Brand new L3901. Nothing but joy...almost.

[VoyagernOK]

I have the Titan Extreme Root Grapple and love it. If you are needing to move brush, logs, rocks, etc. this thing is awesome.

Extreme Root Grapple Rake Attachments

Ideal for picking up hard-to-lift materials, this grapple features a Universal Skid Steer Hookup, allowing it to attach to several different makes of haulers. Free shipping.

www.palletforks.com

 

[Midniteoyl]

Except for the weight on a CUT sized tractor...

 

[ljjhouser]

Welcome to TBN. And congratulations on the new L3901. it is a fine machine. I have an L4704 that I use with a box blade to maintain my road. I'm curious - did you snap the box blade shank or tip. I replaced one of my tips - i think for about $17. I had to laugh - When I first got my tractor, I was using a trailer to haul gravel and shovel it. We are in the Ozark Mountains - and it is very hilly. A 3" rain made me work about 2 weeks to fix the wash. The first time I repaired the road with the tractor, I finish, sat on the tractor for a few minutes and looked at how NICE it looked, then glanced at the hour meter. Took ONE HOUR to replace 2 weeks work. I love these tractors. Seems every time you look up, there is another job for the tractor. Welcome to TBN, Larry

 

[Tony H]

My only opinion is a grapple where There are two pistons operating two separate jaws. Anything you pic up will be oddly shaped and a single upper grapple will grab one high side of material and cant squeeze down on the other side.

 

[4570Man]

I have the Titan Extreme Root Grapple and love it. If you are needing to move brush, logs, rocks, etc. this thing is awesome.

Extreme Root Grapple Rake Attachments

Ideal for picking up hard-to-lift materials, this grapple features a Universal Skid Steer Hookup, allowing it to attach to several different makes of haulers. Free shipping.

www.palletforks.com

View attachment 699759

Way too heavy for the OP’s tractor.

 

[Softrider]

Brand new member here in Upstate NY with a brand new L3901! I expected it be fun, but never expected as much fun as I have been having. I have put 15 hours on it, mostly cutting a field and working on the gravel road. Unfortunately, I hit a big rock with the rotary cutter and put several thumb size dings in the blades. I also snapped one of the shanks on my box blade when I hit a huge underground rock on the road. But other than those two bonehead moves, all else has been total joy! I am already seeing a grapple as my next purchase. I have the 3rd function installed. Research has narrowed down the choices to a EA Wicked 55 or a Homestead Pinnacle. Anybody have first hand experience with either grapple that they wish to share?
Best, Dave

View attachment 699565

 

[Softrider]

I have a Homestead Pinnacle and am extremely happy with the precision of the design, function and build quality. The people at Homestead were a pleasure to deal with.

 

[m2salmon]

I’ve got a EA-55 on a Kubota L3430. It is awesome and I’ve yet to find something I don’t like about it. It took 3 months from order to delivery. Be patient.

 

[civilian]

About Homestead:

But is he abusing that grapple by the way he is pusshing and pulling on the trees and stumps? Just seems to me, that he was using the grapple in a way they are not designed for. Any other thoughts? Jon

 

[Midniteoyl]

But is he abusing that grapple by the way he is pusshing and pulling on the trees and stumps? Just seems to me, that he was using the grapple in a way they are not designed for. Any other thoughts? Jon

I think so too and pretty much said as much in the comments. The reply was that *after* his complaint a disclaimer went up on the website saying that doing this will void the warranty. Supposedly it wasn't a disqualification until then.

That said, I have also seen other grapples, with the same disclaimer, handle abuse in that manner with larger tractors and work just fine.

 

[k0ua]

It is the difference between 90,000 psi steel (wicked grapples) and just old A36 36,000 psi steel. Wicked grapples cost more, and have wait times, but are very difficult to tear up and they weigh less, and that is a good thing.

 

[WilliamBos]

The L3901 is a sweet tractor. Would love a 2wd L3901 gear.

 

[4570Man]

The L3901 is a sweet tractor. Would love a 2wd L3901 gear.

Why would you want a 2wd geared compact tractor? That’s about as bad as wanting a car without power steering or AC.

 

[k0ua]

The L3901 is a sweet tractor. Would love a 2wd L3901 gear.

What good is a 2WD compact tractor? If I had one on my hilly territory it would be down in a "hollar", and there it would stay. Might be OK in Kansas

 

[4570Man]

What good is a 2WD compact tractor? If I had one on my hilly territory it would be down in a "hollar", and there it would stay. Might be OK in Kansas

You better skip the loader while you’re at it because it’s going to be worthless even in Kansas. And a tractor that small with gears is nothing but a mentality. There’s not 1 job it can do better.

 

[Leejohn]

You may be as happy with SSQA Pallet Forks as you would be with a grapple with a total installation cost of 2-1/2 times what SSQA Pallet Forks cost.

VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+pallet+forks+vs+grapple

Attachments

• 
  fullsizeoutput_1a7.jpeg

  2.8 MB · Views: 448
• 
  fullsizeoutput_192.jpeg

  4.2 MB · Views: 477
• 
  fullsizeoutput_196.jpeg

  4.6 MB · Views: 477

I'm with you on the forks over a grapple. The grapple just doesn't get a big enough of a load at one time. But there are few times it is handy, just not with logs and brush.

 

[NCL4701]

You do need to get a grapple that’s properly sized for your machine and unfortunately I can’t help you with that as my tractor and loader are a bit larger.


In regard to the “just get forks” advice however, as the owner of both a Tar River double lid grapple and a set of swell forks made by I don’t know who, I can attest if your dealing with logs and brush (particularly brush) a grapple is far superior to forks when used correctly. Moving a pile of brush or a bunch of limbs that were just severed from a felled tree, you push them into a pile, slide the bottom under them a bit, then roll it forward while driving forward so you have a large chunk of brush trapped between the ground, lids, and grapple bottom. Close the lids and (with my 72” Tar River) about 3/4 of a long bed pickup load of brush is in the grapple consistently, sometimes more. With some practice that can be done quite quickly without leaving a mark on the ground. Good luck doing that with forks.

You can also grab the end of a log that’s oriented wrong to get to it with the tractor and skid it out where you can get to it without ever getting off the seat or hooking up a chain/log tongs. Just don’t turn while your doing that unless you want to bend the grapple. Another thing forks won’t do.

A twin lid grapple is preferable, IMO.

If you need to move a pallet or slide under a millstone to move it or slide railroad ties off to set them 4’ up on a retaining wall or a host of other things, forks are awesome. But they’re not a grapple (unless you put a lid on them, which you can).

If you want a valid opinion on whether a grapple is superior to forks for logs and brush, ask anyone who has significant experience with both.

 

[k0ua]

I have significant experience with both, and for moving brush, even my small mouthed single lid grapple will move much more logs/limbs and brush than my forks. Not that I didn't move these things with the forks when that was All I had, but after getting the grapple and using it on these types of things(including big rocks)

I have never wanted to go back to the forks for these tasks by choice. There is just so much you can do with a grapple from the seat that requires so much getting off of the seat with forks. Now for lifting palletized material the grapple sucks next to the forks.

 

[4570Man]

Sometimes I use the forks for stumps but for brush the grapple is way better. Even in an open field the grapple holds more. If you’re in the woods the forks hold none because everything gets pulled off.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Try hauling old tires with forks...

Attachments

• 
  tires2.jpg

  2.3 MB · Views: 930