Grapple Buying Advice

[Wolf Bayou]

Hello All, I want a grapple attachment for my new LS 50 HP with loader and I am having trouble deciding between a couple options. I've more or less narrowed it down to the EA wicked grapple or the WR Long Bolt on Grapple for my existing bucket. I like the idea of having the grapple and bucket with me at all times but does the bolt on grapple impair the use of the normal bucket functions such as effectively filling with dirt/gravel and dumping or does the tines on the WR open wide enough that it does not impair it appreciably? As for removing roots slightly below the surface I figured I could keep my box blade on with the teeth set to run inches below the surface and clean that kind of stuff up.

Also, how involved is the install on the WR long add on grapple? Just drill, bolt on and go or does it involve cutting and welding to get the proper width of my bucket? I could not locate that on their site....thanks for any advice

 

[Apsterbobed]

I have a 66" tomahawk single lid. You should check out tomahawk I got mine through a Richey Brothers auction for $650 including the auction fee, and their website list them for about $1000. I am happy with it, it's well built and works well. Some times I wish I had 2 lids but not very often, I move alot of rocks and the single lid is easier for plucking them out and better to have the rock centered on the loader (these are single rocks at about max capacity for the loader). If I had to do it again I would probably get a single lid grapple on a bucket with teeth. But I would still want a separate attachment, so I could still have a regular bucket no grapple no teeth.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have a bolt on grapple. It works very good for me on logs, rocks, brush, and any thing else. The tines open enough to do most normal bucket work that involves digging. I load manure into the truck, dig up rocks, do road work, and whatever. In over 10 years I have only taken the grapple off twice and both times were to use my bucket to dig a narrow ditch from the side. A ditch that is one bucket wide dug length wise is not problem. To take it off I can either unbolt it or pull four pins and remove the lid. If I do that I have to secure the loose end of the cylinder.

I will say that I use the bucket to lift a load of fire wood and hold it waist high at the wood splitter. Doing that I wear my hard hat because whacking your head on the grapple hurts - the hearing protection is good to.









gg

 

[shogan]

I have the 72" tomahawk HD brush grapple on tym 50HP The HD was more than I needed but I got caught up in the frenzy of bigger is better. You might check with them and see if they have any going to auction near you. I bought direct shipped to my door. Wish I could have afforded the EA. Considered the add a grapple route and through the advice of others here realized that for me and logs and brush the open grapple design was better than an add a grapple to the bucket. I'm not moving much dirt. When the time comes I'll just drop the grapple and put on the bucket. Plus the added bonus of using the grapple tines to dig up brush. No it won't replace a box blade.

Grapple on a bucket is better than just a bucket.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Grapple on a bucket is better than just a bucket.

You are absolutely right and a grapple on a bucket is better than just a grapple too.

gg

 

[Xfaxman]

Hello All, I want a grapple attachment for my new LS 50 HP with loader and I am having trouble deciding between a couple options. I've more or less narrowed it down to the EA wicked grapple or the WR Long Bolt on Grapple for my existing bucket. --------------

....thanks for any advice

If your loader has a Quick Attach, I recommend a grapple. :thumbsup:

There are times that the bucket with a bolt on top lid will catch dirt that needs to fall to the ground.

 

[nybirdman]

I went for a Green's Machine Thumb+a tooth-bar.Works for me.Thumb unbolts with four bolts if needed.

 

[milkie62]

I have a bolt on grapple. It works very good for me on logs, rocks, brush, and any thing else. The tines open enough to do most normal bucket work that involves digging. I load manure into the truck, dig up rocks, do road work, and whatever. In over 10 years I have only taken the grapple off twice and both times were to use my bucket to dig a narrow ditch from the side. A ditch that is one bucket wide dug length wise is not problem. To take it off I can either unbolt it or pull four pins and remove the lid. If I do that I have to secure the loose end of the cylinder.

I will say that I use the bucket to lift a load of fire wood and hold it waist high at the wood splitter. Doing that I wear my hard hat because whacking your head on the grapple hurts - the hearing protection is good to.

View attachment 464311

View attachment 464309

View attachment 464312

View attachment 464313

gg

Boy that grapple would be nice.I want to build a water feature and setting the rocks with that would save a lot of money over renting something.

 

[N2DFire]

My advice (which is worth exactly what you paid to get it ) is to think about what things you currently know you'll use it for & the things you may likely do in the future.

As has been pointed out - there are some jobs where the open sides / bottom of a true grapple would work better. Can you foresee enough work like this in your case to justify the extra cost of a separate grapple?

We recently purchased a EA Compact Wicked (like I just got it operational Friday Night) and my main usage plans are moving a lot of brush, dead fallen rotting trees, and a lot of root/rock clean up work from dozed over land so the open bottom was very important for me there, for the other stuff a bucket mounted grapple / thumb would probably have worked well enough.

Bottom line - something is better than nothing, and what is "best" is subjective based on your needs & budget.

Hope that helps.

 

[k0ua]

I thought long and hard about the bucket grapple thumb but ended up with a Wicked 50 inch single lid. My thoughts are that it is so easy to change back and forth between bucket and grapple why not have both?. To me the bucket grapple is kind of like one of those multi-bit screwdrivers. Very useful most of the time, but not quite as good as two different dedicated screwdrivers at other times. If I could only have one screwdriver, sure I will take one of those. But if I have the luxury of having different screwdrivers that are optimized for each job then that is the way I am going to go.

 

[lennyzx11]

I thought long and hard about the bucket grapple thumb but ended up with a Wicked 50 inch single lid. My thoughts are that it is so easy to change back and forth between bucket and grapple why not have both?. To me the bucket grapple is kind of like one of those multi-bit screwdrivers. Very useful most of the time, but not quite as good as two different dedicated screwdrivers at other times. If I could only have one screwdriver, sure I will take one of those. But if I have the luxury of having different screwdrivers that are optimized for each job then that is the way I am going to go.

View attachment 467916

Yeah. What he said.
I went with the EA 50" also because of already having a bucket and SSQA makes it a minute to swap back and forth.
The dedicated grapple is better for me to root grub, dig out and pick up large rocks and carry longer stuff (though the bucket will make do with all those also. Lighter means a bigger payload also.

Perfect setup?
Dedicated Grapple and a bucket with a piranha tooth bar that ALSO had a top lid grapple or maybe a thumb. Not sure where a thumb could be a better tool than a grapple lid anywhere specific though. Since the hydraulics and controls are there already, it'd be nothing but money to be spent!<laughing>

 

[Wolf Bayou]

Great advice from everyone. I looked hard at the wicked root grapples but felt like a bucket grapple was a better fit for what I do and my current budget. I ended up purchasing the tomahawk single cylinder bucket grapple and I am pleased with it so far. If I was doing only land clearing the wicked grapple looks like the ticket since it looks like it would get under stuff easier without digging dirt. I find myself doing a lot of cleaning up of small trash and debris that would fall back through the open slats of the wicked grapple. I also like being able to move a little dirt without having to switch buckets and I can back drag with my bucket grapple to smooth things up after I pick up junk. Not sure about the durability on the one I bought but hopefully I can get a few years of good service from it....thanks

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

You won't go wrong with a EA grapple had one for over a year and have used and abused it with no problems thinking about up gradeing to the one i heard they were building with more opening