Best all around root grapple for Kioti DK series size tractors? Forestry Maintenance

[swamphouse]

Hello,

Looking to purchase root/rake multi tasking grapple (not as dirt bucket). Searched all over internet and could not find straight answer to my concerns. I can see two basic designs long bottom (single or double lid), short to medium length bottom sharp teeth rake root grapple (center short one cylinder lid or full length 2 cylinder lid, both lids on long bottom grapples have more square shaped lids which from my understanding won't be able to pick up smaller stuff and it will fall out.

My intentions using my grapple are for wood clearings, moving bigger piles of plant debris, individual pieces and so on, anyone who owns wooded lots will understand and know what I mean.

I hired a guy with Kubota svl95 bradco mulcher and titan long bottom-double lid grapple to thin my land. The guy was struggling to pick up half mulched pine trees from ground and stack them with his enormous grapple. His grapple design was something like this bellow:

84” Skid Steer Root Grapple Bucket Attachment

We ended up including clearing guy picking up wood pieces by hand and stacking them into piles, after few days he never showed up never finished the job leaving a big mess behind.

From what I observed watching my clearing guy, I'm thinking that grapple like this would be much better for all around grapple tasks. Here is a grapple I would like to consider:

6" Brush Root Rake Clam Grapple Attachment Fits Skid Steer Tractor Quick Attach | eBay

Please, many of you might say, gosh eBay is crap. I believe it is not always the case, and I had good experience with eBay business owners and many of them provide excellent service with of course some exceptions.


I chose this design grapple because of the following reasons and would love current grapple owners and operators to share their non biased opinion. My tractor is about 65" wide and I'm thinking about 60" grapple over 72", because less width would have more rip power and would more easy penetrate soil to get to roots. Seller states it's made in US, which could be a true and could be not very so. Even if we buy from big box dealer, highly likely you are getting stuff from China.

1. I think bottom teeth like these could have good ripping force.
2. Could be used to push, rake and pick up.
3. Top lid could be used to rake in reverse.
4. Grapple would be able to pick up smaller and large objects.
5 Would be able to rip or pull off vines from the trees, pull, rip brush because of better teeth jaw design.

I would appreciate any ideas, facts, shared experience on design - price-size - practicality of each design cons and pros.Thanks!

 

[dusty3030]

I can't speak highly enough about the Everything Attachments wicked grapples.

I have this one, it has been great on a similar sized tractor to yours (Kubota L4701 HST)
Best Rated 60 Inch Wicked Root Rake Grapple from Everything Attachments

 

[swamphouse]

Yes, I eyeballed this grapple as well. It looks very well designed and weight is right for it's size. The only downside is it's steep price. Also, it doesn't have closed back, so debris could possibly go through openings/gaps and cause damage to the tractor front end or it's hoses? I watched a youtube video showing frustrated wicked grapple owner commenting on debris going through the grapple and improving it by covering with steel mesh, looked ugly though, back and top lid. Could you comment on this if this is not an issue?

 

[dusty3030]

On the Titan one you linked I used to have one of their brand. As a matter of fact, my old tractor is in one of the pictures on their website.
Very soft metal, it twisted like a SOB. If you are a good welder and you like working on stuff every time you use it then it might work for you.

The open back is great for me, I haven't had any trouble at all. I pick up mostly limbs / trees / etc and have't had any trouble with things falling through.

 

[msal98]

I mentioned this in a separate thread but I'll drop this info here too for others. Here is a quote from one Kioti dealer I contacted regarding a grapple for the DK4210 I'm looking to purchase:

They offer a 48" worksaver grapple for $1899.00 and they offer a 60" Worksaver grapple for $2350.00.

Unfortunately my local dealer only offers this HLA model at $2600 for the 48", $2860 for the 54", $3000 for the 60" and $3300 for the 66". I don't know much about either grapple so I'm also following this thread :thumbsup:.

 

[swamphouse]

On the Titan one you linked I used to have one of their brand. As a matter of fact, my old tractor is in one of the pictures on their website.
Very soft metal, it twisted like a SOB. If you are a good welder and you like working on stuff every time you use it then it might work for you.

The open back is great for me, I haven't had any trouble at all. I pick up mostly limbs / trees / etc and have't had any trouble with things falling through.

Thanks for commenting on titan grapple, I was looking at them as well, just looked too heavy. Soft metal no good at all. My dealer recommends 60" Dirt Dog rake grapple bellow is a link:

Dirt Dog Manufacturing >> Skid Steer Attachments - AGGR

He is reasoning that I need light grapple and this will work just fine. It's about $1600. It's at about 380lb which is not heavy and can lift more, on the down side jaw opening is only 27" which I think might be not sufficient to grab brush piles. For another $900 wicked grapple can be had. Hard to decide, but I believe Wicked grapple is way to go.

 

[TBN Support]

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum!

I'm going to move this thread over to our attachments section.

 

[kthompson]

swamphouse will also welcome you to tbn. I have the same grapple dusty3030 does. It is on a Kubota l606 which is 60 hp. Only front end loader grapple I have ever used but have used grapple on 5 ton excavator a lot. Bought both the tractor and grapple new, had them two weeks. I was buying a Land Pride and one reason was it did not have the open back. So far the grapple has about 25 hours on it and yep ripped the radiator screen on my tractor with it on the tractor but honestly don't think it was limb in the grapple but think I drove into it on the pile was dump the trash on. Called Everything Attachments and shared my experience with them only for their info and the answer was Ted (owner) does not like expanded metal there for trash will get caught in it and have to be removed by hand. I agree with his thoughts. Just got this afternoon made to mount on the Kubota brush guard and trust it much more than closing the back of the grapple.

The EA grapple's teeth do not line up with each other more like the ebay grapple and I like that very much. It allows the grapple to close tighter than does like the Titan with the teeth lining up with each other. The spacing on the EA grapple does allow like pine cones and needles fall through. Most dirt also. It will probably drop a limb that is less than about 10 inches depending on how it is lined up with the teeth. Not sure the opening on the EA but would not want smaller opening than it.

As to the price of the EA it is $50 less than same size Land Pride is, higher than some others and less than some others. Read the details of the materials used in it and it has a center hinge the ebay does not. If I were to buy again would have no doubt buy the EA 60 inch wicked grapple with no other consideration. He had a couple of stories about rat killing. One he killed with an ear of corn if memory is correct..the killing was not the funny part...he telling it and not knowing the preacher was hearing him tell it.

The one I can relate to was how a old neighbor would hook up his car's exhaust to the rat holes and the exhaust running the rats out with them killing them. I sort of lived that many years ago. Worked short time with a farm supply company and had grain bins. Another employee grabbed a can and some other items off a shelf and said come with me. We covered all the exits and inserted tubing, turns out the can he had was the chemical used to kill even most seeds for tobacco beds, when he punctured that can we learned we had not blocked the holes that well and we about got run over by the mass exodus of the rats.


The hours on my grapple has been used to clean up tree limbs from all size of trees. Then we had limbs of various sizes and lengths pushed into the dirt used the grapple as EA shows on their youtube videos (do a search on their grapples there) doing back dragging and it worked great except on short pieces. Also used it pushing forward again like their youtube shows but it is much harder to keep the teeth about same depth going forward for me over do back drag does.

Hope you well in your decision. One last thought, buy all you need for much less costly than buying the grapple you need or want as the second grapple.

 

[i7win7]

The ebay grapple looks good don't know about steel quality. EA made youtube videos where he's trying to break/abuse it seems to be a quality product. I prefer to purchase from local equipment dealers. I have a kubota root grapple and use it often. Dealing with brush (moving to burning pile) somewhat disappointing, larger lower tines would grab more bush per trip. The only ideal grapple depends on what job your doing.

Once the brush gets too large you may need a tree puller.

 

[kthompson]

I think 17win7 makes a very valid point, the idea grapple is not the same grapple for each job. The EA grapple I have would be easy to say the lower tines could be longer and allow moving more...yes no doubt that is valid but also it might tempt trying to lift to large a log for the tractor it is designed for but it is amazing how much limbs and such you can grasp with it by rotating it towards dumping some and drive into the limbs and use the lid to pull them into the grapple. Then rolling it back most of the weight is resting on the lower tines.