FEL Bucket vs Brush Grapple

[HillStreet]

Hi All,

I have a Kubota B2650HST with FEL bucket. I need to remove about 150 apple trees and replace them with newer varieties. I can cut the trees into larger brush lengths and cut the trunk to 18 inch lengths. I have plenty of room to push brush with the FEL bucket. I don稚 want to buy a grapple because it is one time use. Any thoughts?

 

[nybirdman]

At the minimum add a tooth-bar($150 or so)much easier to scrape branches off the ground.With just the bucket edge you will just be pushing them around.I think you would find a "thumb" a huge advantage and many uses down the road.You would increase your bucket volume by 3X.
Biggest expense is the hydraulics to run it.

 

[HillStreet]

Thanks bird man. I am looking at tooth bars now and think that would be a good item. I know a thumb would be handy but it is only one time. Once I get these trees down and replanted, I wont need it any longer.

 

[ovrszd]

I say this with love and respect. Wonder how we did it before we had a loader?

Cut them into whatever size you can handle and start loading/stacking by hand.

I cleared my 20 acres with a Super C Farmall and no loader. In my case I left them whole and dragged them away to the burn pile.

 

[HillStreet]

I know what you mean ovrszd, we get spoiled by the buckets. I am clearing two acres of apple trees that are overgrown and close. I have been cutting with the chain saw to clear all limbs while the tree is standing, then cut the trunk down and into firewood length. That leaves just the stump and brush.

I can push the brush to the burn pile without too much trouble but am afraid of brush/limbs getting caught under or over the tractor and wrecking things. I think just a little bit at a time will do it. Once I get a larger area cleared to have some room I can keep going. Should only be a weeks work, that’s why I don’t want to but a grapple.

 

[oosik]

I can see your thinking. Just a one time thing - the grapple and required hydraulics/electricals are expensive. Some form of tooth bar on the bucket will definitely help with the collecting/pushing business.

Before I had my grapple I cleared a two acre orchard. Everything cut to 72" or less and loaded into the tractor bucket. Its slow but it does work.

 

[flingwing1969]

Hi All,

I have a Kubota B2650HST with FEL bucket. I need to remove about 150 apple trees and replace them with newer varieties. I can cut the trees into larger brush lengths and cut the trunk to 18 inch lengths. I have plenty of room to push brush with the FEL bucket. I don稚 want to buy a grapple because it is one time use. Any thoughts?

Consider buying a pair of forks as you will use them often for many tasks, never a one-time use item like a grapple might be. Easy to build a set of brush forks that slip over the two main forks. Mine are buried under snow right now but maybe this rough drawing gives you an idea of how I built mine.

Pushing your brush around will add a lot of dirt to your debris pile and make burning it difficult. Here is a photo of my debris forks in action lifting a pile of dry pine needles.

 

[mcfarmall]

I think the grapple is like the 4 1/2" grinder. Years ago I thought, "Why should I buy that grinder? I'm only going to use it once to sharpen my lawnmower blades." Well, I bought the grinder and have used the daylights out of it for countless tasks. Aside from the cordless drill, it's the second most popular power tool in my arsenal.

I think you might find many more uses for the grapple than you can imagine at this point. For moving brush, I like the Worksaver Manure fork. It has a solid back plate where it attaches to the loader frame (keeps sticks from poking through and into the grille/radiator area) and it's lightweight. I point the tines toward the ground and proceed slowly...works like a giant heavy duty rake. They are available with or without a grapple function.

 

[flingwing1969]

I think the grapple is like the 4 1/2" grinder. Years ago I thought, "Why should I buy that grinder? I'm only going to use it once to sharpen my lawnmower blades." Well, I bought the grinder and have used the daylights out of it for countless tasks. Aside from the cordless drill, it's the second most popular power tool in my arsenal.

I think you might find many more uses for the grapple than you can imagine at this point. For moving brush, I like the Worksaver Manure fork. It has a solid back plate where it attaches to the loader frame (keeps sticks from poking through and into the grille/radiator area) and it's lightweight. I point the tines toward the ground and proceed slowly...works like a giant heavy duty rake. They are available with or without a grapple function.

My friend has a grapple on his Bobcat and uses it all the time - he has forks as well but finds the grapple to be his favorite tool for moving stuff. The skid steers have more powerful hydraulic pumps (in general) than do our CUTS so having that heavy attachment out front all the time is less of an issue than I would have. I have a 4n1 and it is a touch heavier than I would like for my CUT but still very useful when I need it. If I got a "heck of a deal" on a grapple, I would likely buy one but my forks work nicely. The real benefit I've seen for the grapple for brush is the ability to open the jaws "dump" them and lower them over a pile (like on a trailer) then grab the pile and lift. I can't do that with the forks and a trailer often has a pesky fender in the way for sliding under the load.

 

[teg]

There are a few people who made light weight forks out of wood. I made a set out of steel that worked great for brush piles... once I got the grapple, I've let the weeds cover it up. If you want it, let me know, I think I can still find them