I take the tooth bar on and off regularly. Many times, I will cut grass without removing the bucket, but the tooth bar will do a lot of damage quickly, so off it comes. I actually like using the tooth bar and the grapple together, but sometimes it isn't practical. The pictures that I posted were for communication purposes with the inventor, so the tooth bar would add another dimension to the grapple that might not apply to all users. For that reason, I removed it during the installation and testing process. I wanted to test the unit the way many people will be using it. When working on the grass, the tooth bar can do damage quickly, so I don't use it then either. If I am picking rocks in the wooded part of the property, I use the tooth bar and grapple. The tooth bar does make it easier to pick up large rocks, but it isn't a necessity.