Do I really need a grapple?

[Yard Sarge]

What is a Ratchet Rake? Never heard that term before.

 

[GeneV]

What is a Ratchet Rake? Never heard that term before.

It's just a $300 attachment on the loader bucket. It's pretty handy for a few different applications. Google it. I got a thread on it somewhere on here I think, or maybe it was a post on somebody else's thread.

 

[Yard Sarge]

Learn something new every day. Now I see. Thanks.

 

[Yard Sarge]

Is that also what you'd call a tooth bar?

 

[GeneV]

Is that also what you'd call a tooth bar?

Yessir, it's one type. Another is a piranha tooth bar, which tends to be more popular with people.

And then there's yet another brand's tooth bar, which is similar to a piranha tooth bar, but...well, don't worry, they'll show up soon enough on this thread to tell you all about their tooth bar, complete with 3 dozen screen-busting pictures of it.

 

[sd455dan]

I thought I had mentioned it but I would be picking up brush, I can usually grab the rocks my tractor can lift with the bucket and a little jocking around. The finished CAD drawing wouldn't look much different other than the SSQA plate attached (don't have measurements to build in CAD) and a couple holes to bolt a few 2x4s to the plate for a guard/shield.



Yeah forks wouldn't really work with the smaller stuff I'll be moving to burn piles. I was planning on the MTL grapple but we will see how much I'll have invested into the debris forks. If it is only a matter of $400 I will gladly pony up the money for a grapple.



Haha yeah kind of what I am thinking, they do have more uses than just picking up brush and would definitely work well for what I do around my house.



Good to know, that is a nice grapple.

If I can get one around $1000 I will buy a grapple instead. I figured I would just throw around the idea of making my own debris forks and figure out the price. I know the bale spears aren't anywhere as rigid as the grapple teeth but that is why they are replaceable.
Also the deciding factor might be the ability to remove small trees by getting under the roots and lifting them out. I have a lot of saplings to clear where the bale spears probably won't work for root removal.

looking at the forks /plate you have posted
maybe start with the plate and forks and make it adaptable to have a grapple lid added .

Mine is built that way- kind of a manure/construction bucket with a bolt on grapple.

Non tied round tined design, Opens to 49 inches 66 inches wide and works well for pine needles, manure, brush and other stuff

 

[dstig1]

I started with forks as the dealer told me they would be all I need for brush hauling. I really wish i could get that year back as they are horrible for brush. The only way to do it with regular forks is to load by hand or everything just falls off. When i got my grapple I was in brush and log hauling heaven. Adding a "lid" to the forks would also be helpful for brush, but probably not as much with logs.

I took a slightly different tack at protecting my tractor from brush poking through. My first tractor I did a front guard addition of expanded metal just like someone posted above. But then I modified the grapple and added expanded metal to the back of it. It helps scooping up brush as it has a stop to keep it from going right through.

 

[K5lwq]

I started with forks as the dealer told me they would be all I need for brush hauling. I really wish i could get that year back as they are horrible for brush. The only way to do it with regular forks is to load by hand or everything just falls off. When i got my grapple I was in brush and log hauling heaven. Adding a "lid" to the forks would also be helpful for brush, but probably not as much with logs.

I took a slightly different tack at protecting my tractor from brush poking through. My first tractor I did a front guard addition of expanded metal just like someone posted above. But then I modified the grapple and added expanded metal to the back of it. It helps scooping up brush as it has a stop to keep it from going right through.

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That's a great idea! I haven't worried about it on my old Kioti because it is missing most of the front end parts anyway. I need to do something to my new tractor or it will look like the Kioti soon. Lol

 

[tractorcrazy]

With a grapple you can point the teeth straight down by tilting the bucket down then run the tips of your grapple right along the top of the ground it will gather sticks and brush while your moving slowly along then close the grapple and it will pick them all up I can pick up a stick one inch diameter a couple foot long works really great

 

[k0ua]

I made a "plate" for my grapple (took some trial and error) to make it easy to pull grape and poison ivy vines out of trees and to pull up little saplings (up to about 2 inch). You can read about it here.


https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...d-grapple-bush-grabber.html?highlight=grapple