Questions About 425 Attachments

[jsduke]

Thanks Moss, it helps a great deal. Especially with my storage restrictions and my concerns about the blade.

Until I spoke with Terry at PT (The Tazewellian Angel by all accounts on this forum) and he explained that the teeth on the current grapple bucket are laser cut flat stock and not designed for prying and digging, I thought I could use the grapple bucket for brush work AND digging. So that is why I am asking about other options such as separate utility grapple and dirt bucket with teeth because buying both the grapple bucket and the dirt bucket with teeth just does not seem right.

I do not want to have to baby this stuff too much or break it.

I have the LMB, forks, minihoe and thumb on my list too.

 

[MossRoad]

Hmmm.... I wonder when they changed the teeth on the grapple bucket? Good to know. I'll cross it off my list.

 

[jsduke]

Sounds like the Hoe/thumb might be an option (although not ideal) for brush and log handling. I am about 90 minutes east of you in Bedford county. Thanks for the offer erne. May take you up on that at some point.

 

[jsduke]

Yeah, kinda puzzling, Moss. Terry did say he did not think there were any of the old style GBs still available. He also explained that the grapple bucket was better able to grab mixed brush and the utility grapple was better for logs due to the opening and lack of bucket.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, that's a puzzler for sure. Wonder why they changed it?

I have not seen the utility grapple in person. Looking at it from pictures, it looks a bit thin, so to speak.

I'd like a grapple for grabbing brush and branches, that's for sure. I don't need to grapple logs. My woods is too narrow between trees to take them out sideways and my tongs work really well for dragging them out lengthwise, and those cost $29.00.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I would not buy a grapple bucket. I started with that, then took the grapple top off and made my own Grapple bottom. So much happier.

You should reach out to EA Attachemnts. There is no rule that you use PT's attachements. As a matter of fact I only own one PT Attachment out of my 13. The Mower, Every other attachment I have purchased from another manufacturer and made to fit or just made the implement myself (I can proudly say I made my own Post Hole Digger, Stump Grinder and Grapple) and I modified a previously owned box blade and york rake to work on the PT. Even made my own quick attach plates.

As for road maintenance. I have ended up with a very old but still quite nice York Rake. I would like a landscape plane but I have yet to make the rear attachment adapter for my PT. The york rake works great, keeps the rocks in the road. Box blades are no good for a dirt / gravel road.

 

[ernemats]

An option I have been debating is adding a bolt on tooth bar for my bucket, I think that would work well for digging and also would help break up hard packed dirt or driveway.

 

[jsduke]

I saw a thread on here that came about a couple of years back that revolved around EA making grapples for T-8 and I think T-12 machines. One of the participants was Travis from EA and also included a few from this forum. The discussion was initially very positive but turned negative as the EA powers that be became skeptical. There was some issue about the QA Plate angle...

Would this be a one off from EA, WF?

While I wholeheartedly commend you on your accomplishments; for me, I have neither the skills, the equipment or the inclination to start building, adapting or tweaking a custom piece. Need more of a turn key solution.

 

[jfh28]

don't misunderstand me.....I absolutely endorse the snow plow as a must have for plowing....it's just after a decade of use I have learned to adapt to the limitations of the machine.......yes you can keep the plow straight and push and then move the pile to the side but the machine will bog down as the weight increases from the snow pile, crab and stall out.......and while that may be doable on a short drive let me tell you it gets old pretty quickly on a long drive......I can easily move 20" of regular snow but have found the optimum I want to push of the wet stuff is 8-12".....what I do on the first pass is slightly angle the blade and run down just off center of the drive.....once I have that path clear I fully angle the blade and make subsequent passes adjusting the width of the cut based on the snow depth....more snow then less cut.....in heavy snows I might only take half the width of the blade per pass.....this is what I have found works best for me over the years......I don't have the wheels what I did is cut a strip of horse mat and bolt it on the bottom of the plow with about 1 1/2" exposed below the blade......I then set the blade just touching the stones and off I go......if I hit a raised stone or high spot the rubber mat bends back.......generally after you plow for the first time in the season everything gets smoothed out and you're good to go for the rest of the winter....depending on the amount of storms we have I'll get about a season per strip so a horse mat will last quite a few years......in terms of storing I put each attachment on a furniture dolly and then just roll it to where I want it....the attachments don't take up a lot of room unless you have mowers........Jack

 

[woodlandfarms]

Agreed, buying is way easier than building. I was just emphasizing there is more than one way to skin a cat. Also I am getting at is that if you buy a bucket and a grapple, you wil lbe happy with your bucket and your grapple as each has a job to do and does it well. You buy a 4in1 or a Bupple (Grapit?) you get a tool that does those thing mediocre. I thought that EA resolved the plate issue, yes, the PT mounting bracket has a 15 degree down angle that is not common to manufactures but easy to create.