add on bucket grapple

[Gerald]

John, I did not have to reinforce or modify my bucket at all. The grapple looks like it was made for it. I wish it had grease fitttings on the pins but a drill and tap will fix that.
I moved about 10 cross ties with it, something I had been dreading to do because they so heavy. I could not pick up one end of the cross tie to get a chain under it. The grapple worked very well, no chain needed.
I did have to put on a flow control valve. Hydraulics were so fast it would open with a bang.
I ordered the valve from surpluscenter, good price.
Surpluscenter.
In all I am happy with it and it is very easy to take off when not needed.
Gerald

 

[texbaylea]

John

Like jpm has said, it was about about $700. I don't remember the exact price because it was included with the additional hydraqulic plumbing for it and the tree shear. It is well made and serviceable. I am using the Kubota remotes to operate it and have found that with something heavy I need to keep a little pressure on it. Hose expansion and valve leakage can let it's grip loosen under heavy load but this would apply to any of them.

The end plates bolt on your bucket but the cross tube must be welded to the end plates. It can still be a DIY project if you can trailer your tractor to a welding shop for that final step. ATI says that the single grapple is for buckets up to 66". I believe that you could mount it on a 72" bucket.

Vernon

 

[JohninCT]

Thanks for the info guys. I just got finished ordering the grapple from the guy on Ebay. It looks like it will bolt right up no hassle on my bucket and it is a few pennies cheaper than the one from ATI /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Now I'll be waiting anxiously for Mr UPS to arrive with my new Tool O' Destruction /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[F100Panel]

I too have this grapple from the same guy. VERY slick piece. Nice workmanship.. Have picked up stumps that nearly tipped over the tractor & grabbed a full size pickup box by the siderail & loaded it into my dumptruck for scrap with no problem. I too believe it moves too fast & needs a flow restrictor in the hydraulic line. The same fella ( A. Tatro ) makes a nice miniature backhoe grapple. I have one on my Woods 650 & the rare times I've needed it it worked GREAT.../around $220 if memory serves... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

This Ebay seller has one tractor/skid steer grapple now for $415 +$25 shipping, $440.00. He doesn't show the backhoe grapple at this time, but that would be of interest to me as well. John

 

[Gerald]

Picture of the grapple at work. I dug up some nandinas with the backhoe, that had grown too big next to the house. The root ball that came up with them was so big it would not fit it the bucket. With the grapple that was no problem. I am enjoying my new toy.
Gerald

 

[JohninCT]

Here are a few pix of the bucket grapple I ordered a couple of weeks ago from the fellow on eBay. It really is a nice chunk of metal. The base plate is 1 inch thick /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I mounted it to the tractor bucket today. Here is a pic of the main bracket. I have it attached to the top of the bucket with four 3/8 Grade 8 bolts.

 

[JohninCT]

I made a backing plate out of 3/8 x 3 inch flat bar to reinforce the bucket top lip.

 

[JohninCT]

Heres a pic of the front of the grapple as mounted. I took the suggestion made here and added grease fittings for alll the pins.

 

[JohninCT]

Heres the last pic of the grapple from the side. My tractor has hydraulic controls for a front mounted hydro angle dozer blade. I am using this circuit to operate the grapple. Everything looked like it was going great until I was testing out all the bucket motions --- the hoses are too short to allow the bucket to curl fully down so I couldn't take it out to play with it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I ordered some jumper hoses to extend the length. Hopefuly I should be out thrashing around in the bush with it by next weekend /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

John