Grapple width. Same as bucket or narrower?

swnoel · Mar 25, 2018

screamin400 said:
I have a grapple ordered from EA. Talked to Travis about width. I ordered a 72" dual lid as that is the width of my loader. We talked about a 66" and I thought I want the same width as my loader. I think I made the right choice but not sure I made the right choice. I have never used one. Weight is not an issue. We are talking 3 inches on each side. I do not want to get into a debate of dual or single lid just wondering if you went narrower than your tractor. I will be hiring out doing storm cleanups. Thanks.

Sounds like you ordered the one you need for what you plan on doing with it.

ovrszd · Mar 25, 2018

swnoel said:
Sounds like you ordered the one you need for what you plan on doing with it.

Yep.

screamin400 · Mar 25, 2018

ovrszd said:
According to my memory, you have already ordered your Grapple. Now you are wanting to debate width. A little late I'd say. I'm with Oldoak, you've wore this question out.

I bet you knew I can still change it?

Xfaxman · Mar 25, 2018

Don't change it. :thumbsup:

ovrszd · Mar 25, 2018

screamin400 said:
I bet you knew I can still change it?

Of course I did. I'm with Xfaxman. Leave it alone. You have no logical basis to choose something different.

screamin400 · Mar 25, 2018

ovrszd said:
Of course I did. I'm with Xfaxman. Leave it alone. You have no logical basis to choose something different.

We are in agreement. Having never used one I was second guessing myself. Travis was on the fence. Now I sit and wait.

Xfaxman · Mar 25, 2018

As was mentioned earlier by Redlands Okie, it is easy to make it narrower. :thumbsup:

Redlands Okie said:
Any grapple beats no grapple.
Do you need the narrow grapple for maneuvering in tight spaces and how often are you in such spaces.
Are you trying to clean up wide areas and do not want your tractor running over brush, thorns, trash, etc. then a wide grapple works well.
Since weight is not a issue. If your not working a lot in tight spaces then it would seem a wide grapple would be more versatile.
If after using it a while you find that you made a horrible mistake in getting a wide grapple, keep in mind its not usually that difficult or expensive to make them more narrow. Snip snip and your done. Making it wider is a lot more difficult.

mopardude318 · Mar 25, 2018

I have a 72" bucket on my M7060. I went with the wicked 55" wide grapple for utility tractors. It has done everything I have asked of it, I am happy.

John_Mc · Mar 25, 2018

As many have already mentioned, it depends on what you are doing. Almost all of my use for a grapple is for working in the woods. Having driving into tight areas with my bucket and seen what a pain it was to maneuver back out, I knew I wanted a narrow grapple for my woods work. I also wanted light weight, since my tractor is not that large, and I didn't want to give up any more lift capacity than I had to, so I went with a dedicated forestry grapple which is quite a bit narrower than my bucket. It works well for that work. If my needs were different - such as working mainly in more open areas, or needing to pick up objects other than logs or brush, I would have gone with a wider grapple.

It sounds as though you have chosen a grapple that is more suited to your needs. Just because it is wide, does not mean you can't take it into the woods, you just have to pay a bit more attention to where that width is swinging around. A tight spot that I can drive right into and out of might take you a bit more maneuvering, but you make up for it in greater versatility in other situations - including the ability to clean up a large open area more quickly and efficiently.