Grapple Heavy Grapple on Kubota L47?

[5030]

Something I've never had come in the shop was a wanked up grapple. I'm sure at some point I'll get one and hopefully I will be able to procure failed parts easily. People, in general can wank up about anything, especially when they use equipment or add on accessories that aren't designed or built for their intended use.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Something I've never had come in the shop was a wanked up grapple. I'm sure at some point I'll get one and hopefully I will be able to procure failed parts easily. People, in general can wank up about anything, especially when they use equipment or add on accessories that aren't designed or built for their intended use.

I'm in numerous groups on facebook, with all different color tractors.
Guys "wank" up grapples, frequently!
Travis

 

[Camofurever1]

Wanked up grapple....that is funny. Unfortunately, I wanked mine up this past spring. Didn't mess up the frame, I blew the internal gasket on the rod, which is letting fluid bypass and return to tank.

Grapples are great tools. I have owned mine for 13 years. It is on a Deere tractor, but the concept in using one is all the same:

• Keep your load low to the ground as possible, especially when moving.
• Make sure your rears are filled.
• Make sure you have something heavy on the back end for counter weight.
• Do not back pull the ground using the grapple jaws. (ask me how I know)
• Never grasp a tree trunk with grapple before said tree trunk is fully on the ground. (ask me how I know)
• Insure your hydraulic lines are securely fastened to your loader arm so they can't get pinched. (yeah, ask me how I know)
• A brush guard across your radiator and headlights is essential.
• Buy the heaviest and largest grapple your loader will and tractor can safely handle. You will thank yourself later on.
• Don't be afraid to experiment with what you can pickup and move with your grapple. You might be surprised.
  
  
  
  
  
  
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[jmc]

Ever see a full sized TLB running in road gear on smooth-ish pavement and it acts like a bucking horse, because of all their weight beyond the wheel base? For lack of an official term, I call it "galloping". I've got the same galloping when using my 650# skidsteer grade root grapple on my Kubota L4330. Only it's at mowing speed on regular ground. And empty. You might load your bucket up so it's the weight of your pending grapple and see if you can live with that galloping, or low speed to avoid galloping, every time that heavy grapple is mounted.

 

[Leozepolusa]

Wanked up grapple....that is funny. Unfortunately, I wanked mine up this past spring. Didn't mess up the frame, I blew the internal gasket on the rod, which is letting fluid bypass and return to tank.

Grapples are great tools. I have owned mine for 13 years. It is on a Deere tractor, but the concept in using one is all the same:

• Keep your load low to the ground as possible, especially when moving.
• Make sure your rears are filled.
• Make sure you have something heavy on the back end for counter weight.
• Do not back pull the ground using the grapple jaws. (ask me how I know)
• Never grasp a tree trunk with grapple before said tree trunk is fully on the ground. (ask me how I know)
• Insure your hydraulic lines are securely fastened to your loader arm so they can't get pinched. (yeah, ask me how I know)
• A brush guard across your radiator and headlights is essential.
• Buy the heaviest and largest grapple your loader will and tractor can safely handle. You will thank yourself later on.
• Don't be afraid to experiment with what you can pickup and move with your grapple. You might be surprised.
  
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Your logic of buying the heaviest grapple your tractor can safely handle has been my thinking as long as the remaining 2000 lb lift capacity is well beyond my anticipated needs. I am trading away lift capacity for durability. As I previously mentioned, accidentally crashing into buried rock or stumps is assured, yet lifting a 2000 lb log or boulder is not in the playbook on my property. If the occasion ever arose, I would cut down the log length or push the boulder instead. My original post was really trying to determine if there were unexpected safety issues or outcomes with a 1000 lb grapple on the L47 TLB. I can certainly load the tires if the L47's 1660 lb backhoe isn't enough ballast.

 

[Notforhire]

I don't know if you noticed but Camofurever1 has a JD 5055 which is a larger tractor than a L47.
When I bought my 800# grapple I had a 5065e. You didn't really notice the grapple weight compared to the Kubota.
My JD had loaded tires and I never bothered with a counterweight unless I was doing a really heavy lift or on a slope.

Pictured is a stump bucket/grapple (about 400#) in use.
The L47 is a pretty powerful, but it's still a small (compact) tractor. A 50 series JD is a utility size. There is no comparison.
BTW the JD didn't "gallop" like the Kubota does.

BTW on page 91 which covers liquid ballast, in the operators manual it states;
When the BT1000b backhoe is installed, rear ballast should be removed.

Why they say that, I don't know.

Because my tractor came without a backhoe when I bought it, the rears were loaded. I run them loaded with the backhoe on. I just can't see draining them every time I mount the backhoe.

 

[mikester]

Your logic of buying the heaviest grapple your tractor can safely handle has been my thinking as long as the remaining 2000 lb lift capacity is well beyond my anticipated needs. I am trading away lift capacity for durability. As I previously mentioned, accidentally crashing into buried rock or stumps is assured, yet lifting a 2000 lb log or boulder is not in the playbook on my property. If the occasion ever arose, I would cut down the log length or push the boulder instead. My original post was really trying to determine if there were unexpected safety issues or outcomes with a 1000 lb grapple on the L47 TLB. I can certainly load the tires if the L47's 1660 lb backhoe isn't enough ballast.

Don't confuse "heavy" with "strong" or "durable".

Good design and high strength steels go a lot further down the road than a heavy POS that's poorly designed an fabricated. I have lot of pics of repairs on the latter.

 

[mikester]

Don't confuse "heavy" with "strong" or "durable".

Good design and high strength steels go a lot further down the road than a heavy POS that's poorly designed an fabricated. I have lot of pics of repairs on the latter.

Check out this 1,100lb single lid grapple - this happens when you weld 1/2" thick mild steel tines to 1/4" thick mild steel tube.

Heavy does not mean strong or durable.

 

[oosik]

I've had and used my Land Pride grapple for nine years. I've never had a reason to take it off. I normally will be lifting very heavy rocks and chunks of pine tree trunk. I use common sense - so...I've never damaged the grapple. The paint has, long ago, worn off the tips of the lower tines. They are now painted fluorescent orange - better to see.

I have to agree with 5030. Anything I might do that would cause damage to the grapple would, most likely, cause some form of damage to the tractor also. In particular - the FEL and its various components.

For me, at least, the cost of tractor repairs is just too much to risk. A little more time - a little more patience - the job will still get done and without anything being damaged.