Hydraulic pressure check

[Branson Bob]

I wanted to provide an update on my FEL lift issue. Simply, the grapple sold by my dealer was to heavy. My new EA wicked root grapple arrived and I quickly found the tree that I was unable to pick up with my tractor.

Well the new combination works perfect! I am pleased with my new toy (tool).

Hey Jesser.

That's great news. Very nice grapple!

I have 2 questions. What was the weight difference between the two grapples? Also whereabouts do you live? I was trying to figure it out from the photos. I see oak trees, some other deciduous and conifers, no snow, and pretty flat land.


Thanks!

 

[Jesser02Ex]

Hey Jesser.

That's great news. Very nice grapple!

I have 2 questions. What was the weight difference between the two grapples? Also whereabouts do you live? I was trying to figure it out from the photos. I see oak trees, some other deciduous and conifers, no snow, and pretty flat land.


Thanks!

I live in North East Oklahoma. It's an awesome fly-over state. My original grapple weighed 800 lbs, and the new EA Wicked Root comes in at 400 lbs, so this grapple saved me half the overall weight and much better functionality.

Original grapple:

 

[Branson Bob]

I live in North East Oklahoma. It's an awesome fly-over state. My original grapple weighed 800 lbs, and the new EA Wicked Root comes in at 400 lbs, so this grapple saved me half the overall weight and much better functionality.

Wow! That's a huge difference, especially seeing as the old one doesn't look much wider than the new one.

I've bought some of EA's stuff and really like it but we're in Cali and that isn't part of their free shipping zone so I don't know if I'll be ordering anything else from them.

 

[Jesser02Ex]

Being in Tulsa, I get the benefit of free freight. I won't lie, it was a concern because I'm officially outside of the bubble, but Travis said my shipping was free. I'm pleased with the grapple, the weight alone makes my tractor more usable.

My next project is to build a 1500lb ballast box/tool holder for the rear of the tractor. I'm deciding not to add liquid to the tires because I won't need the tire ballast when flail mowing/brush hogging.

 

[Reg]

Being in Tulsa, I get the benefit of free freight. I won't lie, it was a concern because I'm officially outside of the bubble, but Travis said my shipping was free. I'm pleased with the grapple, the weight alone makes my tractor more usable.

My next project is to build a 1500lb ballast box/tool holder for the rear of the tractor. I'm deciding not to add liquid to the tires because I won't need the tire ballast when flail mowing/brush hogging.

ONE of the things that liquid ballast does is to reduce the amount of air in the tires (obvious, huh ?).
This is a POSITIVE in that it reduces the boing, boing, boing of riding around on 50 or 60 gallon balloons.
SOME people like the springiness, others find it disconcerting.
If you are using a loader and carrying a ton the big balloons can be very disturbing.

There is a BIG difference between CARRYING an implement (or weight box) on the 3 pt as ballast vs having it already ON the ground.
YMMV, etc.

 

[Jesser02Ex]

Reg,

I appreciate you putting it that way. I never thought of it in those terms, but logically it completely makes sense. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Reg]

We (a club) are currently going through a similar exercise with 16.9 x 28 tires that are VERY springy when carrying about a metric ton over rough ground and up/down some steep rough grades.
The total tire volume is a little over 90 gallons, and that is a LOT of air.
The tables say 69 gallons for 75% fill and on Rimguard that would give us nearly 740 lbs per tire.
We have a contingent of members who "don't like the idea of reducing the springiness", but some of us very much like the idea of reducing the side to side sway/topple when it dips into ruts.

Not sure what you have for rears on the 5220, but likely something close to 17.5 x 24 (or metric equivalent) if industrial R4s - say 50 - 55 gallons per tire ?
Maybe 550 lbs, so 1100 lbs for the two and it would already be ON the ground.

WARNING: Loaded tires CAN make a tractor "feel" like it can move anything - and if you try hard enough you can BREAK things.

However much traction you have, it is still a tractor - it is still NOT a 'dozer.