issue, especially on side slopes.

Smart move changing the one Quick connect fitting so they are 1M/1F. Makes it super easy to always get it right. I was going to suggest it but then read farther and saw you already did it.

 

[ning]

You are going to love that for any tree or brush work. You will wish you got it 8 yrs ago... Just watch when you grab long logs as they can weigh a ton and become a tipping issue, especially on side slopes.

Smart move changing the one Quick connect fitting so they are 1M/1F. Makes it super easy to always get it right. I was going to suggest it but then read farther and saw you already did it.

It'll get it right - after I swap them. I don't like how I set it up, but that was a random choice. I'll swap them before I use it next time, right? ... right...(maybe?)

 

[kf4uda]

Congratulations!

 

[dinoedwards]

I'm looking for one too, I have the same factory divertor on my 2400H with BL100FEL. Both female fittings.
Is that one the RBG3-56 @238lbs?
The web site shows cylinders on top not in back, if in back I'm interested!
I like the Catawba 54" @212lbs or 55" @305lbs
Looks like has a few more teeth then the Catawba?

 

[ning]

I'm looking for one too, I have the same factory divertor on my 2400H with BL100FEL. Both female fittings.
Is that one the RBG3-56 @238lbs?
The web site shows cylinders on top not in back, if in back I'm interested!
I like the Catawba 54" @212lbs or 55" @305lbs
Looks like has a few more teeth then the Catawba?

This is their "Gladiator" model (link).
It's 312 pounds, 56" wide.
Cylinders are definitely in back; 8 teeth on the bottom, 9 on top.
Very strong construction of the lower teeth with the 3-part lamination and angled reinforcement.

Price for me was about the same as the Catawba 55 delivered to my house.

So far I'm happy with it. Caveat, it's been very rainy and the ground is soft & slippery so I've only used it a couple times to crush & move piles.

 

[dinoedwards]

Talked to rep and RBG3 are on top and yours (Gladiator) are in back but don't want all that weight. Thanks

 

[dinoedwards]

What machine is that on and what loader? I have 2400 w/BL100FEL

 

[ning]

What machine is that on and what loader? I have 2400 w/BL100FEL

I've got it on a Branson 3520h w/BL25R loader.
~4k bare weight + loader + loaded tires; loader cap is 2100 to full height.

I didn't get it for hauling big logs, though it is lighter than my forks - intention is primarily for brush work; the biggest load of branches and brush I've carried yet probably was 250 pounds, it's mostly air.

With a SCUT I would go for the lightest possible - not saying "you're not going to break it anyways" nor saying "preserve the lifting capacity" but with a smaller lighter tractor you don't want to be lifting a lot on uneven ground, and grapple loads are rarely stuff that you can have the bucket skimming the ground to keep the load as low as possible. On some hills I'm leery of having an empty bucket much above ground, let alone with a load in it!

 

[650gSatoh]

Most of my work till now has been me cutting trees, setting aside oak trunk wood and branches 2-3"+ (small stuff gets chunked for grilling) and making piles of greens and small branches. I change my minimum "keep for later" size when I have a lot of smalls cached.

I've typically made hand piles about 6-8' long, 5' tall and deep, reasonably easy to fork and a good amount to drop on a burn pile (which is officially supposed to be 4x4' but you really can't make a good hot burning pile so small).

With the grapple I'm able to grab one of my piles and compress the !$#@ out of it by closing the grapple, then drop it on another pile and grab it too, and one time already I've done this to take three piles at once to my burn spot, though I did lose a couple small branches from the mouth.

Still it's an efficiency win just from fewer trips, plus losing much less - and I haven't started making grapple-specific piles yet. Having to fork piles requires that they be more approachable and not be somewhere that the tractor will have any side slope as you can lose much of a load off of forks that way; of course much of the land I've been clearing is on a hill and unfortunately I do have to access it somewhat on a side slope.

Till now I've dragged slash to a nearby area with a fork-tolerable slope to make piles, but the grapple will be able to grab them on the slope and not dump them.

Obligatory grapple shot:
View attachment 2797041

The tractor with the grapple has been nicknamed "Gurgi" after the character in The Black Cauldron who was fond of "crunchings and munchings" because you take a big bite with the grapple then crunch it down

Tractor fits fine in the container with the grapple not adding much length; there are storage racks in the second half and an unfortunate number of bikes in the middle that need to be hung up somehow - also the backhoe is on the tractor in this pic - doesn't fit with the bucket on and definitely not with forks sticking forward.
View attachment 2797046

Love "Gurgi".... I am reading that series to my daughter at the moment. I have grapple envy...

 

[dinoedwards]

Weight is my concern with BL100S looks like 1300lb capacity.
Catawba 54" does not have any lower teeth, but weighs 212lbs, $2200
Catawba 55" nice teeth 2-6" cylinders grease fittings but weighs 300lbs, $2600
RBG3-54 nice teeth weights 238lbs but cylinders are on top. $2500
Dealer told me to go with Carolina 54" 1-lid with 2- cylinders on top weighs 250lbs,$1500
Just home owner work with veins, scrubs few trees and small logs.
Are cylinders on top that bad?

 

[ning]

Weight is my concern with BL100S looks like 1300lb capacity.
Catawba 54" does not have any lower teeth, but weighs 212lbs, $2200
Catawba 55" nice teeth 2-6" cylinders grease fittings but weighs 300lbs, $2600
RBG3-54 nice teeth weights 238lbs but cylinders are on top. $2500
Dealer told me to go with Carolina 54" 1-lid with 2- cylinders on top weighs 250lbs,$1500
Just home owner work with veins, scrubs few trees and small logs.
Are cylinders on top that bad?

Not that bad.
It's just a matter of potential exposure to damage.
At least with them on top, you can see what could possibly get at them.

If you're just doing brush/light wood grappling, I don't see an issue. If you were doing building demolition, it could be a concern, but then a small tractor would be a bigger concern. Personally I'm not too hip on how exposed the hoses look, but $1k+ can buy a lot of hoses. The RBG3 also has fairly exposed hoses; looks like the Catawba's are tucked behind pretty nicely.
$1500 would be a tough price to pass up IMO, also the carolina's lower "teeth" seem well braced.

If you're in the Catawba free shipping region though I'm seeing a price of $1965 for their 54 and without paying for shipping. I have questions about their "teeth" not having any bracing though.

 

[oosik]

The local Kubota dealer installed my grapple and WR Long third function equipment nine years ago. I've never taken this grapple off.

Almost everything I do with the tractor involves some use of the grapple. You have made an excellent choice.

 

[ning]

Update

I just used the grapple non-stop for a couple hours picking up stuff I had cut or knocked over in my jungle area - the primary purpose I bought it for.

Before I started, I swapped the hydraulic connectors as when I first got it, my tractor had two F connectors and the grapple a F and a M; I randomly chose one connector on the tractor to change to M (this is my first and currently only front loader hydraulic attachment) and I wasn't very comfortable with the choice, it felt awkward in use.

After the swap, using the grapple via the "third function" diverter setup felt immediately natural, completely intuitive. It's like night and day compared to the previous direction. I've found that I can curl the grapple back and close it mostly at the same time as if feathering the two functions by rapid-fire hitting and releasing the button.

I'm really appreciating the size of the grapple - I would want no wider (it's 56") and it wouldn't bother me a bit to have it a little narrower.

Maneuverability in my partially cleared jungle is better with the grapple than with a bucket - not only is it ten inches narrower but when closed it doesn't stick out as far.

Picking up brush and small trees etc doesn't require any sort of counterweight, particularly with filled tires; a large load might weigh a couple hundred pounds at the most.