Help me pick best grapple for my tractor!

gladehound · Jul 2, 2023

I got it hooked up on the front and am extremely impressed with build quality and the pinch force of the lid. The log in this picture is one that I can barely get off the ground with forks. And I'm rated at 2700+ full height and ~3700 at ground level (at pin). I was amazed that this grapple could pinch the top of the awkwardly shaped log and pick it right up! I highly recommend the frostbite to anyone doing a lot of log work.

BnRidge · Jul 2, 2023

Is your bucket curl cylinder bent?

sd455dan · Jul 2, 2023

Ouch. Maybe just the camera angle Hopefully. That would have been done in compression with the pistons fully extended if it is bent -maybe an earlier bucket back dragging incident??

gladehound · Jul 2, 2023

Yes, one of the front cylinders is bent. I noticed it maybe 2 yrs ago. It doesn't leak or seem to affect functionality. I've done a lot of prying of stuff out of the ground with forks and removing trees with stump buckets. So I'm not really surprised that I bent one. I'm guessing I hooked a fork tip of something when backing. 48" forks can put a lot of force on the cylinder. Incidentally, I bent the frame of my 4,000 pound skid steer forks with this tractor. I think I got a tree stuck over one fork and under the other. Stuff happens in the woods. Despite all that, tractors 10 years old and only thing I've ever replaced besides fluids and filters was an automotive fuse... but maybe a new curl cylinder in my future if it ever starts to leak.

4570Man · Jul 3, 2023

gladehound said:
Yes, one of the front cylinders is bent. I noticed it maybe 2 yrs ago. It doesn't leak or seem to affect functionality. I've done a lot of prying of stuff out of the ground with forks and removing trees with stump buckets. So I'm not really surprised that I bent one. I'm guessing I hooked a fork tip of something when backing. 48" forks can put a lot of force on the cylinder. Incidentally, I bent the frame of my 4,000 pound skid steer forks with this tractor. I think I got a tree stuck over one fork and under the other. Stuff happens in the woods. Despite all that, tractors 10 years old and only thing I've ever replaced besides fluids and filters was an automotive fuse... but maybe a new curl cylinder in my future if it ever starts to leak.

You might want to tear it down and make sure it’s not eating itself. It could be intruding metal shaving into the hydraulics and make for a lot worse problem.