What direction for tips on a homemade grapple

woodlandfarms · Dec 20, 2009

I am going to build a grapple rake this spring. I am designing the bottom part of the grapple on paper. The end tips of the rake. Some designs I see cut toward the ground, some away from the ground.

I guess if that you are tipping the grapple to rake, you would want it tips away from the ground, so when you tilt over you get a flat edge raking. Cutting the tips toward the ground would allow you to scrape up better, getting under logs and brush.

So... How far off am I on my theory and what would your experiences suggest?

Just Bill · Dec 20, 2009

Hello
I am also looking at building a grapple and I have seen them both ways but I plan to angle them from the top down for the reasons you stated.
I looks to me that it would be easier to use also.

kennyd · Dec 20, 2009

I find the angled tips on my Markham Grapple very convenient. They are good for getting under things and prying them up if you need to. It's also helpful to get under logs and such.

Cami · Dec 21, 2009

Another thing to consider: I don't know how hard you intend to work it, and this might not be a biggie if you're doing bits of work for youself, but if you hire your machine out, the wear and tear can become alarming.

I used to work with log loaders that were grapples on Caterpillar 980's and we'd put AR-400F plate along the bottoms; good stuff. The tips used bucket teeth that we'd resurface with 400F as well; the bottoms of those teeth wore about 1/2" each week.

woodlandfarms · Dec 21, 2009

Holy cats. No... No... I won't be using the grapple enough to wear it out. And my tractor, while a large 65HP machine, has an extremely anemic lift for the HP. Keeps the natives from flipping it on 45 degree slopes.