EA Attachments vs Homestead Implements

[future_vision]

I'm going to throw this out there because I am really curious. What is the differences that would make one better than the other? For example how does the the EA Wicked 60 measure up against the HI Root Grapple Pinnacle series?

EA Wicked 60

Best Rated 60 Inch Wicked Root Rake Grapple from Everything Attachments

60 inch root rake grapple capable of clearing trees and roots with a compact tractor. Order today to get free shipping.

www.everythingattachments.com

Homestead Root Grapple Pinnacle Series

Pinnacle Series Root Grapple - Rugged, American-Made Grapples

Discover the Pinnacle Series Root Grapples, perfect for clearing large limbs, dead trees, and boulders. Available in multiple sizes and colors for Cat-1 tractors. Order now for reliable land maintenance.

homesteadimplements.com

The differences I see are:
Weight - HI is lighter
Price - Homestead is cheaper by about $1000
Durability - Not sure here. Hardox teeth on both. Cylinders looks the same from a spec perspective. Maybe the tubing/piping is the difference?
Utility - Openings are about the same.
Build/lead time - 16 weeks for EA and 7-8 for Homestead (this is kind of a big deal)
Shipping - HI ships to home for free (also kind of a big deal)

Is EA, at $1000 more plus double the lead/build time, plus no free home delivery a better purchase in any way?

 

[Cataclysm]

Just checking the listed spec online, the HI is 5/16 material where the EA is 3/8. That probably accounts for the weight difference. The EA is likely stronger.

EA has all the correct points reinforced. HI may or may not.

For full disclosure I have an EA 72" long bottom that I call my Wicked Twin. I'd buy another EA. I probably have close to 1,000 hrs of rocks, concrete and trees on my Wicked Twin with no issues.

For your uses the HI may well be strong enough.

 

[shooterdon]

I have the MTL 60" grapple and have not broken it yet. IIRC I paid $1000 for it three years ago. But all I do is process firewood, move brush and a few large rocks. It weighs 530 lbs.

MTL RG-7 HD Root Grapples 60" or 72" Models Black or Orange Universal quick attach Mount - Skid Steer — MTL Attachments

Brand New Built in the USA Skid Steer Universal Quick Attach RG-7 Root Grapple ***LIMITED 150 PRODUCTION per Month OF RG7 MODELS*** Highest quality Construction - BUILT IN THE USA Only 150 of the RG7 Grapples will be made each Month to be sold- This includes all sizes and Models of the RG7

www.mtlattachments.com

If I was going to do a lot of heavy work, I would buy a better grapple but I only have 20 acres so it will not get a lot of use. It was over twice the cost to get a better grapple and so far I have not regretted going cheap.

In hindsight, I wish I had gone with a stump bucket with a grapple. Picking logs off a pile with a 60" grapple can get tricky. Something like this:

MTL 2020 Model HD Tractor Stump Grapple — MTL Attachments

Brand new Built in the USA MTL ATTACHMENTS Heavy Duty Tooth Stump bucket Grapple John Deere Loader Mount Bucket design gives extra strength for those hard jobs Replaceable Pin on Teeth for digging those hard to get stumps. Compact Tractor through mid size up to 60HP 50" width back plate

www.mtlattachments.com

 

[future_vision]

Just checking the listed spec online, the HI is 5/16 material where the EA is 3/8. That probably accounts for the weight difference. The EA is likely stronger.

EA has all the correct points reinforced. HI may or may not.

For full disclosure I have an EA 72" long bottom that I call my Wicked Twin. I'd buy another EA. I probably have close to 1,000 hrs of rocks, concrete and trees on my Wicked Twin with no issues.

For your uses the HI may well be strong enough.

I don't really doubt in my mind that the EA is stronger. I guess the need to have a grapple now, or at least soon, makes me wonder if the extra 2+ month wait and the extra $1000 and I have to pick it up at a business or terminal is worth what might be a minimally better product. I'll be using the grapple for brush, moving logs around for milling and stones and will be doing this for the foreseeable future on my property. Not sure how much I'll use it as a root rake. At least not in open fields. I can see using the tines on a box blade more for that. That being said I'm doing ok with my poor man's grapple(forks) but really wanting/needing the precision and ability to move larger loads.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I don't really doubt in my mind that the EA is stronger. I guess the need to have a grapple now, or at least soon, makes me wonder if the extra 2+ month wait and the extra $1000 and I have to pick it up at a business or terminal is worth what might be a minimally better product. I'll be using the grapple for brush, moving logs around for milling and stones and will be doing this for the foreseeable future on my property. Not sure how much I'll use it as a root rake. At least not in open fields. I can see using the tines on a box blade more for that. That being said I'm doing ok with my poor man's grapple(forks) but really wanting/needing the precision and ability to move larger loads.

Have you looked into the grapple offered by Kioti? I don't know who the OEM is, but I'm quite liking mine.

 

[JM7500]

Lighter weight can be an advantage for lifting. A 100 lbs can make a difference when lifting logs.

 

[future_vision]

Have you looked into the grapple offered by Kioti? I don't know who the OEM is, but I'm quite liking mine.

I have not considering Kioti attachments as they are often more expensive and not always great quality. That and my Kioti dealer was selling HLA grapples. Does that mean they don't think Kioti grapples are any good or was it just a supply chain issue? Question for me to ask.

 

[future_vision]

I have the MTL 60" grapple and have not broken it yet. IIRC I paid $1000 for it three years ago. But all I do is process firewood, move brush and a few large rocks. It weighs 530 lbs.

MTL RG-7 HD Root Grapples 60" or 72" Models Black or Orange Universal quick attach Mount - Skid Steer — MTL Attachments

Brand New Built in the USA Skid Steer Universal Quick Attach RG-7 Root Grapple ***LIMITED 150 PRODUCTION per Month OF RG7 MODELS*** Highest quality Construction - BUILT IN THE USA Only 150 of the RG7 Grapples will be made each Month to be sold- This includes all sizes and Models of the RG7

www.mtlattachments.com

If I was going to do a lot of heavy work, I would buy a better grapple but I only have 20 acres so it will not get a lot of use. It was over twice the cost to get a better grapple and so far I have not regretted going cheap.

In hindsight, I wish I had gone with a stump bucket with a grapple. Picking logs off a pile with a 60" grapple can get tricky. Something like this:

MTL 2020 Model HD Tractor Stump Grapple — MTL Attachments

Brand new Built in the USA MTL ATTACHMENTS Heavy Duty Tooth Stump bucket Grapple John Deere Loader Mount Bucket design gives extra strength for those hard jobs Replaceable Pin on Teeth for digging those hard to get stumps. Compact Tractor through mid size up to 60HP 50" width back plate

www.mtlattachments.com

I've looked at them and was pretty impressed. Nothing I wanted was in stock though so I moved on. I'll need to check them out again.

 

[future_vision]

Lighter weight can be an advantage for lifting. A 100 lbs can make a difference when lifting logs.

I suppose you could be right. But is that 100lbs in exchange for a weaker attachment? Then that extra 100lbs you could lift might come at the expense of damaging the grapple. Tough call.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I have not considering Kioti attachments as they are often more expensive and not always great quality. That and my Kioti dealer was selling HLA grapples. Does that mean they don't think Kioti grapples are any good or was it just a supply chain issue? Question for me to ask.

That's definitely something to discuss with your dealer; my Kioti dealer sells 3 different grapples brands if I recall correctly.

 

[oosik]

I haven't owned either brand of grapple. I have a Land Pride. Just from my time here on TBN - EA is a known commodity - a whole lot of testimony as to their quality and performance.

Remember - some times you get exactly what you pay for. Choose wisely Grasshopper.

 

[future_vision]

I haven't owned either brand of grapple. I have a Land Pride. Just from my time here on TBN - EA is a known commodity - a whole lot of testimony as to their quality and performance.

Remember - some times you get exactly what you pay for. Choose wisely Grasshopper.

True. Definitely not questioning the quality. There is a reason there is a 4 month wait for a grapple right now. But EA is also pretty solid from a marketing perspective so there is that adds to the demand. I've heard good things about Homestead too(and other brands) although I don't think I've seen any of them rework their product lines as much as EA. In some ways that gives me pause. If a new model is always coming out what is wrong with the one I bought? It's not like we are talking computer components that are constantly getting made smaller and faster and involve a ton of programming to make them run. Computers/phones have a limited lifespan no matter how well made they are but I would expect an implement to have some type of winning combination of materials and construction and just stay that way for a very long time because it is just that good.

 

[JCoastie]

I have the HI 60 grapple, I went with it over the EA for 3 reasons.

• It is 60" vs 55" so I can see more of it outside my front tires.
• The AR450 steel is slightly thicker.
• Lead time.

I got mine about a year and a half ago, and there were some issues, HI actually had it picked it up, shipped it back, fixed them, and sent it back to me again. Good customer service, though on things that should have not been an issue.

I've had no issues with it whatsoever once I received it back the 2nd time, it is very strong and works well.

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[bazman82]

Just tossing it out there, have you looked at Jenkins Iron and Steel?

https://jenkinsironandsteel.com/products/Brush-Grapple/3/

I have a pretty heavy duty grapple from there and is well made. Might be a bit heavier than the other options but might be worth looking at too. Website says 3 week lead time.

 

[future_vision]

Just tossing it out there, have you looked at Jenkins Iron and Steel?

https://jenkinsironandsteel.com/products/Brush-Grapple/3/

I have a pretty heavy duty grapple from there and is well made. Might be a bit heavier than the other options but might be worth looking at too. Website says 3 week lead time.

Actually, I have. There is a shop up the road from where I bought my tractor that carries them. They seemed pretty heavy duty when I looked at them. And they are indeed heavy. Probably heavier than I want. It also struck me as odd that the cost to purchase them online and have them shipped was the same as picking up at this place. I'd think they would be cheaper locally since they probably saved on a bulk shipment and I have to go pick it up instead of having it delivered.

 

[bazman82]

It also struck me as odd that the cost to purchase them online and have them shipped was the same as picking up at this place. I'd think they would be cheaper locally since they probably saved on a bulk shipment and I have to go pick it up instead of having it delivered.

If I recall right, shipping was "free" or included already in the quoted price they gave me when I got mine a few years ago.

When I'm cleaning manure with mine, I wish I would've gotten something lighter and when I'm working with logs, brush, etc I am glad I got something this durable. I have their 83" Tine grapple.

 

[future_vision]

If I recall right, shipping was "free" or included already in the quoted price they gave me when I got mine a few years ago.

Right. Same price as if I had to pick it up locally which is why I would have it shipped instead of getting it locally. Too much time and hassle to pick it up for the same price. Only benefit would be is if I needed now and couldn't wait.

 

[bazman82]

It might be the shop that has it marked up? If they bought them in bulk they may have some wiggle room to offer a discount...

 

[Torvy]

Homestead is in NY. Jenkins in in MN. EA is in NC.

Given those 3 options, I'll get mine from NC.

Edited thanks to @K5lwq

 

[K5lwq]

Homestead is in NY. Jenkins in in MN. EA is in TN.

Given those 3 options, I'll get mine from TN.

EA is in Conover NC. Does that change your opinion?

I have bought several EA products and have been very pleased with the entire process. Great quality and great customer support.