BoDozer Pics

[mike69440]

Mike69940, please provide additional information. Is the picture supposed to show some bent tines or something? I don't see anything wrong with the grapple in the picture. I have seen one up close and know 2 people that have this grapple and are very happy with it. I am about to put in an order for one myself, so your comments concern me.

No, The Grapple has been straightened and the top 3/8 x 1" strip across the top jaw tines have been welded top and ends with a 3/8" fillet using Low hydrogen rod. The top strip across the tines should be 1/2 x 1.25 and be welded heavier. I have a 10' homemade special Pry-bar to fit over the ends of the tines and straighten the tines when I bend them. The tines are workhardening and bending less often.

The 2 x 2 HSS tube should be HSLA steel or have an additional 3/8 X 1.5 strip welded across the top.

The tines bend gripping irregular shaped rock. The rocks get caught between the tines.

I use my grapple hard. I use my L39 hard. The rock you see in the picture with my 6' tall but less than happy wife poising in the rain has to weigh 3000-3500 lbs and was carried with the grapple. The Borgford had a heck of a time grapping that sucker.

The Borgford is the right size grapple for the L-39.

I will eventually have the tips welded up with hard facing Nickel Tungsten Carbide Hard face steel rod.

 

[wkpoor]

I've got a couple of questions:
1st, What 2x2 tube. Mine on the top jaw is 3x3 bottom is 4x6
2nd, That tractor is much smaller than mine and I don't believe it possible to hurt the grapple nor can I lift anything close to 3000lbs. taking into account the tar weight of the grapple itself. In fact I would have to guess at 2000lbs. lift being the absolute upper limit under ideal conditions.

 

[mike69440]

I've got a couple of questions:
1st, What 2x2 tube? Mine on the top jaw is 3x3 bottom is 4x6
2nd, That tractor is much smaller than mine and I don't believe it possible to hurt the grapple nor can I lift anything close to 3000lbs. taking into account the tar weight of the grapple itself. In fact I would have to guess at 2000lbs. lift being the absolute upper limit under ideal conditions.

1. Mine is a 2.5" x 2.5" Tube up top 4" x 6" on bottom and is 66 wide. So if yours is 72" wide, Borgford may jump to 3" x3" HSS tube or has already beefed this part up as a design improvement on all sizes.

2 That rock is at least 44" x 38" on AVERAGE and 22"-24" thick Granite at 140 LB/ft^3.

I had my Hydraulics really turned up till I blew an O-ring and hose. I added a bladder accumulator now to handle the shock loads and keep my pressure set just under 3000PSI.

God only knows how hard I was pushing the pump when I picked that sucker up. I would not be able to pick it up now, but I could hoist one close to that size.

To fit that rock in the grapple I had to push it against a pile of other rocks and scope it up. The grapple would not alone lift it. With additional weight on the tractor and BH extended the machine's rears were bouncing off the ground.

The L-39 Loader breakout is 3560 Lbs. and I only lifted it a few inches. I agree about 2000 Lbs at max lift is all she will do.

Maybe having boosted hydraulic caused the top tube to bow a bit?

 

[mike69440]

I've got a couple of questions:
1st, What 2x2 tube. Mine on the top jaw is 3x3 bottom is 4x6
2nd, That tractor is much smaller than mine and I don't believe it possible to hurt the grapple nor can I lift anything close to 3000lbs. taking into account the tar weight of the grapple itself. In fact I would have to guess at 2000lbs. lift being the absolute upper limit under ideal conditions.

I looked at your pics, and your upper tube is 3"x3" or 1/2" larger than mine.

Looks Pretty in Green!

Is it 66" wide or a 72' wide model?

My tractor weighs over 8000Lbs with grapple as It has wheel weights.

Your tires are much larger than the L-39's and you out hp the L-39. The L-39 has a lot of hydraulics for its size.

 

[wkpoor]

Mike, I haven't actually weighed my tractor yet but based on published #'s I should be close to or slightly above 8000lbs. without the grapple attached and nothing on the rear. My tires are loaded. The grapple pictured is a 66" model. My 520 loader has a breakout around 3400lbs. measured from the bucket center line and not the pivot pin and 2500lbs. at full height. JD hydraulic pressure is factory set at 2850PSI. For normal use more ballst is not needed however were I'm using this rig its pretty darn sloppy and traction has been an issue. I'm going to have a custom built ballst box/reciever hitch made to accomodate an addition 1000lbs. of rear weight.I'm assuming you are using yours with the backhoe on which would really help ballast the load.

 

[mike69440]

Mike, I haven't actually weighed my tractor yet but based on published #'s I should be close to or slightly above 8000lbs. without the grapple attached and nothing on the rear. My tires are loaded. The grapple pictured is a 66" model. My 520 loader has a breakout around 3400lbs. measured from the bucket center line and not the pivot pin and 2500lbs. at full height. JD hydraulic pressure is factory set at 2850PSI. For normal use more ballst is not needed however were I'm using this rig its pretty darn sloppy and traction has been an issue. I'm going to have a custom built ballst box/reciever hitch made to accomodate an addition 1000lbs. of rear weight.I'm assuming you are using yours with the backhoe on which would really help ballast the load.

Even with the BH I need a little more help with ballast.

See:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/95255-l-39-wheel-weights-actually.html

I have added 800 Lbs to the machine if you add up all the do-dads I added, not counting the Borgford.
I could not imagine using the machine without a BH unless you had loaded tires and at least a 1200 Lb ballast box.
I am making another 300 pound Set of weights to fit the outside of the rims. I may or may not use them with the BH as the tractor is already sluggish up the hills and having the stablizers lift another 750 lbs may be pushing things. Carrying a few root balls will answer that question.

I like that Borgford beefed the top beam to a 3" x 3". Only the top teeth need to be something like Astralloy V.

I would think a two piece upper jaw would be a nice option on these Borgford grapples to help hold odd shaped objects.

 

[wkpoor]

Mike, This JD 5400 seems awfully peppy in the current config. so I can't imagine any problem with the addition ballast weight. The box I'm having made will also be my 2" hitch receiver as I will be pulling a trailer behind that. Last week I towed a 7000lb. trailer out of the woods at times dragging in mud to the axles and I had to look back to know if it was still attached. I later weighed the trailer as I was selling the wood thats how I know what it weighed. So far the JD Turbo diesel has proved to be more than adequate for my needs.

 

[mike69440]

So far the JD Turbo diesel has proved to be more than adequate for my needs.

Think it would bolt in the L-39?

The L-39 seems decent on fuel, the entire day of hard running is usally 10 gallons of fuel.

Most of the time it has adequate oomph, but in general you can never have too much HP.