Grapple Grappling for answers on Grapples

[Samandothers]

Daveinnh -
Thank you for your comments. I talked with WR Long today. I was/am leaning toward what they call an open bottom grapple vs the root grapple as they call it which some others refer as the clam shell grapple. I like the open bottom as you can slip up under items and then close the top tines. The person at WR Long offered that the clam shell (their root rake) has some advantages too. The load in closer to the loader so more lift or load available. The design is like a blade that you can lower the tines in the ground and push to deal with roots and the pressure is more on the loader arms than the cyclinders. Also the clam shell allows the top tines to close down closer to the 'back' of the grapple so you can grab or squeeze better a single pole or tree. He was very helpful.

I now discovers about 4 different companies in Denton NC that make and sell these items. I have yet to get price from WR Long as I must go through a dealer. So far other companies for a 60 or 63 inch is about 1500 to 1800. These all seem stout units with 1/2' steel two cyclinders and two top grapples. The weight on most are about 700lbs. WR Long is a bit lighter.

 

[Mike058]

I have a WR Long RBG2-60 grapple for use on a Kubota L4310. Not a lot of use, but it's very handy for moving small boulders ~ limit 1,200 lb. Brush gathering is good, log loading - less so.

I expected the holding power to be greater, but the upper arm doesn't have a lot of holding power - could be redesigned, IMO. I also looked at an ANBO, but couldn't justify the price extra.

In your opinion, is the lack of log holding power because of the shape of the upper arm?

 

[IslandTractor]

In your opinion, is the lack of log holding power because of the shape of the upper arm?

With a clamshell grapple the bottom tines are vertical or close to it and there is no horizontal base for logs to rest on so they can be held in place by gravity. Instead all gripping is "active" and depends on the shape and size of the load. If you have a really big bite of brush mixed with wood it is possible that the grapple arm would compress the wood in place but not fully compress the brush which could then leak out. Also if you pick up a bunch of smaller logs, the grapple may compress against some of the logs deep in the grapple jaw before the grapple securely encloses the outside logs which could then slip out. Brush falling out is to some extent also an issue with other types of grapples but seems more an issue with the clamshell (eg RBG style). Logs however are very securely held by the non clamshell type even when there are multiple logs of different sizes.

The Long OBG style (almost identical to Millonzi, Markham etc) the bottom of the grapple is longer and is horizontal in the travel position so that logs and brush are resting on it due to gravity ("passive holding") and the upper grapple arm really just needs to hold it in place to keep the load from sliding sideways or forwards.

A good analogy is in how you might carry wood to a fireplace. You can pick it up in one hand and grip it tight as you carry it to the fire (active, with your fingers acting as the upper and lower tines of a clamshell grapple), try that with two or three small logs and you'll see that they can easily fall out. The alternative is to stack the logs on your forearm (like a forklift) and use the free hand to just stabilize them as you walk (passive, using gravity to hold the log against your arm so they don't slip off. That is how a grapple with a horizontal bottom would work.

So, I would say it is not the shape of the upper arm but rather the shape and orientation of the lower arm that distinguishes the two grapple types.

 

[pitt_md]

Daveinnh -
Thank you for your comments. I talked with WR Long today. I was/am leaning toward what they call an open bottom grapple vs the root grapple as they call it which some others refer as the clam shell grapple. I like the open bottom as you can slip up under items and then close the top tines. The person at WR Long offered that the clam shell (their root rake) has some advantages too. The load in closer to the loader so more lift or load available. The design is like a blade that you can lower the tines in the ground and push to deal with roots and the pressure is more on the loader arms than the cyclinders. Also the clam shell allows the top tines to close down closer to the 'back' of the grapple so you can grab or squeeze better a single pole or tree. He was very helpful.

I now discovers about 4 different companies in Denton NC that make and sell these items. I have yet to get price from WR Long as I must go through a dealer. So far other companies for a 60 or 63 inch is about 1500 to 1800. These all seem stout units with 1/2' steel two cyclinders and two top grapples. The weight on most are about 700lbs. WR Long is a bit lighter.

WR Long offers a 48,56,64, and 72" OBG2 styles. The 56" weighs 460 lbs. I paid around $1800 for mine but that included shipping. This is the link to their web page.
OBG

 

[marksmu]

Im in the process of buying a grapple right now as well...I am 99% sure I am settling on an ANBO root grapple....heavy duty, and well built. They are a bit more expensive than some of the lighter duty grapples...but I too have a slightly larger tractor than alot of the byneters....I will be swapping it out on a 9' bucket on a 92HP tractor.

I plan on using it to clean up miles of debris that washed onto my property from Hurricane IKE in Chambers County near anahuac.

I will literally be picking up entire sections of Houses from the Gilchrist/Crystal Beach area of Galveston.

On a side note, if anyone is missing a Blue/Yellow beach house, they may retrieve it from my property before next week. After next week it will be on fire.

 

[farmboy12]

islandtractor-

We do release pressure in our lines before disconnecting. But the big problem comes when we put in on. We release by raising the claws slightly, and playing with remotes before we unhook the lines.

 

[Samandothers]

Pitt md ,
I have called several places for prices. Many of the heavier units are made with 1/2 steel and are in the 700 lb range depending on width. My loader has a lift of about 2400 at pivot so this weight leaves about 1700 in capacity vs getting a lighter grapple and leaving about 2000 in capacity. Markham and Long both have a 3/8" models that are in the 460ish pound range as you point out. The capacity of these are around 2200 lbs. Given all this I have about settled on a 56 inch open bottom type in the 3/8 steel to stay with the lighter weight. The Markham unit has one 30" top grapple the WR Long has two more narrow units. I need to go back to my dealer to get the a price on Long's model of the 3/8". I still have not settled on the control method. If I get a front mount remote I'll probably get the Kubota brand so I may run a hydraulic motor later if I have a need. Also I understand these are a 3rd function and you can control the grapple without diverting control from other loader controls. However, I have not ruled out two rear remotes and run hoses to the front. The remote controls on the Kubota L4240 would mount on the same side as the front loader control but more toward the back of the tractor thus it may be a pain to be reaching there to control the grapple. Getting closer to decision. Maybe next week. My advantage is I am with an hour or two of both Markham and WR Long and would pick up the grapple and save on shipping.

 

[dknarnd]

I have a WR Long RBG2-60 grapple for use on a Kubota L4310. Not a lot of use, but it's very handy for moving small boulders ~ limit 1,200 lb. Brush gathering is good, log loading - less so.

I expected the holding power to be greater, but the upper arm doesn't have a lot of holding power - could be redesigned, IMO. I also looked at an ANBO, but couldn't justify the price extra.

I have this same grapple and 95% of its use has been loading logs and my experience with it has been excellent for this task. If you don't keep the rpm up it will lack power but that is normal.

As you see with the attached photo I stack logs onto an old hay wagon then grasp about three or four (depending on the size) in the grapple and drive them about a quarter mile up the road before unloading them. I can stack and unload from the wagon one at a time and not damage the wood wagon bed.

 

[jake98]

My advantage is I am with an hour or two of both Markham and WR Long and would pick up the grapple and save on shipping.[/QUOTE]

Being within an hour is a real advantage. You should plan a trip to Denton and bring your camera. Lots of us would like to see the fabrication shops there. Don't forget Unlimited Fabrication. Ask some questions... I'd like to know how they all came to be in one town...
Jake

 

[Samandothers]

Denton is full of grapple vendors and Denton is not a large place! I gather that there was one that was the original fabricator in the area, which one I am not sure. Over a period of time several ex-employees went out on their own and started their own businesses. They are all very similar in price for the heavier units designed for skid steers and larger tractors. These units are in the approximately 7## lb range. Markham has larger units too but offers a 'lighter' unit for compacts, around 450 lbs. This is similar in design to the WR Long OBG-2, their open bottom grapples for compact tractors. One difference is the WR Long has two cylinders on their units over 48" wide (48" unit has one cylinder) while Markham offers one light weight unit I believe that is 60" and has one 30" wide top tine.
Given my loader capacity I will go with one of the smaller units by WR Long or Markham's smaller unit. I like the idea of the two independent tines on the WR Long's but don't know that it is worth the price difference.

Now if I can just settle on a electric over hydraulic valve for the remote.