Grapple Ebay Grapple, anyone know about it

VT_Kioti · Feb 25, 2006

I mounted "The Thumb" from www.greens-machine.com. last summer on my CK30HST. It is very well built and the company worked with me to get it right. I like the fact that it is a single cylinder grapple. Keeps the weight down and leaves more capacity to work with. I would defiantly do it again.
Al

Well.....maybe not defiantly but I would do it again.

Builder · Feb 25, 2006

( I mounted "The Thumb" from www.greens-machine.com. last summer on my CK30HST. It is very well built and the company worked with me to get it right. I like the fact that it is a single cylinder grapple. Keeps the weight down and leaves more capacity to work with. I would defiantly do it again.
Al
)
Hey that's really nice, and affordable, too. Looks great for picking up demolition junk I frequently run into. Does it seem like it'll rip out the steel on the top of your bucket?

canoetrpr · Feb 26, 2006

( I mounted "The Thumb" from www.greens-machine.com. last summer on my CK30HST. It is very well built and the company worked with me to get it right. I like the fact that it is a single cylinder grapple. Keeps the weight down and leaves more capacity to work with. I would defiantly do it again.
Al

That looks like an AWESOME toy. Looks affordable enough that as a homeowner I could justify it to pick up this and that around here. I don't need capability of a real grapple.

What is involved in getting the hydraulics hooked up? Do you need an extra remote, diverter valve ? Did you do this yourself or get someone to do it for you? What did the installation end up costing you?

Well.....maybe not defiantly but I would do it again. )

Highbeam · Feb 26, 2006

The thumb only comes with the thumb. The bucket mount hardware looks to be a custom piece made locally.

350$ plus 80 for shipping ain't bad. You then buy hoses, fittings, the diverter setup, and then fab up the mount. I'm guessing the thumb piece is less than half of the cost.

I sure like the looks of it on a CK30 though.

IslandTractor · Feb 26, 2006

Another alternative is the Add A Grapple from precisionmfg.com. It costs about $500 but has the bolt on mounting hardware included (hydraulic valve diverter set up extra). One difference is that it is not mounted directly to the top of the bucket and therefore it is compatable with having a welded hook in the center of the bucket (as I do).

Builder · Feb 26, 2006

I'd like to find one that could have a removeable grapple, so when I'm doing digging work, it won't be in my sight lines. The mounting plate could stay, but maybe the grapple and hydrualic cylinder could be removed.

VT_Kioti · Feb 26, 2006

L39Builder & canoetrpr
The diverter valve for the hydraulics is a seperate item and of course seperate cost. (about $400 for the diverter and joystick control. These I purchased from W R Long. Very complete setup and everything is included in the kit including easy to follow mounting instructions. If you don't have a third control on the loader or don't want to use a rear remote and very long hoses you will have to use a diverter kit. I did the install myself but here on TBN you are never alone in these things. The best help you could ever get is here and free for the asking.

The grapple form Greens Machine is very well built but you will have to fab a mount for the top of the bucket if the bucket is not heavy duty. I built about what IslandTractor is showing with the Add A Grapple post. That one looks a little wider and might work better with buckets wider than the 54" bucket that I use.
You can see my installation in the post; A grapple for fabrication challenged folks like me

Don't forget to post when you get started and include plenty of pictures. We love pictures of projects. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Al

Builder · Feb 26, 2006

Wow! I'm green (or maybe orange) with envy!! That's really slick. I don't quite understand the joystick. Does it replace the joystick on my Kubota? It has an electric switch that turns a normal loader function into a "grapple open/grapple close" function, or do you retain all FEL functions?

My local dealer wants $750 to install the Kubota joystick & remote outlets to the FEL. It looks really "factory", but it's a lot of money. How much do you think I'd save setting it up myself?

VT_Kioti · Feb 26, 2006

If the W R Long prices haven't gone up, you would save about $350 on the diverter. Nelson Long is great to work with. The setup on my tractor was just removing the knob on the factory joystick and replace it with the one shown. I then put a piece of wire loom around the wires and joystick rod and taped them well with electrical tape. Looks pretty good and keeps the wires from getting caught on anything. The W R Long kit has everything you need in it for your tractor make and model so it's easy to install. If you choose to go this route be sure you ask about a relay in the switch circuit so it does not overload the switch on the handle. Very easy to install. Ask PineRidge about it. He has helped me and there are others who understand this stuff.
When you push the button on the stick it diverts the flow from one circuit to another. So Button not pushed = Loader arms up and down, Button pushed = Grapple opens or closes. Very easy to use and evrything is at you finger tips.
Can't really tell with the Add A Grapple but most including mine come off with 3 pins and diconceting two hoses. Takes about 1 min to remove and 1 1/2 min to mount.

Al

Highbeam · Feb 26, 2006

The standard diverter setup diverts a function from the noral 4 of the loader. (up bucket, down bucket, curl, dump) Usually the curl/dump functions are replaced with the grapple open/grapple closed function. This diversion only occurs when you press a little button. The default position is curl/dump. The only weakness of this setup is that you can't simultaneously curl and close the grapple. Folks with this diverter setup don't seem to have a problem with that. Too bad it's 400$, but that get's you a quality setup. Compare that price to adding a new rear remote and it seems in line with the costs of hydraulic stuff.

So far it seems that all of thse grapples utilize removable pins at the grapple hings and hydraulic mounts meaning you could remove those pins and take the grapple off for loader work if you felt it was in the way.

I would not recommend bolting any of these directly to the top of the bucket. Take advantage of this oppurtunity to build a stout platform for the grapple and a foundation for hooks.

It seems worth the extra 150$ to get the foundation frame that the green thumb setup lacks.