Grapple Grapple Rake prices

[Maknwine]

Was quoted $2150 for Markham's 66 or 75" grapple rake and forks/frame delivered. I didn't verify but I assume this does not include hookup hydraulics. I have two rear remotes which I would uitilize to run the grapple.

I'm sure this would pay for itself in a year but wondered if anyone knew of better deals out there? Its for the N.H. T2410
Tks
tom

 

[IslandTractor]

Forks/frame usually can be had for $600-700. Grapple prices obviously depend on size and manufacturer. Markham is the current value leader and people seem happy with their product. They do sell a "light duty" QA 48" root grapple for about $1000 which would cost less. Your tractor could easily handle the bigger grapples you have specified but if you are mostly picking up brush/logs etc you might consider the light duty grapple. I have a similar light duty grapple on my DK40se Kioti and it does just fine.

 

[Maknwine]

Does Markham Welding usually offer a monthly special? The Markham special this month...I am interested in(66" grapple and forks/frame $2020) but my finances are so that I may need until December to cover it. So does this special occur rarely.

Would love to build these myself but I have so many projects and things needing repair that it will just get delayed and the goal of removing some pine trees will just keep getting delayed too. Tough decisions.

 

[goldduster]

I paid $2535 for my WR Long OBG2-56 including valve kit, quick disconnects, and shipping to the west coast. Dealers name on request.

 

[Maknwine]

Just took delivery of the 66" Markham grapple rake and forks/frame. What a monster of an attachment. I sure hope the New Holland T2410 can handle it. Right away my wife wants some azaleas ripped out. I also hope it will pop up some small choke cherry trees about 4" diameter. We'll see. Pics tomorrow.

I need to get some hose's made up to go from the rear remotes on my tractor to the grapple connects, looks like they are Parker? Are these typically called quick connects? There's about 7 feet of hose supplied so I'll measure what I need in the morning and see about getting some made.

Tom

 

[IslandTractor]

Just took delivery of the 66" Markham grapple rake and forks/frame. What a monster of an attachment. I sure hope the New Holland T2410 can handle it. Right away my wife wants some azaleas ripped out. I also hope it will pop up some small choke cherry trees about 4" diameter. We'll see. Pics tomorrow.

I need to get some hose's made up to go from the rear remotes on my tractor to the grapple connects, looks like they are Parker? Are these typically called quick connects? There's about 7 feet of hose supplied so I'll measure what I need in the morning and see about getting some made.

Tom

You should not have any trouble with the choke cherry trees. I've removed dozens of them 4"-9" in diameter with my grapple. Best technique I find is to first push on the tree high up to expose a couple of roots then stick the grapple under the roots and curl or drive forwards. Depending on the size of the tree it will come out with one try or you will need to loosen it on one side and then move 90 degrees and repeat. I'm not familiar with your tractor but that obviously has a lot to do with how easy it will be. Mine is a Kioti DK40se which weighs about 5000lbs and the loader has a roll back force of about 4500lbs. My problem is having enough rear ballast to keep my tractor on the ground. However, I was also able to push over and remove 4-5 inch choke cherry trees with my first tractor which was only 21hp and used the same grapple.

One trick for measuring the length of hydraulic hose you need is to use an old garden hose and put it in exactly the path you will thread your hydraulic hose. Leave enough slack at the back for a gentle loop or alternatively when you get the hoses made up have them put a 90 degree fitting in them at the rear after the quick connects (Pioneer style) as that will avoid needing a loop. I ran mine from the rear remote down over the top of the left rear axle, under the operator station (zip tie up) then up the left FEL mounting post and down the FEL arm. 3/8 inch hose or even 1/4 inch hose should work as you are just controling the grapple arm which you don't want to move very fast anyway.

 

[Maknwine]

Thanks I.T.

I'll have to look up Pioneer style. I hope the Parker fittings up front are just standard quick disconnects. Been reading on the Hydro area tonight. Head hurts.

 

[Maknwine]

I thought I read a ton of grapple posts here in the last few months but maybe not enough. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have gone with the 60" or maybe even the 48". Haven't even hooked it up yet and I'm complaining!

 

[IslandTractor]

I thought I read a ton of grapple posts here in the last few months but maybe not enough. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have gone with the 60" or maybe even the 48". Haven't even hooked it up yet and I'm complaining!

I'm a fan of the 48" but if your loader can handle it the bigger ones are OK too. The mistake many people make is to assume that they need a grapple about the same size as their primary bucket. Incorrect. You need a grapple matched to your FEL but weight is a more important consideration than width. Bigger grapples are obviously heavier and each pound of grapple weight reduces your net lift capacity. A 48 inch grapple can do most anything a 72 inch grapple can do except clean up construction debris quickly. Brush sticks together so really wide grapples don't add much. Logs stick out the end of any grapple. Digging out roots is actually best done with a narrow grapple as you can focus the energy on the roots rather than having half or more of the grapple tines just stuck in dirt.

 

[Ken45101]

I received my Markham grapple late yesterday. A quick try out resulted in the grapple falling off in the heavy brush Then I realized that they sent what I guess is the wrong type of mount, there is nothing for the bottom of the quick attach to lock on to

I'll be calling them this morning. It will be a hassle to get it shipped back. It might be less of a hassle to see if a local weld shop can fabricate a secure mount for it.

Suggestion to board members: apparently they have different mounting systems beyond the standard QA and they are not careful about matching what they ship to what the customer needs. Myself, I only have experience with standard quick attach, didn't realize this.

Ken

 

[irwin]

I received my Markham grapple late yesterday. A quick try out resulted in the grapple falling off in the heavy brush Then I realized that they sent what I guess is the wrong type of mount, there is nothing for the bottom of the quick attach to lock on to

I'll be calling them this morning. It will be a hassle to get it shipped back. It might be less of a hassle to see if a local weld shop can fabricate a secure mount for it.

Suggestion to board members: apparently they have different mounting systems beyond the standard QA and they are not careful about matching what they ship to what the customer needs. Myself, I only have experience with standard quick attach, didn't realize this.

Ken

Ken.. can you post a picture of the grapple mount? I'm interested in the different mounts out there.. usually if the top fits properly then the bottom is right?

With a picture to go by perhaps someone here might have a suggestion.

 

[Ken45101]

Ken.. can you post a picture of the grapple mount? I'm interested in the different mounts out there.. usually if the top fits properly then the bottom is right?

With a picture to go by perhaps someone here might have a suggestion.

A photo probably wouldn't show up very well since it's all black.

The top looked a little wide to me but mated up okay. I noticed that, but thought "I guess they know what they are doing."

On the sides near the bottom there are two 1"+ pins (one above each other) on each side but several inches to the side of the QA coupler. Nothing along the bottom for the QA to lock into.

At this point I'm guessing they sent a proprietary mount for a JD loader instead of the JD skidsteer I specified. I guess I'll find out more this morning when I call them.

Ken

 

[IslandTractor]

At this point I'm guessing they sent a proprietary mount for a JD loader instead of the JD skidsteer I specified. I guess I'll find out more this morning when I call them.

Ken

I suspect you are correct. You know what a skidsteer mount looks like and that is exactly what they should have sent. They don't make proprietary mounts to my knowledge except for the JD and that may have been the source of confusion. Except for those who have the JD style tractor quick attach, it is best to ignore your tractor/skidsteer brand and just order the generic skidsteer mount without mentioning brand. Still, this seems to me to be a Markham screw up and I hope they do right by you.

 

[Ken45101]

I suspect you are correct. You know what a skidsteer mount looks like and that is exactly what they should have sent. They don't make proprietary mounts to my knowledge except for the JD and that may have been the source of confusion. Except for those who have the JD style tractor quick attach, it is best to ignore your tractor/skidsteer brand and just order the generic skidsteer mount without mentioning brand. Still, this seems to me to be a Markham screw up and I hope they do right by you.

Yes. The first woman I spoke to this morning assured me that all their grapples fit skid steers. She then got Alan Markham on the line and he confirmed that they goofed and shipped one for a JD tractor. He said they would ship out a replacement today.

When I placed the order, I emphasized JD skid steer because I wanted to make sure I got the right hydraulic connectors. I'm not clear on hydraulic connector terminology but I know my equipment has at least three different types (the skid steer attachment connectors, the Kubota tractor rear remotes, and the Kubota M5040 loader remotes and maybe something different on the Kubota B21 backhoe).

Ken

 

[Maknwine]

I'm such a newby!
Went to the hose shop for a proper hosing and got hosed. Described what I needed and drew a picture for the guy showing the 90 elbow for the rear remote hookup. Wouldn't you know, they put the 90 on the front connectors for the grapple hookup and not the rear remotes. Purely and simply there faught. Luckily I noticed at the counter and they corrected with no fuss(he did look a little pissed, maybe just at himself b/c I drew a picture!)

Anyway, got away from there and realized they put it together with 1/2 inch hose. My faught b/c I didn't specify but I was so shocked and confused as to how the mix up with the 90 elbow happended that I didn't even pay attention when they brought it out. Should I run with 1/2" line or give up and start over?

 

[IslandTractor]

Should I run with 1/2" line or give up and start over?

Absolutely use the half inch. The only downside is that it is stiffer and harder to go around the bend at the bottom of the FEL post but other than that there is no problem. It probably cost you a few bucks extra (not that much) but it is certainly absolutely fine. That is what I used on my first tractor before I understood that 1/4 or 3/8 would be perfectly adequate.

 

[Maknwine]

I. T.,

Man that sounds good, really appreciate you taking the time to type/reply to my questions. I was certainly hating to have to go back down to the shop and and ask them to change it for 1/4" line and have to pay again. I was going to put that 1/2" line without fittings on EBAY in hopes I could recover some money that way.

If it wont effect the performance I run it with 1/2" and chalk this up to another lesson learned.

Another note, I've got the grapple on and ready but have not got home yet to hook up the hydraulics. Will I be able to hook up the lines and start running it or will I have to open up lines to purge any air?

 

[IslandTractor]

Hook it up and use it no need to purge.

 

[irwin]

A photo probably wouldn't show up very well since it's all black.

The top looked a little wide to me but mated up okay. I noticed that, but thought "I guess they know what they are doing."

On the sides near the bottom there are two 1"+ pins (one above each other) on each side but several inches to the side of the QA coupler. Nothing along the bottom for the QA to lock into.

At this point I'm guessing they sent a proprietary mount for a JD loader instead of the JD skidsteer I specified. I guess I'll find out more this morning when I call them.

Ken

Something like this?

 

[Maknwine]

Beautiful day here... have my hydraulic hoses made up, tractor hooked up to the new 66" grapple rake, and even just finished a bowl of "lucky charms" (must have been the Unlucky Charms for me) cereal with the kids. Thinking all is well I'll go hook those lines up and start working.

Before I go to running/zip tyeing everything up, I'll plug in those large skid steer type fittings just to make sure the local hose shop and the installed fittings on the grapple mate together nicely. Guess what.....


They dont. Great, hose shop is closed and I'm hosed again. I gave them all the numbers off the fittings on the grapple so you think that would have been the way to go. The numbers on the hose shop adapters only match on the end (female "501-8FP" and male "502-8FP"). My female numbers start with "09 US Parker FEM" and the male is "02TS Parker FEM" and then the same numbers as theres at the end. I guess I should have removed my fittings to make it stupid easy but I dont have any of the blue pipe dope/sealant compound that is on them to replace and I'm sure a can of it would run my cost up even more.

Now I'm a little bit flustered. Today, I looked on the paper I had all my numbers down and everything was right on my side. I even noticed I had written "1/4 inch hose 16 ft" on the piece of paper I gave the guy for what I needed and still got 1/2" line.

I'm wondering would it be fair for me to go back and request they redo these lines for me the way they should be and even credit me back the difference for the 1/4" line. It would be there 3rd attempt at getting it right or I am I being an @ss?

And should I remove my fittings from grapple and what about sealing them back on..what should I use to do that?