Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost.

   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #31  
It is the difference between 90,000 psi steel (wicked grapples) and just old A36 36,000 psi steel. Wicked grapples cost more, and have wait times, but are very difficult to tear up and they weigh less, and that is a good thing.
 
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #33  
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #34  
The L3901 is a sweet tractor. Would love a 2wd L3901 gear.
What good is a 2WD compact tractor? If I had one on my hilly territory it would be down in a "hollar", and there it would stay. Might be OK in Kansas
 
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #35  
What good is a 2WD compact tractor? If I had one on my hilly territory it would be down in a "hollar", and there it would stay. Might be OK in Kansas

You better skip the loader while you’re at it because it’s going to be worthless even in Kansas. And a tractor that small with gears is nothing but a mentality. There’s not 1 job it can do better.
 
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #36  
You may be as happy with SSQA Pallet Forks as you would be with a grapple with a total installation cost of 2-1/2 times what SSQA Pallet Forks cost.

VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+pallet+forks+vs+grapple

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I'm with you on the forks over a grapple. The grapple just doesn't get a big enough of a load at one time. But there are few times it is handy, just not with logs and brush.
 
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #37  
You do need to get a grapple that’s properly sized for your machine and unfortunately I can’t help you with that as my tractor and loader are a bit larger.


In regard to the “just get forks” advice however, as the owner of both a Tar River double lid grapple and a set of swell forks made by I don’t know who, I can attest if your dealing with logs and brush (particularly brush) a grapple is far superior to forks when used correctly. Moving a pile of brush or a bunch of limbs that were just severed from a felled tree, you push them into a pile, slide the bottom under them a bit, then roll it forward while driving forward so you have a large chunk of brush trapped between the ground, lids, and grapple bottom. Close the lids and (with my 72” Tar River) about 3/4 of a long bed pickup load of brush is in the grapple consistently, sometimes more. With some practice that can be done quite quickly without leaving a mark on the ground. Good luck doing that with forks.

You can also grab the end of a log that’s oriented wrong to get to it with the tractor and skid it out where you can get to it without ever getting off the seat or hooking up a chain/log tongs. Just don’t turn while your doing that unless you want to bend the grapple. Another thing forks won’t do.

A twin lid grapple is preferable, IMO.

If you need to move a pallet or slide under a millstone to move it or slide railroad ties off to set them 4’ up on a retaining wall or a host of other things, forks are awesome. But they’re not a grapple (unless you put a lid on them, which you can).

If you want a valid opinion on whether a grapple is superior to forks for logs and brush, ask anyone who has significant experience with both.
 
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   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #38  
I have significant experience with both, and for moving brush, even my small mouthed single lid grapple will move much more logs/limbs and brush than my forks. Not that I didn't move these things with the forks when that was All I had, but after getting the grapple and using it on these types of things(including big rocks)

I have never wanted to go back to the forks for these tasks by choice. There is just so much you can do with a grapple from the seat that requires so much getting off of the seat with forks. Now for lifting palletized material the grapple sucks next to the forks. :)
 
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #39  
Sometimes I use the forks for stumps but for brush the grapple is way better. Even in an open field the grapple holds more. If you’re in the woods the forks hold none because everything gets pulled off.
 
   / Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost. #40  
Try hauling old tires with forks... :p

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