Grapple Grapple for B3300su

[JTY531]

I have spent hours and hours reading the various threads on grapple selection for tractors on this site (thanks to all who post such helpful info). I'm still struggling with whether the weight of a grapple is going to be too much for my tractor, and would greatly appreciate hearing from any of you who have experience with lighter loaders and grapples.

My tractor is a B3300su with the LA504 loader and BH77 backhoe. The specs in the brochure I kept read "Lift capacity (pivot pin) 1065" and "Lift capacity (19.7 in. forward) 730".

After reading many posts, I know I don't want anything larger than a 48" grapple.

So my issue is whether the weight is going to be too much to get a solid benefit out of the grapple (for moving brush, logs, branches).

Here is what I've spec'd out from info on web sites:

• Tach-All Quick Attach (assuming I go this route and someday convert my bucket too): 78lbs.
  
• WR Long OBG-2 (48"): 352lbs
  
• Wild Kat econ mini grapple (48"): 420lbs
  
• Bradco 48": 300lbs

The Wild Kat is my favorite design (and by far my favorite price). I'm also assuming my 60" bucket with toothbar is around 300lbs, but I'm not sure if that is correct as I can't find specs for that (just curious as when its off, it obviously would offset the weight of the grapple that I would add on in its place)

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. It seems like most of the posters have more capable loaders than what I am dealing with, but I'm hoping some of you have dealt with this issue.

Thank you.

 

[deezler]

I have a similar sized tractor and am also curious to hear what people think here.

Grapples, even small ones, seem pretty heavy, in general. And they are ussually a bit longer than a bucket, i.e. more weight hangs further out in front of the loader mounting pins.

Is the weight of a grapple offset somewhat by the typical load carried? I.e. a load of brush or branches isnt all that heavy.. but if you're moving rocks, stumps and logs...

JTY, as you have obviously been doing your research, would you mind posting the prices, shipped, of all 3 grapples also? That would be a major decision factor for me.

 

[JTY531]

Strangely silent in here given all the long threads on grapples . . . maybe the topic is exhausted. I'd still love to hear from anyone with a loader that had similar lift limitations that added a grapple.

To answer the question on pricing that was asked, here is what I've found (none of these include freight - I haven't gotten that far):

Bradco 48" -- $2145 with no hoses (forddistributing.com)

W.R. Long OBG-2 48" -- $1625 (everythingattachments.com - universal quick attach standard)

Wild Kat -- 900

And now something that has completely thown me off on the size question is the Ambo 60", which I had discounted completely. They suggest this size works better with my particular loader. Weight is 390lbs (slightly lighter than my favorite - the wild kat). Pricey though at $2825. I've read these are the cadillac of grapples, but man do they cost a lot!

 

[dstig1]

You have very little headroom to work with there. I would aim for the lightest one you can. A possible alternative would be to ask one of the outfits to weld one up with the next smallest size steel. 5/16" tines instead of 3/8", 1/4" tube instead of 3/8" etc. The risk is going too thin and the whole thing getting weak. But you could probably shave 100+ lbs that way... Or, if your plan if for brush use, then don't worry about it as the load is light. But lifting sizable logs or any serious rock will be out of the question. The size of the tractor and loader will dictate that in any case.

Many of these outfits can customize these pretty easy as they are all laser or plasma cut pieces, so they just need to slap a plate on there of whatever size you want.

No simple answer. You are rather severely weight limited, no matter what you do.

 

[dstig1]

You have very little headroom to work with there. I would aim for the lightest one you can. A possible alternative would be to ask one of the outfits to weld one up with the next smallest size steel. 5/16" tines instead of 3/8", 1/4" tube instead of 3/8" etc. The risk is going too thin and the whole thing getting weak. But you could probably shave 100+ lbs that way... Or, if your plan if for brush use, then don't worry about it as the load is light. But lifting sizable logs or any serious rock will be out of the question. The size of the tractor and loader will dictate that in any case.

Many of these outfits can customize these pretty easy as they are all laser or plasma cut pieces, so they just need to slap a plate on there of whatever size you want.

No simple answer. You are rather severely weight limited, no matter what you do.

 

[JTY531]

Thanks - that is exactly what I was concerned with. I can only estimate the weight of the 60" bucket, which I assume I can subtract from the weight of the grapple, but I am guessing 250-300 lbs for that max.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Your 60" bucket is 125lbs per the Kubota whole goods specs, tooth bar I'd bet is 40-50lbs.

So, a grapple is going to weigh a good bit more, but what you'll be lifting with it generally isn't that heavy. I have seen several people go with the 48" W.R. Long grapple on the B-series Kubotas (all the way down to the B2320) with good success. The nice the about the WR long is that they will build it to fit your current loader configuration and therefore also the quick attach Kubota offers for your loader (which is a lot cheaper and lighter than the Tach-All.)

 

[Gordon Gould]

Your 60" bucket is 125lbs per the Kubota whole goods specs, tooth bar I'd bet is 40-50lbs.

You very well could be correct but I would double check. Could be a typo in the spec.
125 kg not 125 lbs is closer to my 5' bucket weight.
The spec in my manual for a 482 loader for a pin on 5' square bucket (not round hvy duty bucket) is 96 kg or 212 lbs.

BTW I have the hvy bucket (300# plus) and a ATI bolt on grapple. While I can't pick up everything it suits me fine and I don't feel severly weight limited. My 482 loader is speced close to yours. You have probably seen plenty of pictures and discussion.

 

[Eric102]

And now something that has completely thown me off on the size question is the Ambo 60", which I had discounted completely. They suggest this size works better with my particular loader. Weight is 390lbs (slightly lighter than my favorite - the wild kat). Pricey though at $2825. I've read these are the cadillac of grapples, but man do they cost a lot!

I've been shopping grapples for my JD3320 and ANBO said they could build a 52" to further reduce the grapple weight, that would be in their UT-S series that uses top mounted cylinders. On their GR series that have the side mount cylinders the narrowest that would work with my tractor was 66" which was more width, weight and cost than I wanted.

 

[JTY531]

Thought I'd give a quick update on where I'm at with this. I exchanged e-mails with Anbo, but even though their grapples are supposed to be top of the line, I really like the shape of the tines better on the WR Long. They also recommended a 60" model with a single grapple, and that is a little bigger than I was wanting (maybe I've read too many posts by Island Tractor -- all very helpful by the way, so thank you).

I decided on the WR Long OBG2 48". At 357lbs its not much different than my bucket - especially with the clamp on forks I've been using to do jobs I would be using the grapple for.

I called the closest WR Long dealer (listed on their web site) and got a quote for the wrong model today, which was much more expensive ($2500 plus $300 shipping for a 56" OBG2). I'm hoping for a quote on the 48" tomorrow.

As for the WR Long 3rd function kit, they quoted $900, which seems like more than others are paying. Any help would be appreciated. My local dealer will sell another kit (listed on the Anbo site) and install it for $850. The only thing I don't like about that kit is that you don't replace the knob and instead just attach a button someplace to operate the grapple. Any thoughts on that would be much appreciated too.

So hopefully the price comes in better tomorrow and I can actually get one ordered to play with.

 

[Ductape]

Can't help with the grapple, but the price on the Long kit is about right from what I've seen. Instead of paying your dealer to install the kit..... any chance you can do it yourself ? Alot of folks here have. Shouldn't be very difficult for anyone who is mildly mechanically inclined.

 

[scoutcub]

Can't help with the grapple, but the price on the Long kit is about right from what I've seen. Instead of paying your dealer to install the kit..... any chance you can do it yourself ? Alot of folks here have. Shouldn't be very difficult for anyone who is mildly mechanically inclined.

I just installed the grapple valve myself, and it wasn't that bad of a project. Actually pretty straightforward.
My dealer wasn't even sure if they could send me the kits, as it is a dealer-installed option.
Saved some $$$!!

 

[Gordon Gould]

I also did my own valve. Whole thing was less than $250. Never did hydraulics before. It was interesting. My L3010 must be very similar to your tractor. Here is a thread describing what I did. There is another thread inside that one that has all the parts details.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/202187-finished-3rd-function-valve-project.html

 

[Eric102]

I decided on the WR Long OBG2 48". At 357lbs its not much different than my bucket - especially with the clamp on forks I've been using to do jobs I would be using the grapple for.

I called the closest WR Long dealer (listed on their web site) and got a quote for the wrong model today, which was much more expensive ($2500 plus $300 shipping for a 56" OBG2). I'm hoping for a quote on the 48" tomorrow.

The 52" UT-S ANBO single top weighs in at 390 lbs and my dealer quoted me $2,850 installed, $375 of that was for the John Deere Quick-tatch mounting system. The double top was $125 more, both versions use 2 top cylinders.

 

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

I decided on the WR Long OBG2 48". At 357lbs its not much different than my bucket - especially with the clamp on forks I've been using to do jobs I would be using the grapple for.

At that weight, have you considered the 48" Wildkat econo grapple? Many of us have them and couldn't be happier. Mine listed at 425lbs., but other have stated that actual weight is around 350lbs. I got mine for $550 plus $171 shipping to upstate NY. A *TERRIFIC* value.

As for the WR Long 3rd function kit, they quoted $900, which seems like more than others are paying. Any help would be appreciated.

I went with the W.R Long kit, but got it from everythingattachments for $750 with free shipping. It was easy to install, although I had two minor niggles with it.
1) The QD couplers they sent were leaky and I had to spend another $20 for quality ones that didn't leak.
2) The adapter they sent to plug into the power beyond port was an o-ring style that didn't work. I had my dealer modify the hydraulic line to connect directly to the tractor instead.

Otherwise, I'm *very* happy so far with the W.R. Long third function kit.

 

[JTY531]

I am installing the WR Long valve kit myself as soon as I can get my hands on one.

I went with the WR Long grapple over the econo grapple only because it was slightly lighter according to the specs posted on the internet (I'm worried about weight). Plus WR Long will make a pin on version for my loader (again, I don't want the weight or the expense of the SSQA - though I would love the convenience).

I talked to Nelson this morning at WR Long, and just like every post I've read, he was a great help. For those thinking of their grapples, I would just call him since that would have saved me about a week.

With his help and a local dealer, I just placed my order. Should arrive in 3+ weeks. I'm excitedly planning about a year's worth of projects already

 

[dstig1]

Sounds like you are all set, but to answer your one question - I have the add-on button (I used Fasse for my valve and switch and they were very helpful). It works perfectly - it sits in a good position and is easy to trigger or not trigger, as desired. So I wouldn't be afraid of that.

Hard to see but it is the slightly lighter gray long rectangular thing below the knob on the left. The switch is entirely enclosed in a rubber boot for weather protection.

 

[jeff9366]

So my issue is whether the weight is going to be too much to get a solid benefit out of the grapple (for moving brush, logs, branches).

I have a Kubota B3300SU as well. I struggled with the same issues.
Here is my setup, which has been very satisfactory for "brush, logs, branches."

I bought a set of ALUMINUM DEBRIS FORKS from Payne's Forks.
These forks weigh only 50 pounds and clamp TIGHTLY onto the bucket without external tools. A little pricey, these were $775 delivered in February 2012.
Aluminum forks do not decrease your lift weight much and are easy to take on and off because of the modest weight. Forks consist of five tines on a crosspiece, the tines stick out from your bucket about 24". I use them for tearing out wild vines up to an inch, just put the tractor in low/4WD and drive slowly into the vines, then lift the bucket/forks and back out. Great for collecting tangled vines and all kinds of "brush" and "branches".

For logs I have two "Kenny's Bolt-On Grab Hooks" bolted onto top of the bucket at the cylinders, which I use with 5/16" Grade 70 chain, with a Grade 70 clevis grab hook on one end and a Grade 70 clevis slip hook on the other. I just move the bucket up to the log, sometimes perpendicular, sometimes on end to lift the log, run a chain underneath, then lock a chain link into each of the two Kenny's Bolt-On Grab Hooks to hold the log to the bucket.....and lift.....up to 750 pounds with the B3300SU. If the log is heavy, over 300 pounds, be sure to have a counterweight in the rear; I keep a Wallenstein BX42 PTO Chipper on the 3-Pt, which is about 425 pounds. And away to the burn pile.....

I use the slip hook and chain to choke and drag long logs with the tractor drawbar, drawbar is a $49 dealer option on the B3300SU.

This is simpler (KISS) than what you are considering and has worked well for me.

NOTE: Customer Service at Payne's Forks is a trial. Payne's web page is out-of-date, BPayne does not answer e-mails, Payne's Customer Service told me forks would ship in two days and charged my credit card on day of order; forks did not ship for three weeks. Never could get a trucker or tracking number from them. Customer Service from the Last Century. Good quality product; BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE.

You can Google these suppliers. I also suggest you consider Bucket Solutions as an alternative to Payne's. However, Bucket Solutions does not have aluminum Debris Forks, Bucket Solutions offer Debris Forks in steel.

JBS352

 

[jeff9366]

Here are photos of Payne's Aluminum Debris Forks.

Jeff352