Which grapple?

[Hammy]

What brand and size of grapple do you have?

I have a Kubota MX5000 (50hp) and was offered a deal on a demo model Anbo grapple, 72" (GR-S). I think it weighs in at about 780 lbs. The lift capacity on my loader is about 2175 lbs.

From everything I've read, they recommend a grapple that is the same size as your bucket. I wouldn't mind going a little smaller to reduce the weight but this is a great price on this grapple and its exactly what I want.

Do you think leaving the loader with only 1395 lbs of lift capacity is enough?

Thanks,
Craig

 

[n8wrl]

I went with a 48" Millonzi and it has not disappointed. MUCH lighter than the larger sizes and plenty strong. Go for smaller!

-Brian

 

[SFish]

Hammy:

I got mine from Wiko.com because you can remove it by pulling one (long) pin and undoing two quick hydraulic disconnects. I find a grapple annoying when I am just doing dirt work. Mine is a narrow one that works fine for me when bucking brush, although I mostly use it to pick up logs. If you need it for professional purposes, or don't care about the extra expense, get a wide one.

Steve

 

[Hammy]

This is the deal. The ANBO grapple is the one I want. However, they have several different models and sizes.

At the Kubota dealer, they are offering me their demo 72" ANBO heavy duty grapple from somewhere in the mid $2000 range (the price needs to be negotiated). However, new they range from $3,200-$3,500 new. The new price depends on if its the medium or heavy duty model.

My problem is, the heavy duty model is twice the weight of the medium duty one in the same size.

370 lbs for the medium duty and 780 lbs for the heavy duty. My concern is using up that much of my loader's lift capacity, but the heavy duty model would be nice. If I get a new one, I would probably order the heavy duty in a 60" wide version.

Any thoughts?

Craig

 

[IslandTractor]

What brand and size of grapple do you have?

I have a Kubota MX5000 (50hp) and was offered a deal on a demo model Anbo grapple, 72" (GR-S). I think it weighs in at about 780 lbs. The lift capacity on my loader is about 2175 lbs.

From everything I've read, they recommend a grapple that is the same size as your bucket. I wouldn't mind going a little smaller to reduce the weight but this is a great price on this grapple and its exactly what I want.

Do you think leaving the loader with only 1395 lbs of lift capacity is enough?

Thanks,
Craig

Whoever is advising you to buy a grapple as big as your bucket must never have used a grapple for brush clearing in my opinion. No, you don't want to be left with 1400lbs of lift weight on a tractor that size. You don't want a grapple that big because it a) cannot hold any more material, b) is unweildy whereas a smaller grapple can be placed more precisely, c) the larger grapples tend to have two arms (complex, costly) d) with two grapple arms you have no grapple arm in the middle of the grapple which is exactly where you need it. If you want to grab a bush or small tree head on to rip it out you don't want to have an asymmetrical load on your loader. With two grapple arms on either side you don't have a choice but to do that. A single grapple arm allows you to snag the bush midline and lift or push without torquing your loader. Finally, e) a bigger grapple is heavier and that means less net load capacity.

I had a 280lb 48" single arm grapple (Millonzi 48LD) on my 21hp tractor and when I upgraded to a 41hp tractor with an FEL that lifts 2700lbs at the pivot pins, I just moved the grapple to the new tractor. Today I used that grapple to lift a concrete barrier that weighed so much my rear end got light despite 600lbs counterweight. I could not have lifted that had the grapple weighed 600-800lbs. I then stuck the grapple under a 9 foot bush clamped and curled it right out of the ground then took it away in one piece.

A 48" "light duty" grapple is more than adequate for just about any CUT FEL out there. It also costs significantly less than these premium grade grapples made of T1 steel. Compare about $800 to about $2500+ for some of these fancier grapples. They might make sense for someone with a larger skid steer who does construction demo all day long but the big expensive grapples are just a waste of money and lift capacity for someone clearing brush/trees with just about any size CUT.

 

[Hammy]

You make some very good points IslandTractor, thanks for the response.

I think I will go with a light/medium duty grapple. The thing I like about the ANBO is that it closes very tight, which gives the ability to pick up and rake small amounts of brush and such.

I wont sugar coat it though, it is expensive but hopefully it will hold up to the challenges ahead.

Craig

 

[RedRocker]

I liked the Anbo style grapple too, but the weight and cost forced me to look elsewhere. I ended up with Island Tractors 48" Millonzi too. I wish I could grasp smaller things, but I've figured out a mod to rectify that. I can guarantee you don't need heavy duty though.

 

[IslandTractor]

The "clamshell" style grapples do close more tightly than the "jaw" type and for some tasks that can be an advantage. The disadvantage of the clamshell is that the upper arm usually covers the entire grapple width which means you cannot surgically use the upper grapple arm to grab or rip something. Small logs are easier to pick up one by one with a clamshell but if you are picking up a bunch of brush or logs at one time it really doesn't matter as the material is crushed against itself and secures the load easily. I don't see why someone with a 2000lb loader capacity would be likely to pick up "sticks" so I don't think the clamshell is a serious advantage.

I've always liked the WRLong clamshell grapple though I've never used one. It is less money I think than the Anbo and considerably lighter. The Anbo is a fine grapple but is really built and designed more for a big skid steer as best I can tell. It is certainly overkill for a CUT.

 

[flINTLOCK]

One useful feature of the Anbo is it does nice job back-raking. I've been very happy with my medium duty unit. (60" I think)

 

[yekrut]

Others may be superior but I have a Millonzi 48" on my L39. The FEL has a load capacity of 2200lbs and its nice to have 1800 to 1900 lbs of lift left after the grapple. Obviously much depends on the application but for $710 (I picked it up - no shipping) you can't beat it.