Grapple 4720, new grapple and weight box.

qstott · Jan 28, 2012

I'm posting a few pics of my fairly new WR Long grapple and home made weight box. I quickly discovered that 8 to 10 foot 24" logs made the rear wheels very light. I love my grapple! It's 66" wide and weighs about 470 lbs. I really like having two "claws". It is an advantage when something is large on one end and small on the other. The main advantage is picking up small saplings or brush. One of the pics is of the crotch of a walnut tree. It was much easier to open the jaws, curl the grapple down and pick it up from the top, the tilt the grapple up. Two jaws kept it from twisting and sliding off the grapple. The diverter valve was placed behind the loader arm. Nice and out of the way. (kinda close fit though). The joy stick switch is in a perfect spot to use with the thumb. The home made ballast box was simple to make. I'm a bolt together guy, since I have no welder. TSC's carry all was $104.00 and someone in my family was nice enough to give me a gift certificate there for Christmas. I bolted 2X6s across the bottom, and used 2X4s to space the front wall back to have room for attaching the 3ph. I used decking boards for the sides. The advice on here to use pvc pipe was a great idea, and I put two in for tool handles. I have about 950 lbs of concrete in the box. I made it deep enough to have room to set my chain saw and gas can on top of the concrete, as well as room for chains, etc. It appears I may need to reinforce the sides of the carry all where the pins attach. I have used the box for about 3 hrs and the pins are bending upwards very slighty. I plan to lay a rubber mat on top of the concrete to keep from skinning up my saw when carrying it. I've cleared quite a bit of brush from around the edge of the woods, pulling up some saplings and old overgrown shrubs. The points on the grapple taper upwards, but that's not an issue for me. If I'm up rooting saplings, I just tilt the grapple down about 30 degrees and push under the roots and curl up. I'm expecting with my inexperience to blow a hose or worse any day, but I'm trying to be careful as I learn the limits.

Rockgod · Jan 28, 2012

Well done, great set-up! :thumbsup:

Red Horse · Jan 28, 2012

qstott said:
I'm posting a few pics of my fairly new WR Long grapple and home made weight box. I quickly discovered that 8 to 10 foot 24" logs made the rear wheels very light. I love my grapple! It's 66" wide and weighs about 470 lbs. I really like having two "claws". It is an advantage when something is large on one end and small on the other. The main advantage is picking up small saplings or brush. One of the pics is of the crotch of a walnut tree. It was much easier to open the jaws, curl the grapple down and pick it up from the top, the tilt the grapple up. Two jaws kept it from twisting and sliding off the grapple. The diverter valve was placed behind the loader arm. Nice and out of the way. (kinda close fit though). The joy stick switch is in a perfect spot to use with the thumb. The home made ballast box was simple to make. I'm a bolt together guy, since I have no welder. TSC's carry all was $104.00 and someone in my family was nice enough to give me a gift certificate there for Christmas. I bolted 2X6s across the bottom, and used 2X4s to space the front wall back to have room for attaching the 3ph. I used decking boards for the sides. The advice on here to use pvc pipe was a great idea, and I put two in for tool handles. I have about 950 lbs of concrete in the box. I made it deep enough to have room to set my chain saw and gas can on top of the concrete, as well as room for chains, etc. It appears I may need to reinforce the sides of the carry all where the pins attach. I have used the box for about 3 hrs and the pins are bending upwards very slighty. I plan to lay a rubber mat on top of the concrete to keep from skinning up my saw when carrying it. I've cleared quite a bit of brush from around the edge of the woods, pulling up some saplings and old overgrown shrubs. The points on the grapple taper upwards, but that's not an issue for me. If I'm up rooting saplings, I just tilt the grapple down about 30 degrees and push under the roots and curl up. I'm expecting with my inexperience to blow a hose or worse any day, but I'm trying to be careful as I learn the limits.

Nice- what is The Top link you are using. I'm not surprised those pins are showing signs of bending. If uyou figure you have 950 pds of weight, every bump ypui hit is going to hammer that verticle angle iron that the pins are attached to. I think I would worry about the bolt holes elongating or cracking out. Keepan eye on them. I wonder if a solid full length rod would be better than the pins? I would imagine the pins will want to rotate under load whereas if it was a one piece rod from one side to the other, you would not have that problem-just a thought.

qstott · Jan 29, 2012

The top link is from Agrisupply. I'm think it had CCM sticker on it when I bought it a few years ago. I've had no problems at all with it. Thanks for the suggestion about a one piece rod. During one of my day dreaming moments, that had crossed my mind. Of, course 1 minute later, it was gone for good, until you reminded me. I was thinking I'd add another piece of angle iron on the other side of the uprights. I might just do both.

catdozer · Jan 29, 2012

i really like that weight box! :thumbsup: :licking: about how much did you have in lumber and concrete? i may just build one today, i have the steel of just building my own carry all, and depends on concrete i may just fill with rocks then fill with sand and screw boards across on the inside like a floor :drool:

Bob77064 · Jan 29, 2012

Great job on the weight box, that grapple is fine too.

qstott · Jan 29, 2012

I think it was about $50.00 for concrete, and $40 or $50 for lumber and bolts. I used 1/2" carriage head bolts. I know it is a marketing ploy, but hardware seems cheaper when you buy it by the pound at TSC. I also used quick set quickcrete from Lowes. As the water seeped out between the cracks between boards I kept it rinsed off with the garden hose. I also threw in some brick scraps in the concrete. Add a bag of concrete and some water, then stir. Add another bag and stir, etc. Be sure to stir the concrete before adding scrap. The scrap makes it hard to stir. Rocks and sand is a good idea, then you could add and subtract weight as needed if the sides hold together. I used sheet rock screws to attach the sides to the 2X4s. I thought there was a chance the sides would come apart if I just loaded it with loose material. I thought once the concrete set up I wouldn't have that problem.

The carry all forks were 32" long. I would have prefered the length be less than that, but if the forks were going to stick out beyond the box I decided to make it the length of the forks.

catdozer · Jan 29, 2012

hmmmm,

i think im going to get channel iron and make and X shape on each side to reinforce it. but first im going to go get the steal to make my carry all and go from their, so all im looking at is just lumber i need. its going to be easy just back up with the imatch and go!

:laughing: