Grappling fun - A Picture Thread....

IslandTractor · Apr 16, 2016

Xfaxman said:
I think the only way the Brush Crusher would torque the loader frame, would pick up something very heavy only on one side.

There have been many threads asking about it and several owners answered that they like theirs.

If they caused problems, there would be threads about twisted frames, like the ones for fork frames popping off one side and twisting the cross tube. :2cents:

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that Westendorf ?grapple? is really just a lifting device. I don't doubt it does fine lifting logs or piles of brush. It ain't a grapple. You cannot dig with it. You cannot curl the device (curling is what is used to close the jaws). It isn't nearly as strong as a grapple for digging out roots etc. It is essentially a cheap way to lift logs but it simply does not come close to replacing a grapple. Even a 4n1 would be more useful (unless your only task was moving logs).

Xfaxman · Apr 16, 2016

The reason people buy the Westendorf Brush Crusher is it does not require extra hydraulics to be able to pick up brush and logs.

IslandTractor · Apr 16, 2016

Xfaxman said:
The reason people buy the Westendorf Brush Crusher is it does not require extra hydraulics to be able to pick up brush and logs.

Absolutely and it is about the only option available for doing that very specific job. However it should be clear to anyone thinking of it as a grapple replacement that it isn't a replacement any more than a York rake is a replacement for a boxblade. It can do a small part of what a grapple does. If that is the only function needed then it is a good purchase but it cannot be converted to a grapple and is really a one trick pony.

shogan · Apr 16, 2016

Ok I got down off the tractor but it still defeats the purpose you just can't get the whole load in the pic while sitting on tractor.

PhysAssist · Apr 17, 2016

IslandTractor said:
Absolutely and it is about the only option available for doing that very specific job. However it should be clear to anyone thinking of it as a grapple replacement that it isn't a replacement any more than a York rake is a replacement for a boxblade. It can do a small part of what a grapple does. If that is the only function needed then it is a good purchase but it cannot be converted to a grapple and is really a one trick pony.

I was just curious if anyone had heard any feedback on them, I don't have any designs on one, because at $1200+, I doubt that they have utility to be worth the price.

If I had that kind of money to play with, I think I'd be considering a bucket grapple instead.

IslandTractor · Apr 17, 2016

PhysAssist said:
I was just curious if anyone had heard any feedback on them, I don't have any designs on one, because at $1200+, I doubt that they have utility to be worth the price. If I had that kind of money to play with, I think I'd be considering a bucket grapple instead.

Exactly. For $1200 you can put a thumb on your standard bucket and install a set of rear remotes to run it.

IvanS · Apr 17, 2016

IslandTractor said:
Exactly. For $1200 you can put a thumb on your standard bucket and install a set of rear remotes to run it.

I agree, for less than $700 you could buy a set of pallet forks that would do what that crazy Westendorf arrangement does and a lot more. IMO, there is no substitute for a true grapple.

houser52 · Apr 17, 2016

Since getting my Wicked 50" a couple weeks ago, I've put it to work almost everyday moving and piling up brush that I've cut down from the perimeter of some planted pine trees. Using it along with a landscape rake sure makes pushing all those limbs and saplings into a pile so I can grab them easy with the grapple.

Today I cleared out a tangled mess of briars, vines and bushes. I had a gulley that wasn't being used so all that stuff went into it. It'll give rabbits a good place to hide from winged and four legged predators.

lostcreekranch · Apr 17, 2016

houser52 said:
Since getting my Wicked 50" a couple weeks ago, I've put it to work almost everyday moving and piling up brush that I've cut down from the perimeter of some planted pine trees. Using it along with a landscape rake sure makes pushing all those limbs and saplings into a pile so I can grab them easy with the grapple.

Today I cleared out a tangled mess of briars, vines and bushes. I had a gulley that wasn't being used so all that stuff went into it. It'll give rabbits a good place to hide from winged and four legged predators.

QUOTE]

We had some deep gullies that we filled with brush then started covering brush with dirt. Eventually grass started growing as we continued to add layers of dirt on top. Took a year but, eliminated some really big holes.