New WICKED one..Grapple, that is!!

[4570Man]

You could send me a free one for testing. I think I could successfully tear it up then you would know where the weak points are. On a more serious note you could install the cross braces already bent so they don't get bent and have you considered adding a tractor brush guard that doesn't suck to your lineup?

 

[ns_in_tex]

I always keep you guys informed early and often when it comes to new builds. This is another VERY special one unlike anything else on the market.

Our Ultra Light Wicked 55 rake style grapple, which is ideal for subcompact and small compact tractors under 40hp, has been out for about a year. It quickly became one of our best selling grapples and people with larger tractors than recommended have been foaming at the mouth wanting one.

I mean, we did test it with our 60hp Kubota L6060 with Ted in the hot seat. The 50 minute long testing video shows pure, unrehearsed "real" in field footage of the grapple in action for the first time. It is a long video, but it provides customers with an enormous amount of information because he pushes, pulls, pries, digs, twists and does other things you really shouldn't do; all with a 200 POUND GRAPPLE!!!

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Now for the NEW NEWS!!
Heavy demand lead us to this new animal: The Wicked 60 grapple rake.

• Weight, at just over 300 pounds, is a very big deal.
• Ideal for 35-55+ horsepower tractors.
• Width is a maneuverable 60" for working in the woods.
• Greasable hinges and cylinder pins.
• Serrated upper and lower tines for gripping and ripping.
• Tines are constructed of 3/8" thick AR400 steel for extreme durability.
• Lid opening is around 38.5".
• Removable, bolted in lower runners add strength and versatility. They serve as depth gauges for pushing/digging roots and vines. If you're in good soil or using it for an application where more depth is desired, you can remove them and bury it to the hitch!
• Laser cut holes shave weight and add to the Wicked appearance, but do not sacrifice strength and durability.
• Solid, continuous welds. We wouldn't have it any other way.
• Beefed up in all the right places, especially the hinge points and cylinder mounts.
• Dual Cylinder mounting angle and location produces incredible clamping force!
• Added 3rd hinge to the center for rigidity.

Check it out and let us know what you think!
Travis

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Travis, I really envy all your nice equipment and can understand the great feelings your grapple owners express and at times, wonder if you have anything we would like better than the one we built out of scrap iron, maybe 15 years ago. We have probably put over 1500 hours on it.
Probably the reason we like this one, we think it more closely resembles ours, than your other models.
We do have a couple of suggestions we think would add usefulness to this unit.
1. Increase the mouth opening. I know it can be done, since ours is 64". This really adds to its ability, especially in loose brush.
2. Optional steel bolt on plates. This is so you can handle dirt, gravel, old roofing shingles, ETC. Now, we normally leave the bottom plate on all the time, unless we want to tear roots out of the ground. We leave the top piece off unless handling items like listed above. Only 4, 1/2" bolts hold the bottom plate on and it makes it easy to sweep the ground, drive way, or street when cleaning up after a tornado ETC.
See Attachments and keep up the good work.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

What's the price of this one going to be?

Old Red, the introductory price for it is $2195 with free shipping to a staffed commercial business or freight terminal within 1,000 miles of Newton, NC.
I'll share more pics and information as it's available!!
Travis

 

[RichM752]

Oh man,this is going to be a good thread.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Travis, I really envy all your nice equipment and can understand the great feelings your grapple owners express and at times, wonder if you have anything we would like better than the one we built out of scrap iron, maybe 15 years ago. We have probably put over 1500 hours on it.
Probably the reason we like this one, we think it more closely resembles ours, than your other models.
We do have a couple of suggestions we think would add usefulness to this unit.
1. Increase the mouth opening. I know it can be done, since ours is 64". This really adds to its ability, especially in loose brush.
2. Optional steel bolt on plates. This is so you can handle dirt, gravel, old roofing shingles, ETC. Now, we normally leave the bottom plate on all the time, unless we want to tear roots out of the ground. We leave the top piece off unless handling items like listed above. Only 4, 1/2" bolts hold the bottom plate on and it makes it easy to sweep the ground, drive way, or street when cleaning up after a tornado ETC.
See Attachments and keep up the good work.

Thanks for the kind words and great work on the grapple!

Ted originally had it drawn with a larger opening, but decided the crazy impressive clamping geometry and more compact maneuverability was more important, especially after using the 55 and knowing exactly what it's capable of. He literally snatched a limb right off of a tree with the clamp!

I like your plate addition. Very creative!!
Travis

 

[EverythingAttachments]

I don't have anymore Wicked 60 info yet, but I do have some impressive pics of the 55 on a TYM 233 for the meantime.
Check out the impressive clamping strength. The serrated upper and lower tines really help grip logs and boulders!
Travis

Yep, there's light underneath it!!

 

[screamin400]

Will you be making this in a 72"? I ordered my 2655 yesterday and I am a couple of weeks out before it gets here. I think I prefer the same width as the stock bucket. I could be wrong I have never used a grapple. I would be cleaning up debris mostly from storms.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Will you be making this in a 72"? I ordered my 2655 yesterday and I am a couple of weeks out before it gets here. I think I prefer the same width as the stock bucket. I could be wrong I have never used a grapple. I would be cleaning up debris mostly from storms.

We decided to only offer this one in 60", which I think efficiently covers a wide range of tractor sizes as a "goldilocks" size. :bear::bear::bear:
Not too big for a 35 horsepower and not too small for a 65 horsepower.
It will have a maneuverability advantage over a wider one and size really doesn't limit performance or functionality, which Ted discovered when testing the smaller 55 on our L6060.

I think it's going to be a race between the 60 and 55 for best selling grapple!
Travis

 

[screamin400]

I think I would have a hard time wrapping my head around and implement narrower than my tractor. I would be scared I would find uses for it where it would be too narrow. My tractor is on order and my hernia surgery went well yesterday. Be about 2 weeks and I will give you a call

 

[ns_in_tex]

Thanks for the kind words and great work on the grapple!

Ted originally had it drawn with a larger opening, but decided the crazy impressive clamping geometry and more compact maneuverability was more important, especially after using the 55 and knowing exactly what it's capable of. He literally snatched a limb right off of a tree with the clamp!

I like your plate addition. Very creative!!
Travis

I don't think we have seen it mentioned here, but our grapple will grab round bales of hay or a 300 lb piece of concrete with only one tooth of the lid in contact with it. Sure seems to me, the larger mouth opening is more versatile, or maybe the smaller opening mouth will do the same. We don't know.