tacticalturnip
Elite Member
Damn near whatever brand you buy you'll be happy with it; grapples are a real treat, a back saver for sure!
The sagebrush is on neighboring range land. Most of the tumbleweeds blow in from the neighboring properties north and south. To the south is a federal game management unit.Omg. I thought those dang tumbleweeds were only in West Tx. What a pain.
Buy the best grapple/tool you can afford. You'll never regret buying quality.
Is your fence line a property boundary? If not, take the new root grapple and clear that nasty
scrub brush away from the fence.
I had a grapple much like the one in your link.I have been thinking of a grapple, but I don't need it to be heavy duty. I am plagued with a whole bunch of tumbleweed. Some of my own and some that blows in from north and south during strong winds. I have been working by hand gathering them off the fences and some out of the fields, but I have probably put in 30 hours so far. Since I know nothing of grapples, I was wondering what the consensus of opinions would be of a 72" Chinesium grapple for this work. I have found one online that will be $2400 to the door. My next option will be Homestead but that would be about $1000 more delivered. I would go with the better one if I was planning on major land clearing, but this will be a twice a year use implement and light duty work.
72" Brush Root Rake Clam Grapple Attachment Fits Skid Steer Tractor Quick Attach | eBay
This particular model is built to be heavy duty but at a lighter weight to run on skid steers and farm tractors with less than 50 HP. This grapple opens up 40" wide and has very long tines for digging and ripping roots up out of the soil.www.ebay.com
PS, I have come to really hate the old western Tumblin' Tumbleweeds song. Who in their right minds would try to romanticize those weeds from hell.
I've found the same thing, although on a smaller scale. I bought a 54 inch but could have gotten a 48. That extra 6 inches really doesn't add much.I bought a 66in model to save weight. After using it a while I think a 60in would have worked just as well
That's not what she said!That extra 6 inches really doesn't add much.
Dreaming again I take it....That's not what she said!
Your comments on weight have me now thinking along the lines of the Homestead Implements version. Their's weighs in at under 400 pounds, whereas the ebay weight is 600 pounds, although that probably includes the Chinese angle iron crateI had a grapple much like the one in your link.
Where the lid pivots was the week point. In a very short time the holes egged out and everything got sloppy. My first inclination was to do a redesign and weld in one inch ID bushings.
After figuring cost of materials and time involved I figured I'd be better off getting a heavy duty model. My original grapple cost about $1200 at the time and the HD model was $1800. (Now around 3k)
The new grapple has worked out great for me w/no issues.
The only downside is you need a tractor big /strong enough to lift it. I wouldn't want anything heavier on my L47 TLB.
IMO there is little need for a wide unit. I bought a 66in model to save weight. After using it a while I think aView attachment 858781View attachment 858782 60in would have worked just as well
My light duty model did work, it just started to self destruct after a while. If you don't work it hard it could last for several years. Or you could redesign the pivot.
BTW pay no attention to the dates on my photos. I sometimes forget to set the correct date when I replace batteries. I see that the manufacturer now lists on ebay. Security Measure