/ EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements #1  

future_vision

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I'm going to throw this out there because I am really curious. What is the differences that would make one better than the other? For example how does the the EA Wicked 60 measure up against the HI Root Grapple Pinnacle series?

EA Wicked 60
https://www.(Temporarily blocked du...ch-Wicked-Root-Rake-Grapple-p/eta-60-wrrg.htm

Homestead Root Grapple Pinnacle Series

The differences I see are:
Weight - HI is lighter
Price - Homestead is cheaper by about $1000
Durability - Not sure here. Hardox teeth on both. Cylinders looks the same from a spec perspective. Maybe the tubing/piping is the difference?
Utility - Openings are about the same.
Build/lead time - 16 weeks for EA and 7-8 for Homestead (this is kind of a big deal)
Shipping - HI ships to home for free (also kind of a big deal)

Is EA, at $1000 more plus double the lead/build time, plus no free home delivery a better purchase in any way?
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements #2  
Just checking the listed spec online, the HI is 5/16 material where the EA is 3/8. That probably accounts for the weight difference. The EA is likely stronger.

EA has all the correct points reinforced. HI may or may not.

For full disclosure I have an EA 72" long bottom that I call my Wicked Twin. I'd buy another EA. I probably have close to 1,000 hrs of rocks, concrete and trees on my Wicked Twin with no issues.

For your uses the HI may well be strong enough.
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements #3  
I have the MTL 60" grapple and have not broken it yet. IIRC I paid $1000 for it three years ago. But all I do is process firewood, move brush and a few large rocks. It weighs 530 lbs.


If I was going to do a lot of heavy work, I would buy a better grapple but I only have 20 acres so it will not get a lot of use. It was over twice the cost to get a better grapple and so far I have not regretted going cheap.

In hindsight, I wish I had gone with a stump bucket with a grapple. Picking logs off a pile with a 60" grapple can get tricky. Something like this:

 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Just checking the listed spec online, the HI is 5/16 material where the EA is 3/8. That probably accounts for the weight difference. The EA is likely stronger.

EA has all the correct points reinforced. HI may or may not.

For full disclosure I have an EA 72" long bottom that I call my Wicked Twin. I'd buy another EA. I probably have close to 1,000 hrs of rocks, concrete and trees on my Wicked Twin with no issues.

For your uses the HI may well be strong enough.
I don't really doubt in my mind that the EA is stronger. I guess the need to have a grapple now, or at least soon, makes me wonder if the extra 2+ month wait and the extra $1000 and I have to pick it up at a business or terminal is worth what might be a minimally better product. I'll be using the grapple for brush, moving logs around for milling and stones and will be doing this for the foreseeable future on my property. Not sure how much I'll use it as a root rake. At least not in open fields. I can see using the tines on a box blade more for that. That being said I'm doing ok with my poor man's grapple(forks) but really wanting/needing the precision and ability to move larger loads.
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements #5  
I don't really doubt in my mind that the EA is stronger. I guess the need to have a grapple now, or at least soon, makes me wonder if the extra 2+ month wait and the extra $1000 and I have to pick it up at a business or terminal is worth what might be a minimally better product. I'll be using the grapple for brush, moving logs around for milling and stones and will be doing this for the foreseeable future on my property. Not sure how much I'll use it as a root rake. At least not in open fields. I can see using the tines on a box blade more for that. That being said I'm doing ok with my poor man's grapple(forks) but really wanting/needing the precision and ability to move larger loads.

Have you looked into the grapple offered by Kioti? I don't know who the OEM is, but I'm quite liking mine.
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Have you looked into the grapple offered by Kioti? I don't know who the OEM is, but I'm quite liking mine.
I have not considering Kioti attachments as they are often more expensive and not always great quality. That and my Kioti dealer was selling HLA grapples. Does that mean they don't think Kioti grapples are any good or was it just a supply chain issue? Question for me to ask.
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I have the MTL 60" grapple and have not broken it yet. IIRC I paid $1000 for it three years ago. But all I do is process firewood, move brush and a few large rocks. It weighs 530 lbs.


If I was going to do a lot of heavy work, I would buy a better grapple but I only have 20 acres so it will not get a lot of use. It was over twice the cost to get a better grapple and so far I have not regretted going cheap.

In hindsight, I wish I had gone with a stump bucket with a grapple. Picking logs off a pile with a 60" grapple can get tricky. Something like this:

I've looked at them and was pretty impressed. Nothing I wanted was in stock though so I moved on. I'll need to check them out again.
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Lighter weight can be an advantage for lifting. A 100 lbs can make a difference when lifting logs.
I suppose you could be right. But is that 100lbs in exchange for a weaker attachment? Then that extra 100lbs you could lift might come at the expense of damaging the grapple. Tough call.
 
   / EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements #10  
I have not considering Kioti attachments as they are often more expensive and not always great quality. That and my Kioti dealer was selling HLA grapples. Does that mean they don't think Kioti grapples are any good or was it just a supply chain issue? Question for me to ask.

That's definitely something to discuss with your dealer; my Kioti dealer sells 3 different grapples brands if I recall correctly.
 
 
 
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