Grapple why I bought a grapple

[rvaitor]

There was lots of junk/garbage left on our property and a big question for me was how to get rid of it. Nearly impossible to handle by hand I decided a grapple was the way to go.

I have a 4n1 on my Liebherr but don't find it as easy to move material.

Here are some pics.

 

[pitt_md]

Grapples are one of the best implements I own. Mine has done so much work for me in the short time I have had it that I would consider it money well spent if I lost it tomorrow.

What brand/size did you get?

 

[rvaitor]

Grapples are one of the best implements I own. Mine has done so much work for me in the short time I have had it that I would consider it money well spent if I lost it tomorrow.

What brand/size did you get?

Mine is a Versatech, which I don't know how to reach the company that builds them but I see them a equipment auctions here in TN. Mine is 66 inch and is probably as heavy as it needs to be, I'm glad I didn't go heavier. I don't think is should be used as a rake in that is leverage is not right, I'd rather have a rake on the back.

 

[firemen122]

After a while you will wonder how you did projects without it......

 

[dangerdoc]

There was lots of junk/garbage left on our property and a big question for me was how to get rid of it. Nearly impossible to handle by hand I decided a grapple was the way to go.

I have a 4n1 on my Liebherr but don't find it as easy to move material.

Here are some pics.

I cleared 60 acres of trash and debri by hand, didn't know about grapples back then. It took hundreds of hours of manual labor. I actually lost my belly for awhile.

Now I have a grapple, I'm fat, dumb and happy.

 

[Redbug]

Looking through those pictures...I believe I would save a few things for future projects...pipe etc. Is that mostly old hose in that pile? If it's wire...you might get a few dollars scrap value.

I also have a grapple and it is very versatile. One of the best tools for reclaiming land.

 

[rvaitor]

Looking through those pictures...I believe I would save a few things for future projects...pipe etc. Is that mostly old hose in that pile? If it's wire...you might get a few dollars scrap value.

I also have a grapple and it is very versatile. One of the best tools for reclaiming land.

There might have been some wire in some of the hose, but not much. I did find few hydraulic lines( about 4 ft lengths) I may recycle otherwise all is in the dump now - thank goodness. I like to scavenge stuff but at some point it just has to go. I've been looking at those hoses for several years - good riddance.

I've got about two more loads of trash, some tires, and maybe some metal.

Like this - -

 

[kebo]

rvaitor, did the land you buy used to be a scrapyard, or maybe a landfill?? Seriously, I want to be standing there watching when you pick up that old bus with the grapple lol.

 

[rvaitor]

rvaitor, did the land you buy used to be a scrapyard, or maybe a landfill?? Seriously, I want to be standing there watching when you pick up that old bus with the grapple lol.

No, the land was a family farm and certain members of the family didn't have much respect for it. It's one thing to have junk you used at one time - the bus for instance was storage, but the hoses, car parts, general crap - that was a moron's responsibility or lack of it. I thought about taking the hoses and dumping it on his property, but it's better just to move on.

I've considered a couple of options on the bus. Cutting it into more manageable pieces, crushing it with this(see picture), calling a scrap guy to bring his drop deck tow truck and winching it in, or winching it into my own dump and taking it to the scrap yard - anyway it's not useful to me at this point and I'm ready to let it go.

I've got a few more loads of trash and I'll sell the dump truck - 95 F700.

 

[Sackett2]

Looking through those pictures...I believe I would save a few things for future projects...pipe etc. Is that mostly old hose in that pile? If it's wire...you might get a few dollars scrap value.

I also have a grapple and it is very versatile. One of the best tools for reclaiming land.

I see something very disturbing. You are picking through junk via a picture. I think you may need counseling...

 

[two_bit_score]

I see something very disturbing. You are picking through junk via a picture. I think you may need counseling...

That's a great one! LOL

 

[Redbug]

Pretty funny stuff, Sackett! Now, I plan to Google Earth your place and sell the stuff on Ebay...What's your address?

 

[dangerdoc]

No, the land was a family farm and certain members of the family didn't have much respect for it. It's one thing to have junk you used at one time - the bus for instance was storage, but the hoses, car parts, general crap - that was a moron's responsibility or lack of it. I thought about taking the hoses and dumping it on his property, but it's better just to move on.

I've considered a couple of options on the bus. Cutting it into more manageable pieces, crushing it with this(see picture), calling a scrap guy to bring his drop deck tow truck and winching it in, or winching it into my own dump and taking it to the scrap yard - anyway it's not useful to me at this point and I'm ready to let it go.

I've got a few more loads of trash and I'll sell the dump truck - 95 F700.

When I bought my property, I was amazed, they must have spent 30 years piling garbage. There were 12 sinks scattered along the drive and yard. When I would pick up junk, I would find more junk that had settled into the ground.

I gave up on trying to figure out what would be useful and what needed to go. I built an extension on the bucket of my old backhoe to increase bucket size to about 3 yards. What would burn, I would burn close to where I found it. I would rake the ashes and throw the residuals away. I called three scrappers and they spent weeks hauling. When they were done, I rented the largest roll off and hand loaded the backhoe bucket and dumped everything in the rolloff. I filled a semi sized roll off 3 or 4 times. I burried at least a couple hundred tires.

After a couple of years of pretty steady work, I finally finished. When I was done, the county bumped up both my taxes and neighbors taxes because I improved the property value by getting rid of the eyesore.

I can't tell you how many times since then I have found a loose piece of barb wire or piece of metal when bush hogging, I still silently curse the man that previously owned the property from time to time. But over all it has been worth it, I now have a beautiful piece of property that I coulndn't have afforded if they guy had not have trashed it so bad.

 

[JB4310]

I was junk picking to was thinking somebody was into hose but then saw the water pump and wonder if it wasn't an attempt at a manual irrigation system?

I'm a hopeless junk picker, was at an equipment rental yard this week and the mechanic was trying to explain to me how the boom lift worked, all I could think of was their metal dumpster piled high with all the most interesting useful looking stuff!

I'd like to get some kind of bolt on grapple as opposed to a full on unit, for my needs a bolt on grapple on my large light materials bucket would be nice.

JB.

 

[EddieWalker]

That grapple sure does a great job of picking up debris. I've had mine for less then a year now, and wish I had known about them years ago. It truly is the most useful, time saving device out there!!!

My land had several dump piles on it. Most were concrete piles, but some were just old building materials and household stuff that people came into here and dumped. They had several areas that they could get to, so it was fairly easy to get to. I burned what I could, and used allot of it for land fill in erosion areas. It was slow and tedious with just the loader bucket. With a grapple, it would have been so much easier and faster. Oh well, at least I have the grapple now.

Eddie

 

[radioman]

Wow! , I never seen so many hoses in one place! The grapple sure looks handy!

 

[Sackett2]

Pretty funny stuff, Sackett! Now, I plan to Google Earth your place and sell the stuff on Ebay...What's your address?

1600 Pennsylvania ave

 

[rvaitor]

That grapple sure does a great job of picking up debris. I've had mine for less then a year now, and wish I had known about them years ago. It truly is the most useful, time saving device out there!!!

Eddie

Agreed, great attachment. I am glad I went with a lighter weight unit. It does seem like when you get used to using something you think of other uses and ways to use it. I'd love to have skid steer with high flow hydraulics and one of these just because of the maneuverability. The high flow would come in handy if and when I get a hydraulic post hole digger. My sheds and barns are really too tight to move a tractor in and out of to move stuff. Maybe, I'll trade my track loader at some point for one - if I ever get to the maintaining phase of things.

 

[Redbug]

Sackett...I looked and saw someone moving piles of money around that lawn with a green tractor. It looks like you don't need to be selling...you need to be spending...