ning
Elite Member
After a zillion years, I finally bought a grapple. By a zillion, I mean to say I've been shopping for a grapple for almost as long as since I was shopping for a tractor, because I was sure I was going to get one for it, and I've had the tractor almost eight years now... why did I wait? I'm probably going to ask myself that a lot in the next few weeks, but the truth is that I stretched my budget getting a lot more tractor than I had originally intended, so while I did get that tractor with a 3rd function (diverter) installed by the dealer, I didn't feel I could drop the extra cash on the grapple then too.
I bought the W.R.Long Gladiator grapple (link: W.R. Long, Inc. | Gladiator Grapple). I bought via the local tractor shop who's a WRL dealer; ordered 2025-01-14 and delivered today 2025-02-20 in my driveway.
This particular grapple is only offered in one width - 56" - which suits me just fine; I didn't want a very wide one, and this one is a bit narrower than my bucket and right about the width of the front tire track.
It came on a pallet - no straps
The hydraulic cylinders are tucked nicely behind the bottom on the outside; the hoses are routed through a middle rectangular tube and come out at the middle (hoses had zip ties for transit)
It came with one male and one female connector
I'd specified connectors when I ordered, but I suspect that the guy at the feed store who played intermediary probably didn't pass that along to WRL as my diverter has two F's:
I scavenged a M NPT connector from my pressure gauge rig and swapped it for one of the F's on my diverter, as the grapple came with not-NPT threads and I just had to connect it immediately
and besides, keeping things M/F ensures that I hook it up consistently, unlike my TNT in the rear, which I still have yet to label so I relearn it every time I use it.
Lost a little paint in transit here and there
but I suspect it'll lose even more paint soon enough.
I played with the open/close briefly but had other duties today
The bottom spikes are laminated, two layers on the outer spikes and three for the six inner ones.
Looks great IMO, nice welds, grease points, the SSQA slots are very nicely reinforced.
Like many grapples of this type, it's self-standing when off.
It's very lightweight and I was able to easily roll it from the shipping position to standing up to connect by hand.
I'll update this thread with action shots in the near future (though I'll be working alone so there won't be true live action like video); feel free to ask questions and I'll see if I can answer them.
I bought the W.R.Long Gladiator grapple (link: W.R. Long, Inc. | Gladiator Grapple). I bought via the local tractor shop who's a WRL dealer; ordered 2025-01-14 and delivered today 2025-02-20 in my driveway.
This particular grapple is only offered in one width - 56" - which suits me just fine; I didn't want a very wide one, and this one is a bit narrower than my bucket and right about the width of the front tire track.
It came on a pallet - no straps
The hydraulic cylinders are tucked nicely behind the bottom on the outside; the hoses are routed through a middle rectangular tube and come out at the middle (hoses had zip ties for transit)
It came with one male and one female connector
I'd specified connectors when I ordered, but I suspect that the guy at the feed store who played intermediary probably didn't pass that along to WRL as my diverter has two F's:
I scavenged a M NPT connector from my pressure gauge rig and swapped it for one of the F's on my diverter, as the grapple came with not-NPT threads and I just had to connect it immediately
and besides, keeping things M/F ensures that I hook it up consistently, unlike my TNT in the rear, which I still have yet to label so I relearn it every time I use it.
Lost a little paint in transit here and there
but I suspect it'll lose even more paint soon enough.
I played with the open/close briefly but had other duties today
The bottom spikes are laminated, two layers on the outer spikes and three for the six inner ones.
Looks great IMO, nice welds, grease points, the SSQA slots are very nicely reinforced.
Like many grapples of this type, it's self-standing when off.
It's very lightweight and I was able to easily roll it from the shipping position to standing up to connect by hand.
I'll update this thread with action shots in the near future (though I'll be working alone so there won't be true live action like video); feel free to ask questions and I'll see if I can answer them.
