Grappling fun - A Picture Thread....

[IslandTractor]

I normally wouldn't call myself lazy, but when I'm operating my tractor I am extremely "lazy". In fact, one of the reason I've spent so much time adding my rear hydraulics, was so I could use implements with as many hydraulic functions as possible, simply to be more efficient and reach my 'goal' of never getting off my tractor seat when I'm working, except to take pictures! I don't like to get off the tractor to angle my rear blade, lower the scarifiers on my box blade, adjust my side link, top link, or even line up my implements when hooking them up (hence the quick hitch.) So I'll be damned if I'm going to get off the tractor to load something that I could otherwise use hydraulics for! So, please understand when I say I am slightly offended by your presumption that I would actually remove my lazy butt from the tractor seat, muscle around some heavy items, line them up with the perfect spacing, just to pick up two items at one time! (Kidding, I'm not actually offended ) All you have to do, is open the grapple, clamp down on the first item to be picked up (whether that be rocks, logs, hay, whatever) then drive to the second item, curl the grapple down to the dump position, open the grapple right over the second item (the first will fall on to the ground) then lower the grapple over both items at once, and clamp down on both. :thumbsup: When you are carrying items a decent distance, this literally cuts the time in half.

Okay, I get it, a Lazy Boy two stage technique. I'll need to try that to see if I can do the same with the single lid. I don't move firewood length logs much but I'll remember to give it a try next time I get an opportunity. Learn some new here every day.

 

[Piston]

...So I killed all of it and now pile my un-burnable debris across from their driveway.

That is hilarious!!!

 

[Piston]

Okay, I get it, a Lazy Boy two stage technique. I'll need to try that to see if I can do the same with the single lid. I don't move firewood length logs much but I'll remember to give it a try next time I get an opportunity. Learn some new here every day.

Haha ya it's definitely lazy, but I'm man enough to admit it.

You might be able to lift two pieces like that if they are the same size by using the pointed end on each side of the grapple clamp. It won't be "efficient", and I imagine it will take a few tries, but if you want to do it just so you can say you can, I bet it will work.

I don't do these things just so I can say I can, I do it because it works well and is considerably more efficient. More than 75% of my seat time this year was for business, and the more efficient I can be without breaking anything, the more money I make quicker. (I don't charge by the hour but by the job)

FYI, I didn't "stage" this photo either.


I had cut those rounds off of these stumps before stumpgrinding began.

 

[Jim Timber]

I had put down (4) 20# bags of mixed grass seed after clearing out the sumac which was overgrowing the side of the road when I bought the place and then spent 2 years eradicating the thistle that was there. We had 7' tall thick seeded out grass by July and it was beautiful. Deer bedded in it at night between sorties to raid the lake idiot's gardens. Rabbits used it to hide from the coyotes. We had raspberries intertwined in the grass which fed us and the birds... It was lovely. The neighbors whined that it was unkempt so the town roads guy mowed it all off the week before my raspberries were ripe one year. Then the thistle promptly came back, then the neighbors whined again to the township, and they sent me notice that I had to manage the thistle - which I had already done, and they promptly un-did!

So I got some 41% gly and did two burn downs at 10% mix. They don't like my grass; they can look at DIRT!

I own the whole right side of the road here. We have something like 430' of road frontage which extends all the way to the tree line in the far back of this picture, and then my property extends back a 1/4 mile from that corner (the road is at 45 degrees to my lot line) and 1/2 mile South (84.5 acres total).

I'll use the rest of my roundup on this stretch again this year and see if they'll shut up about my activities. One of the irritating pair (I have two whiny neighbors on this corner) use to drive on the shoulder in front of me to try and show his contempt for my kicking him off it (this 1.5 acre lot was tax forfeited when I bought it and he'd been squatting for about 20 years), so I drove through their garden which is planted in the ROW on their side of the street with my Tahoe. They didn't get anything to stick (claimed they weren't pressing charges - which I told them to try! and admitted driving through it) and I narrowly missed their mailbox. It's the ROW, people are supposed to be able to use it for atv traffic, not plant it in gardens is what the County told me when I tried having them charged when he drove over my baby Douglas Firs I had planted as a nursery on my ROW before giving up after someone sprayed them (probably that neighbor, because no one else would take responsibility for it: town, power co, county, etc).

They've discovered I can have much more negative impact on them than they can on me. It's a good understanding to come to.

My stump pile is just to the right of the big Red Pine beyond the front tow truck.

 

[4570Man]

I pick up 2 or more firewood rounds in the grapple all the time. You can call if lazy if you want. Every time you do it just remover the days before the grapple and you had to roll them in the bucket.

 

[IslandTractor]

I pick up 2 or more firewood rounds in the grapple all the time. You can call if lazy if you want. Every time you do it just remover the days before the grapple and you had to roll them in the bucket.

I understand how you load the first round but doesn't it fall out when you open the dual lids to load the second round??

I think with a single lid I would just pick up two as they were laying next to each other with cut ends in contact (or nearly so). That way the tines on the lid would make contact with each of them.

 

[Jim Timber]

I think a single wide lid on a deep bucket would be the best option for moving bucked firewood. It's not overly heavy, and it's coarse odd shapes. Being able to scoop up a bunch into the bucket and clamp it there would give you the most productivity.

I use my grapple for moving big logs and large stones, as well as ripping roots as it's intended. What this whole thread has done is shown the diversity we all face in our daily tasks. Having a grapple lid or not is the major denominator - having one (or two) is far superior to not having any. I'm pretty sure we can all agree on that.

 

[4570Man]

I understand how you load the first round but doesn't it fall out when you open the dual lids to load the second round?? I think with a single lid I would just pick up two as they were laying next to each other with cut ends in contact (or nearly so). That way the tines on the lid would make contact with each of them.

You pick up one log and lay it beside another log. Then reposition the tractor and grab both logs at the same time. If they are less then 12" you can grab 4 logs. If you manually position them you can 9 or more logs. If I'm feeling super lazy I can grab another one in the backhoe thumb.

 

[94BULLITT]

I think a single wide lid on a deep bucket would be the best option for moving bucked firewood. It's not overly heavy, and it's coarse odd shapes. Being able to scoop up a bunch into the bucket and clamp it there would give you the most productivity.

I use my grapple for moving big logs and large stones, as well as ripping roots as it's intended. What this whole thread has done is shown the diversity we all face in our daily tasks. Having a grapple lid or not is the major denominator - having one (or two) is far superior to not having any. I'm pretty sure we can all agree on that.

If you are moving firewood withna bucket your going to get some dirt with it. A root grapple is better than a bucket. You really need a grapple with tines that are close so wood won't fall through. I think dual lids would really shine for moving firewood. Moving firewood takes little different technique than brush.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

If you are moving firewood withna bucket your going to get some dirt with it. A root grapple is better than a bucket. You really need a grapple with tines that are close so wood won't fall through. I think dual lids would really shine for moving firewood. Moving firewood takes little different technique than brush.

And how on earth would you know anything about that, Roger?
Travis

 

[Jim Timber]

If you are moving firewood withna bucket your going to get some dirt with it. A root grapple is better than a bucket. You really need a grapple with tines that are close so wood won't fall through. I think dual lids would really shine for moving firewood. Moving firewood takes little different technique than brush.

I'd bring the bottom of the bucket almost vertical and curl into the pile so the rounds rolled up and over the bottom edge. It's all about technique.

With the root grapple, you can just scoop under and pack them that way. I'm thinking you could have a very large bucket and get more in it with a wide grapple lid, but it wouldn't be useful for dirt as it'd be too heavy for most utility tractors to lift. Mine maxes out with a heaping 3/4 yard of taconite tailings, but you could put half a cord of firewood on it with ease - it'd never fit in my dirt bucket.

 

[4570Man]

I have been wanting to build a huge bucket for wood. Since I would be scooping off concrete it should work pretty good.

 

[Jim Timber]

I'm going to end up doing totes like Rob does. Being able to pick and place those on a customer truck would be the bees knees for firewood sales. Bring the empty back and get 20 bucks off the next one. Known quantity of wood per bunk too. Lots of things to like about that system.

 

[Piston]

. You really need a grapple with tines that are close so wood won't fall through. I think dual lids would really shine for moving firewood. Moving firewood takes little different technique than brush.

That's what I had an issue with, the firewood splits falling between the 9" time spacing.
I pick up grapple loads of split wood to move them, sometimes loose but when I'm carrying it a long ways I'll take the time to stack it on.

I welded more tines onto my grapple because of the falling firewood, and now it's very rare that I
Lose a piece. I ran out of flat bar so didn't do the middle yet.


I can fit quite a bit of firewood on there when I take the time to stack it, and I stack it high using the grapple lids as support.

 

[4570Man]

I need to build some totes like Robs. I have to haul them in the back of the truck. How hard would it be to manually unload a tote from the back of the truck? I'm thinking it would be easier to build a narrow tote that fits cross ways in the truck.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Since the subject is firewood, here are a couple more that I've shared, but maybe not on this thread.
66" Dual Lid Wicked Grapple on a Bobcat Toolcat.
Travis

 

[Jim Timber]

I need to build some totes like Robs. I have to haul them in the back of the truck. How hard would it be to manually unload a tote from the back of the truck? I'm thinking it would be easier to build a narrow tote that fits cross ways in the truck.

4x4x4 or a little taller to make up for the framing wouldn't be too bad, I don't think. Put a band of shrink wrap on it before you load it on the truck and point the open side backwards. You could use a pickaroon to unload what was out of reach.

 

[IslandTractor]

I think a single wide lid on a deep bucket would be the best option for moving bucked firewood. It's not overly heavy, and it's coarse odd shapes. Being able to scoop up a bunch into the bucket and clamp it there would give you the most productivity.

I use my grapple for moving big logs and large stones, as well as ripping roots as it's intended. What this whole thread has done is shown the diversity we all face in our daily tasks. Having a grapple lid or not is the major denominator - having one (or two) is far superior to not having any. I'm pretty sure we can all agree on that.

I agree. I am very jealous of the EA single lid width and design. Mine is as basic as you can get and it has served me well but I like the wider lid (mine is about 18") and I like the protection for the cylinder too. Mostly I like the "I'm going to eat you" look of the thing. Mine looks more like "I'm going to claw you to death".

 

[IslandTractor]

I don't do firewood but occasionally I've had to pick up piles of firewood sized wood chunks. I'd clearly prefer a wider lid to do that but I have managed, without getting off the tractor, to gobble up some pretty good piles of wood debris. Trouble with cut firewood is that it isn't as "sticky" as brush.

 

[4570Man]

How much would a 4x4x4 tote weigh full of oak? I have a forklift that I could use to load it, but it would be nice if my tractor could lift it.