Deciding on grapple type, not brand yet.

[aesanders]

Oh I apologize. Didn’t realize this was an old thread that I brought back to life.

 

[Xfaxman]

No need to apologize, it happens a lot and usually with good results.

 

[mikester]

I am leaning towards a single lid instead of the dual lid, and the shorter bottom. This will be for a svl75. I have no ability to try them out so watching vids and etc.. my main thing will be woods cleanup, lots of old downed trees, honeysuckle, and undergrowth. I like the bigger rake style lid with ability for back dragging. Anybody got both or bought one and wish theyæ±*e got the other?

I started with a single lid short bottom root grapple, sold it last year and now have a twin lid long bottom grapple.

The single lid root grapple worked ok for grabbing between 1 and 3 small diameter logs that were perfectly straight like utility poles. It was ok for small rocks and raking up small branches into piles.

The single lid struggled to grab large roots, large oblong shaped logs (logs with branches or wyes), large rocks. The single lid root grapple sucked for trying to make large grabs of brush or for trying to haul firewood. I always had to have the grapple fully curled back and about 5 feet off the ground in order to manually get a full load of logs.

The benefit of single lids are lighter weight suitable for use with SCUTs. The problem with single lids is single contact points on loads so you are always putting weird torsional loads on the grapple lid and components leading to failure, breakage, excessive wear.

My twin lid grapple is able to grab anything and excels where the single lid failed. Superior for handling firewood and making large grabs of brush. I can grab and carry 1+ ton armourstone that my single lid grapple could never even grip enough to pick up. Picture palming a basket ball by an NBA player vs a 10 year old with small hands.

The other benefit of the long bottom is the grab is a lot further away from my radiator grill. Less of a risk punching holes or damaging my machine with errant branches making grabs.

The negative to long bottom grapples is its harder for the machine to make lifts when the load is further from the pins due to added bending moments. This won't really be as much of an issue for you CTL but is an issue for comparatively light duty SCUTs and CUTs.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have had 3 grapples. I like this type the best if logs and branches are the primary cargo of your grapple.

 

[Jstpssng]

I have often wondered how the dual lids worked. Are they single control? Does the first stop on contact, while the second keeps going until it also stops?

 

[Xfaxman]

I have often wondered how the dual lids worked. Are they single control?

Yes.

Does the first stop on contact, while the second keeps going until it also stops?

Yes.

 

[oosik]

I chose the rock/root clam shell type grapple. It's heavy - 820 pounds of AR400 steel. I have little to no brush or limbs. About 95% of the time - moving large rocks and chunks of pine tree trunk.