Do I really need a grapple?

[Yard Sarge]

I figured I couldn't live without one either but didn't want to part with my money. I just finished fabing mine. I'm not that talented. If you could fab debris forks you could fab a grapple.

 

[Rmart30]

I figured I couldn't live without one either but didn't want to part with my money. I just finished fabing mine. I'm not that talented. If you could fab debris forks you could fab a grapple.

How much you got tied up in cylinders, material, and time?


For the OP. I dont care which brand you choose but a grapple is one of the best things you can get for a tractor. None of us are getting any younger and anything to make things easier and save time is a plus. Once you got one you would find more uses for it.

 

[tractorcrazy]

I'll give a little warning to anyone who gets a grapple .you better fabricate a good solid grill guard or some sort .because it's a matter of time before something goes in contact with your grill or worse yet thru your radiator believe me it will happen sooner or later if your moving a lot of brush with your grapple. I haven't busted the radiator yet but my grill is taking a beating.

 

[nybirdman]

I'll give a little warning to anyone who gets a grapple .you better fabricate a good solid grill guard or some sort .because it's a matter of time before something goes in contact with your grill or worse yet thru your radiator believe me it will happen sooner or later if your moving a lot of brush with your grapple. I haven't busted the radiator yet but my grill is taking a beating.

Sound advise;speared my grill and battery before installing a grill guard.Lucky to miss the radiator.

 

[oosik]

I purchased my grapple five years ago. I pick/move large rocks, chunks of pine logs & limbs. The grapple helps by holding the "whatever" tight within its jaws while in transport. No matter what you end up with - modify your grill guard to protect the grill, radiator & battery from limbs, stobs and associated crap.

View attachment 639949View attachment 639951

 

[Hozzie]

I'll give a little warning to anyone who gets a grapple .you better fabricate a good solid grill guard or some sort .because it's a matter of time before something goes in contact with your grill or worse yet thru your radiator believe me it will happen sooner or later if your moving a lot of brush with your grapple. I haven't busted the radiator yet but my grill is taking a beating.

I agree as well. I welded on expanded metal (2 pieces so it still tilts forward) on my guard. Still have had one branch punch a small hole in the side of my hood, but it should keep anything from going through the radiator. This was before it was painted to match, but you get the idea.

 

[chas0218]

Personally, I ain't got a grapple, I can't justify the cost (plus the cost of a 3rd function kit for it) to move brush and tree limbs to the burn pile. I use forks for that. For stuff that falls off, I throw a bungie or 2 over the pile, strap it to the forks. Currently, I got bolt-on forks, I don't like em much. I want ssqa forks or another option I stumbled on just now: Titan Debris Forks review - YouTube

Exactly what I was thinking. Another option for my cad drawing would be to bolt through the bucket holes. If I did that I would add a couple reinforced pieces to keep from bending it with the weight. In reality for what I am lifting and moving I could probably get away with a couple less bale spears.

 

[shooterdon]

Personally, I ain't got a grapple, I can't justify the cost (plus the cost of a 3rd function kit for it) to move brush and tree limbs to the burn pile. I use forks for that. For stuff that falls off, I throw a bungie or 2 over the pile, strap it to the forks. Currently, I got bolt-on forks, I don't like em much. I want ssqa forks or another option I stumbled on just now: Titan Debris Forks review - YouTube

That video was painful to watch. I can see the value of something cheap that is better than nothing...kind of like bolt on pallet forks.

It depends on needs and amount of use. A grapple will be 3-4 times faster and lift 3-4 times what those things will do. It will also safely lift logs. But a grapple will cost $1000 and add $350 for a diverter valve or $900 for a third function...vs $400 for this. Add in the PITA factor of clamping them on and off if using the bucket for other tasks is important. $1350 vs $400 over 10 years....$100/year. For an occasional user, say 5 times a year it works out to $20 per use for 10 times the speed and added safety.

I use my MTL grapple a lot, at least 20 times a year. I have $1900 in the system. Over ten years it will cost me less than $10 per use...well worth it. And I can likely sell it and get most of my money back.

 

[chas0218]

I have a grapple for sale locally for $1500, I really wish it was less as I can get almost the exact same grapple through MTL for $500 less shipped to my door. I will have to sit down and see if I can justify the cost (in other words convince the wife). I will say this past weekend pushing brush the grapple would have let me get the job done a little faster.

 

[GeneV]

That video was painful to watch. I can see the value of something cheap that is better than nothing...kind of like bolt on pallet forks.

It depends on needs and amount of use. A grapple will be 3-4 times faster and lift 3-4 times what those things will do. It will also safely lift logs. But a grapple will cost $1000 and add $350 for a diverter valve or $900 for a third function...vs $400 for this. Add in the PITA factor of clamping them on and off if using the bucket for other tasks is important. $1350 vs $400 over 10 years....$100/year. For an occasional user, say 5 times a year it works out to $20 per use for 10 times the speed and added safety.

I use my MTL grapple a lot, at least 20 times a year. I have $1900 in the system. Over ten years it will cost me less than $10 per use...well worth it. And I can likely sell it and get most of my money back.

Well that thing is actual 200 bux, not 4, so...

But I agree, it does look like a bit of a pita, but not because it bolts on. Standard bolt-on forks are definitely a pain coz you gotta mess with them individually, lining them up with the cross brace (well, I use a cross brace, at least), and then they sometimes still slip sideways. At least with this thing it's one solid peace, slip it on, tighten it, you're good to go.

The thing I don't like about this uniforks thing is the forks are a bit too short compared to my 48" clamp-ons. So with the bucket there blocking your view of them, it's even more of a guessing game what's happening down there, not to mention that they simply pick up less stuff.

I'd like to find a good deal on a true ssqa fork setup with 4 forks on it, something like that would be my ideal setup.

 

[GeneV]

Exactly what I was thinking. Another option for my cad drawing would be to bolt through the bucket holes. If I did that I would add a couple reinforced pieces to keep from bending it with the weight. In reality for what I am lifting and moving I could probably get away with a couple less bale spears.

I found this googly oogling:

 

[GeneV]

Woops, pardon the huge image, dunno what happened there. Btw, I think that's a TBN member.

 

[k0ua]

Holy cow. That Titan debris fork clamp on things were the biggest selling point for buying a grapple I could imagine. Sheesh, talk about a waste of time and money. Get a grapple and don't look back.

As far as the "thousands" of dollars for a grapple. I have $150 in getting my existing rear remote brought up to the front, Complete with disconnect at the middle so the loader can be easily removed. and I paid $1300 for an Everything attachments 50 inch single lid. Sure they have went up since then, but still should be able to get it all going for under 2 grand. A grapple is so much more than those "debris forks" it isn't even worth comparing. I can't believe someone would have posted that on you-tube.

 

[/pine]

I've stated this in other threads and it still holds true...98% of all the grapple application pics posted to TBN can be accomplished with a thumb grapple on a loader bucket with a tooth bar...at much less expense than a full grapple attachment...!

 

[metalbender]

Yup you need a grapple. Another diy guy here. Built mine out of farm scrap. Digs rocks great too. From my phone lol

 

[metalbender]

Obiously techno challenged though

 

[GeneV]

Holy cow. That Titan debris fork clamp on things were the biggest selling point for buying a grapple I could imagine. Sheesh, talk about a waste of time and money. Get a grapple and don't look back.

As far as the "thousands" of dollars for a grapple. I have $150 in getting my existing rear remote brought up to the front, Complete with disconnect at the middle so the loader can be easily removed. and I paid $1300 for an Everything attachments 50 inch single lid. Sure they have went up since then, but still should be able to get it all going for under 2 grand. A grapple is so much more than those "debris forks" it isn't even worth comparing. I can't believe someone would have posted that on you-tube.

My apologies, I didn't mean to raise your blood pressure. Not everybody has rear remotes to bring up front, or the need for them, just to move some brush around. I could make do with that titan fork thingie if I had it lying around.

 

[ericm979]

You can build your own 3rd function for $350 or so. $500 if you buy a nice joystick handle with switches.

My wife was a little dubious about the grapple until she saw me pull a huge wad of poison oak out of a tree with it. Debris forks aren't going to do that.

 

[fried1765]

You can build your own 3rd function for $350 or so. $500 if you buy a nice joystick handle with switches.

My wife was a little dubious about the grapple until she saw me pull a huge wad of poison oak out of a tree with it. Debris forks aren't going to do that.

I hope to accomplish a similar task in May.
Dragging massive bittersweet vines out of holly trees.

I Will be getting a 60" wide single lid root grapple, from Mid State Attachments (Denton, NC. manufacturer) that opens to 53".
53" is the largest opening I have been able to find, and is what I think will work best for me.

 

[GeneV]

You can build your own 3rd function for $350 or so. $500 if you buy a nice joystick handle with switches.

My wife was a little dubious about the grapple until she saw me pull a huge wad of poison oak out of a tree with it. Debris forks aren't going to do that.

I pull stuff off/out with a ratchet rake, it works pretty good for that.