Grapple model suggestions for cleaning out swales?

[jmc]

I've got 4 culverts under the driveway that plug up with tangles of sticks and leaves at their entrances. Sometimes those tangles fill up the swale for 10 or 15 feet upstream from the culvert. I've been using a backhoe or a root grapple but they're slow to maneuver on these small areas of difficult terrain.

I think it would be easier with a small log type grapple of some sort. Pull up perpendicular to the swale and drop the grapple down into the swale, oriented so that it closes along the direction of the swale.

I can position perpendicular enough that a rotary actuator wouldn't be neccessary if the grapple head was free to rotate to self align with the swale. If that style limited downforce, teeth would be better than a crossbar for penetrating a tangle wider than the open jaws. It would mount on a ssqa or maybe even a 3PH.

Hard to describe but below is a picture of this 900 foot long hill if that helps. Culverts are further uphill, draining the swale on the right, and running the water under the drive.

Any ideas for a lightweight grapple model to do this?

 

[cglaser104]

I'd go root grapple or 4in1 bucket perpendicularly to clean up.

 

[Smokeydog]

Hydraulic Thumb on a backhoe? I find a little settling basin in front of the culvert helps to keep them clear of sediment that needs periodically cleaned out.

 

[timbatrader]

I would be looking at building an area up stream of each culvert with posts driven into the ground across the swale but with easy access for the tractor to drive right in so when the catch area is full you can just push it clear with your bucket
it is much easier to clear a well shaped basin that you can drive into than to work close to the convert where normally movement is restricted and damage to the culvert likely if some debris have got into the culvert

 

[oosik]

I like timbatraders idea. Create a catchment area, upstream of the culvert, with easy access for your tractor.

 

[LouNY]

I have a similar problem and have not found an affordable solution to do the job neatly and quickly.
I offset, angle and tilt my back blade and try and just roll the garbage up on to the driveway and then
scrape it up with the loader bucket. Or get the tractor crosswise in the driveway and scoop it out with the loader bucket.
It can get tight in many places with the tractor being as long as the driveway is wide.
The backhoe is the easiest way, but you can only get a few feet before having to reposition.

 

[Hay Dude]

Probably one of the “European” side-shift backhoes would be the best piece of equipment thats somewhat readily available.
That way you can do ~10’ of ditch smoothly without moving.

 

[ponytug]

You could also sink a few pieces of pipe upstream, angled slightly upstream to snag debris in a more convenient clean out spot. I have seen just pipe, and pipe fastened/welded to a cross member.

I would go for whatever solution keeps your machine on the road. If you have a rain event going on, it is no time to be on a slope, or near one.

It may go without saying, but clean up in advance of rain events helps a lot, too...

All the best,

Peter

 

[jmc]

OP Here.

Over the decades, I've tried several suggestions offered here and they worked somewhat. If you could see my situation firsthand, you'd see the limitations. For example, the swale is deep and narrow so you can't open a root grapple or 4 in 1 bucket enough to get much of a bite. Some spots have no place to seat one of the backhoe stabilizers.

A rotatable brush grapple would probably make short work of it all. Priced some online this week and was surprised how much they've gone up in price since checking a few years ago. Hard to justify for occasional use.

The suggestions of encouraging the blockage to occur somewhere upstream where it's easier to remove is a good one. As is the reminder to clear any small blockages BEFORE the gully washers...

Thanks, guys, for the input.

 

[JohnnyMX]

I have a few ditches that need to be cleaned out. I was considering a FEL-to-3PT converter and then running my landscape rake off the loader so I could get down into the ditch and rake out the trash. I have a few areas like that where stuff is backing up in a very small stream as well and wondered if that combo would give me the reach and agility to drag the stuff straight out and onto the banks where I can just rake it into a pile and grapple it out from there or pile it somewhere.