Grapple Should I Get A Grapple

[westmich]

I'm new here and fairly new/inexperienced with tractors. I recently purchased a Kubota B2301 with loader, mid mower deck, backhoe, and box blade. I bought it for a number of reasons including a number of jobs with our existing home and efforts into building our new home. My thought was that if I put enough hours on it saving me from hiring out, it would pay for itself over the course of this work.

So, one of the tasks is clearing small trees (up to 3 or 4 inches) and shrubs. I can yank one by one with a chain or use the bucket to dig in just in front and pop out rolling the bucket back. I was hoping a grapple might make shorter work of this plus allow to grab what I pop out and stack (and then use the grapple to grab the stack and put in a trailer or burn pile). I also have a fence line overgrown with pricker vines that haven't been touched in probably 40 years. I could also see myself grabbing and piling up other overgrown piles in the field.

Is this feasible?

 

[BRMyers]

I sure hope so, because once the finance committee (wife) approves the purchase I plan on getting a grapple to do some of the same stuff you are looking at doing.

 

[ericm979]

I've used my 60" dual lid Wicked Root grapple to pull up a lot of poison oak. It works pretty well for the ground growing bush form, and ok for PO that's up in a tree. The latter can be hard to grab. It's good at moving piles of trees and brush, or logs.

With the long lower tines I don't think a root grapple will be good at popping trees out of the ground. But it'd be good at grabbing the trees and piling them or moving piles.

One of the first things I did with the grapple was pull a bunch of poison oak out of a tree. My wife was impressed and that pretty much sold her on the grapple's value.

 

[westmich]

I like the comments on justifying the costs with the wife - you're speaking my language. Much better than hearing 'no, you have to hire that out'

Looking at either the Land Pride SGC06 or the EA 55-Inch-Wicked-Root-Rake-Grapple (sorry can't post links yet) with the EA looking stronger and heavier but more expensive.

 

[BRMyers]

This is the one I'm looking at:

Best Rated 55 Inch Wicked Root Rake Grapple from Everything Attachments

 

[jeff9366]

1) One of the tasks is clearing small trees (up to 3 or 4 inches) and shrubs.
I can yank one by one with a chain or use the bucket to dig in just in front and pop out rolling the bucket back.

2) I was hoping a grapple could grab what I pop out and stack (and then use the grapple to grab the stack and put in a trailer or burn pile).

3) I also have a fence line overgrown with pricker vines that haven't been touched in probably 40 years. I could also see myself grabbing and piling up other overgrown piles in the field.

Is this feasible?

1) Your Kubota B2301 HST weighs about 1,600 pounds bare tractor.

My Kubota L3560 HST/PLUS weights about 3,700 pounds bare tractor. My soil is sandy loam.

My L3560 could NOT pull 3" nor 4" diameter trees from the ground with a chain to the the rear drawbar nor lift trees from the soil with 1,700 pound lift capacity FEL, with or without a grapple. The problem is the front engine in the tractor, which distributes half the weight to the front end when an FEL is installed. When you pull on stumps with the FEL, the rear wheels will rise from the ground.

Removing numerous 3" and 4" trees is work for a 6,000 pound bare weight tractor or, better, a tracked excavator or bulldozer.

If you must remove 3" to 4" trees with your B2301 get a ripping claw to replace the bucket on your Backhoe during tree removal.
VIDEOS (2): Kubota L251 backhoe root ripper trench bucket bxpanded quick attach - YouTube
Ripper Vs. Toothbar. Which works best for THIS Project? - YouTube

2) For moving trees SSQA adjustable-width Pallet Forks will work as well as a grapple. Simpler, cheaper; no front remote hydraulic connection necessary. 32", 34" or 38" Pallet Forks will match the lift capacity of your B2301 FEL better than longer forks.
PHOTOS
QUALITY VENDER: everything attachments videos pallet forks - YouTube


3) If you pull vines on a fence the fence usually comes out of the ground before the vines. Spray the vines with Gordon's Barrier, Crossbow or Crossroad, Rural King's private labels formulation of Crossbow.

 

[K5lwq]

Whoops, someone forgot to tell my little tractor it could not uproot trees with the EA 55" Wicked Root Grapple! :shocked:

 

[BRMyers]

Whoops, someone forgot to tell my little tractor it could not uproot trees with the EA 55" Wicked Root Grapple! :shocked:


View attachment 607706

That is AWESOME!

 

[westmich]

1) Your Kubota B2301 HST weighs about 1,600 pounds bare tractor.

My Kubota L3560 HST/PLUS weights about 3,700 pounds bare tractor. My soil is sandy loam.

My L3560 could NOT pull 3" nor 4" diameter trees from the ground with a chain to the the rear drawbar nor lift trees from the soil with 1,700 pound lift capacity FEL, with or without a grapple. The problem is the front engine in the tractor, which distributes half the weight to the front end when an FEL is installed. When you pull on stumps with the FEL, the rear wheels will rise from the ground.

Removing numerous 3" and 4" trees is work for a 6,000 pound bare weight tractor or, better, a tracked excavator or bulldozer.

Your LOCATION should be entered into your T-B-N PROFILE.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

I realize my tractor is on the small end and limited, but I was only planning to uproot what I am already doing with the FEL (I think I am learning the lingo). I will checkout those links.

I did watch some other videos after posting this and found one of the other uses of a grapple was to put the tines down and push forward raking all of the sod/roots off of the top. I was planning to use the box scraper to do this, but the grapple looked like it did a better job and only removed the sod leaving most of the top soil intact.

Fruitport, MI - I will update my profile.

(had to remove your quote links to reply ?!?)

 

[westmich]

Very cool!