Grapple Brush Grapple

BBearden · Apr 7, 2001

I used this attachment for approx 6 hrs today, and it worked great. I cleared approx 75 cedars that were previously cut. It allowed me to make the piles futher out of the way. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it turned out super.

PaulInMi · Apr 8, 2001

Thats nice, I can see where that would make things a lot easier.

Paul

hess · Apr 8, 2001

BBearden,
I've visited Bradco's site before, but I've never seen the brush grapple before. It looks impressive and costly, but I'm intrigued nonetheless. Would you mind telling us where you bought it, and for how much?
Thanks, hess.

BBearden · Apr 8, 2001

I couldn't find it on their site either. My dealer had a picture of it in their catalog. I basically bought it sight unseen. I paid a little over 2K. You can understand why I was afraid it wouldn't do the job. My dealer is Lanford Equipment in Austin, Tx. You can see it at work in the attachment. Please excuse the dramatic license, I don't travel with the load that high, especially with all those rocks!

jinman · Apr 8, 2001

For those of us who are optically challenged in North Texas, can you give us some details of how the hydraulics hook up? It appeares the thumb part of the grapple is controlled by the bucket rotation cylinder. Is that true, or do you have to have a remote valve for the thumb?

Thanks,

JimI

BBearden · Apr 8, 2001

I'll do my best, this is my first tractor, so I'm a bit hydraulically challenged myself. There's one cylinder on the top of the upper "jaw". It is located in the middle. The hydro goes back underneath the tractor, out the back, and into another valve I had installed. This second valve also runs the top and tilt for the box blade. This valve is mounted on a pipe "arm" which is u-bolted to the ROPS. This attachment has a view of the valve I'm referring to.

TraderMark · Apr 9, 2001

Ohhhhhhhhhhh
I want one of those.
But I'll have to build mine. 2K is out of my range at the moment. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

I'll add it to my want list, right below the guage wheels for my boxblade, the hydraulic top link and.... and......
/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Harv · Apr 9, 2001

Great, Brent!

As if my wish list wasn't long enough -- now I want the grapple and a bigger monitor so I can view your pictures. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

jinman · Apr 9, 2001

Brent, thanks for the extra detail. The grapple really looks like a very useful tool for clearing brush. I think it's hard to come up with the best overall tool for that chore. I have land that is mostly covered with postoak and blackjack oak and some cedar. My challenge is normally getting through the green briars to trim or cut down trees. Since my woods is pretty dense and I am not clear cutting, it is a real challenge to move cut trees through the ones I've left standing. I usually end up cutting the trunks several times to make the trees short enough to easily push through the others. With the grapple, I could probably manipulate the felled trees a lot easier.

Could you answer one more question? Can you approximate the length of changout time from the time you start to remove your bucket until the grapple is ready to operate?

The biggest problem I have with the grapple is that now I think I need a third tractor. One runs the grapple, another runs the loader, and a third one runs the chipper-shredder. Hmmmm...yeah, I'm beginning to get this picture.

JimI

cowboydoc · Apr 9, 2001

Harv,
I too would love to have this setup but you can do the same things with your tractor loader and a toothbar. After I had the cat go through this place there was still a few places that he didn't do. There was about 3 acres around the creek that brush and trees so thick you couldn't walk through it. I cut the trees down with the chainsaw, and then all the brush and trees I cleared and piles with that skidsteer. This would have been much easier with the JD that I have now but didn't have it then. Then with just the bucket I filled in and leveled it all out after I had cleared and burned all the trees and brush. Granted a brush grappler like this, and I'd love to have had one, would have been ideal you can still do alot of clearing with just your loader.