Anybody bolted a grapple to a bucket

[milkie62]

Been looking at options for a grapple to pick up brush,logs and rocks for landscaping. has anybody use a bucket bolt-on grapple ? I know its not most efficient way but I do not have a quick detach bucket setup yet. I do have the 3rd valve though.

 

[Billy Bee]

Been looking at options for a grapple to pick up brush,logs and rocks for landscaping. has anybody use a bucket bolt-on grapple ? I know its not most efficient way but I do not have a quick detach bucket setup yet. I do have the 3rd valve though.

I went with a thumb from Green's Machine and a bolt on toothbar. I have a pin on bucket, so changing from a grapple to a bucket would be kind of a pain. I run it off from the rear remote because the tractor already had one. In some respects, I like it better than a grapple, as I have used my sons grapple on his LS XR 4155. I am able to pinch smaller diameter logs that flop around in the grapple. It will also pick up a chit ton of brush, and you can "cherry pick" rocks and large firewood rounds as the thumb is not full width of the bucket. You will sacrifice some visibility because of the bucket, but you will get a feel for it after some use. Cheaper than a grapple too. Anyway it works for me, one of my better investments.
Bill

 

[Langanobob]

Another vote for Green’s Machine Thumb. Very useful and I wouldn’t want to be without it Only drawback that I can think of is no Zerk fittings at the pivot points but probably not an issue unless you’re using it all day long every day.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have an ATI. I haven't seen many pictures of thumbs in use but people say they like them. You asked about moving rocks for landscaping. Closest I can come is rebuilding an old rock wall that had been broken down by a log skidder. This was before I added the tooth bar to the grapple.

First I ran the dozer thru to make a tractor wide opening. Then I rebuilt the wall using the grapple to move the rocks.







I used it like that for a long time and it worked very good. Then I added a tooth bar and it was like a different grapple.

Adding a tooth bar really enhances the grapple. When I got the tooth bar I also moved the grapple mount forward to give me a bigger opening so that the grapple surrounds and object more on a grab. I added some tine extensions too to get a tighter bite.











gg

 

[nybirdman]

Green's machine thumb+tooth bar;best addition to mine.

 

[tractorcrazy]

I made a homemade grapple once for a bucket it worked okay only probably you can't see through the bucket to see what your trying to pick up I was always getting to deep and bringing a lot of dirt with what I was trying to pick up.i eventually went with a factory built one way user friendlier

 

[tractorcrazy]

I would send you a pic but this site isn't user friendly for posting pics on your phone most other sites are a piece of cake but this one is a absolute nightmare

 

[MoMower]

I went with Greens for the portability. Plan is for extra bases on the pallet forks and brush forks.

 

[old and tired]

Love mine...

 

[/pine]

I've said it many times...about 99.8 of the work shown in pictures posted to TBN with full grapples...can be done for much less expense with bucket thumb grapples...either commercial or homemade...! it's a fact...!