Grapple Grapple Techniques?

[GIJOE]

For what its worth, as discussed in a previous thread.

Charlesaf3,

Would you by chance remember the title to that thread or have a link to it. I have searched and could not find the thread you are referring to.

 

[IslandTractor]

If you read through the first several pages of this thread you will come to the discussion on grapple size:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-buying-pricing/88280-grapple-recommendations.htmlhttp://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ndations.html?highlight=grapple+48#post986141

 

[flINTLOCK]

I was impressed with the technique of uprooting small trees with the grapple. We are establishing food plots and encounter many partially buried rocks up to small boulder size that require digging bar and strong back or backhoe to extract. Seems that the process of digging up stump with grapple might be applied to these rocks??

 

[Glowplug]

A big grapple might be useful if you are scooping up trash at a building site or just moving a brush pile to another place (not digging the brush out initially) and had an FEL that could handle it.

Well that's good. Most of my grapple work will be moving many, many small brush piles into a great big brush pile. I would have essentially no work where I'd have to maneuver between trees and actually yank brush out. When I look at Millonzi's site that don't show the grapple as being available in 48". They show 60", 66", and 72". Is that the case?

 

[IslandTractor]

When I look at Millonzi's site that don't show the grapple as being available in 48". They show 60", 66", and 72". Is that the case?

No, they definitely still have the 48". Millonzi's website is not the most useful as it is just a link to a pdf file which is itself outdated. Best thing to do is to call them. I think I've posted the number so you can search for Joe Millonzi.

I would personally still get the 48" grapple even if I had a much bigger tractor. The only bigger grapple that appeals to me is the WRLong with its full length top jaw but even that I would prefer in the 48" size. As a surgeon I am sure you appreciate that bigger ain't always better. Think of a hemostat. Would it be desirable to try to operate with a two inch wide hemostat? You could pototentially carry more brush with a bigger grapple but you will find that the 48" grapples brush carrying capacity is really limited more by your visibility than by the capacity of the grapple. Check out the photo below and imagine how hard it is to see where you are going. A bigger grapple probably wouldn't hold much more and would just make visibility worse.

 

[IslandTractor]

I was impressed with the technique of uprooting small trees with the grapple. We are establishing food plots and encounter many partially buried rocks up to small boulder size that require digging bar and strong back or backhoe to extract. Seems that the process of digging up stump with grapple might be applied to these rocks??

I think you could do that without much difficulty so long as the rocks were not too deep. Deep rocks would require a backhoe unless the soil was really loose. So long as you could get the lower grapple jaw under the rock edge you should be able to either pop it out or work it loose. Once you can close the grapple on the rock you can either curl, lift or just back it out. Here is a photo of a rock I could easily lift with the grapple though I did not need to dig it out as it was on the surface.

 

[Glowplug]

Millonzi's website is not the most useful as it is just a link to a pdf file which is itself outdated.

Amen to that! They'd almost be better off without a website at all!!

As a surgeon I am sure you appreciate that bigger ain't always better. Think of a hemostat. Would it be desirable to try to operate with a two inch wide hemostat?

Point taken.

Check out the photo below and imagine how hard it is to see where you are going.

Man, I always love your grapple action photos Islandtractor!