FEL Attachments - Weight vs Performance

[bcs001]

The thread title is rather generic but my question is more specific to the performance of a grapple rake. I'm in the market for a double cylinder clamshell style grapple rake to do lots of cleanup in the dense woods on my property. There are tons of dead tree limbs, downed trees and small brush I plan to cleaned out over time and also use it to back drag some of the less dense areas to clear vines and small roots for burning.

I have a 35hp 20 series Branson with filled tires and FEL with a claimed capacity of 2700lbs. Many of the HD grapples are in the 700-800 lb weight range and looking for opinions on whether I'd be trading off too much performance for weight. I would like the ~300lb EA Wicked grapple rake but cant really wait the 12 weeks to get one so I have been looking at Titan and DirtDog models. The DirtDog has separate jaws but also the can be connected to operate as a single 2 cylinder jaw.

It seems that my 2700 capacity FEL on a 6500 lb tractor would handle an 800 lb grapple but I have no experience operating one.

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[ericm979]

I have a 60" EA Root dual lid grapple for my Branson 3725 with the older 2200 lb loader. It weighs about 440 lbs. I have hit the capacity limits on my loader with this grapple when picking up larger diameter logs. Another 300 lbs of grapple would mean 300 lbs less log I can pick up, and 300 lbs more that needs to be ballasted out back.

I have the rear tires filled with Rimguard and use a 550 lb box blade on the back as ballast. The rear tires get light with a full load in the grapple but don't come off the ground. More ballast would be good but I have not gotten around to it.

The dual lids can grip uneven material well.

 

[JCoastie]

take a look at the Homestead Implements grapple, I have one on order, should ship late this month. Lead time was just under a month. 60" and 280 pounds (the 330 listed on the website is the shipping weight, pallet and materials included)

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

 

[Philm56]

I have a Branson 2515 with an FEL claimed at 2100lbs. Incredible for this size tractor but the weight vs strength issue was even more critical for me. I bought an Armstrong Ag (local to central TX) BRG Mini at 440lbs. Its 60" with 2 - 2.5" cylinders. I was concerned in the beginning that it was too light because I bent some of the shanks on a heavy and unbalanced pick. I was able to get them to realign and have since adjusted my usage as I learned the limitations of the attachment. Now if something is too big I will either cut it down or drag it out where I can get a better grip. With your bigger tractor I would not go any lighter than the ones you are looking at. I will say that for removing brush and downed trees these grapples are extremely useful and fun to operate. Like anything else you have to develop some skills and learn the limits of the tool.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The EA is strong and light weight at the same time due to the steel that they use in manufacturing. It is also a very robust (think commercial grade) design. Some other manufacturers use a cheaper grade of steel to save money, and to get the strength to go up to a tollerable level, they have to put more of the cheaper steel in the design (think larger, thicker pieces). So for a roughly "even" rate of strength, the cheaper steel in the construction means the attachment is heavier.

What I'm trying to say is that heavier is NOT always "better".

For a light duty, "homeowner grade" grapple, there are plenty of lower cost options out there. Just keep in mind, they will not stand up to the constant torture of a commercial grade unit for digging, ripping, breaking concrete and asphalt chunks up, digging large rocks out of the ground, etc. Light duty stuff is fine for light duty work, carrying sticks, light piles of wood, etc. But if you're really going to be going at it, you will not be happy with a light duty unit.

OP,

I think you're going to give up a lot of capacity with an 800 pound grapple.

 

[buck12]

Grapples are a tool like any other. You can spend a little or a lot. You have to know your uses and select the best tool. In my tool boxes I have everything from Snap On to Harbor Freight and almost every brand in between. I buy tools based on how I intend to use them.

When I bought my first grapple which I used for over ten years on my Mahindra 2615 I bought a 48” Wild Kat. On my current Kubota 5460, I bought a 60” dual lid MTL. Both grapples did everything I asked with no problem. I figure if I bend or break something it can be fixed.

I am sure the premium brands are built better using better materials but cost more. Like most purchases we have to decide just how much quality and features we are willing to pay for.

 

[Philm56]

What I'm trying to say is that heavier is NOT always "better".

@Slowpoke Slim makes a good point here that could be important for the OP to consider. There are so many of these on the market now knowing what's out there is half the battle.

I am sure the premium brands are built better using better materials but cost more. Like most purchases we have to decide just how much quality and features we are willing to pay for.

I also agree with @buck12 that you have to make your decision based on what you're going to do with it. I need my equipment to process two big piles of trees and take care of a few horses and goats. When we bought our 5 acre place two years ago the back half was so overgrown with brush and cedars you could hardly walk through it. I hired a guy to clear it for me. He brought out two bobcats, one with a commercial grade grapple on it that grabbed the trees (some 8-10 inch), ripped them out of the ground and pushed them into a 15' high pile without touching the oaks and elms. I'm now picking through those piles chipping what I can and burning the rest. That young man is making his living with his equipment and was done in two days. I'm managing my property and a few animals with mine and will likely take two years to get through the brush piles. I guess you could say that what I bought is "homeowner grade" although I've owned acreage properties for 30 years and this is the first grapple I've had. My tractor is probably homeowner grade too but I'm happy with the decisions I've made.

 

[bcs001]

Hearing a variety of opinions with almost all based on actual experience is invaluable to me as someone just starting to figure out my needs. I'm kind of leaning away from the heavy weights and back to the light and mid weight units and really not comfortable about making a compromised choice based on delivery lead time so......

I think I'll rent a mid sized one for my immediate need this spring, get a couple of days experience using it to figure out my actual needs then order what I think will best work with my tractor and property.

Bruce.

 

[FTG-05]

When I bought my grapple, I went to a local dealer (Skid Steer Quick Attachment Depot) and looked at their grapples. I originally wanted a 60" grapple, but they were out of them (I learned later they were liquidating stock just before they moved to another location).

I ended up getting a 48", which, given how I mostly use my grapple, to be by far the best size i.e. light as possible.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to lift and move this Shagbark Hickory:

Or this Shagbark Hickory that fell last May, missing my house by 4" (see those branches behind the blue barrel?):