How to Grapple without a Grapple - Pictures please

[kebo]

Yep and faster than one of them chain thingies. :laughing:

Nice attachment!!! And you have lots of nice toys to play with as well!

 

[newbury]

This is sort of my dilemma now. Do I just go get some strap on pallet forks and continue to pile on my burnables manually, or do I get a QA set up and have more capacity with forks (I don't move pallets around hardly at all), or do I invest in the grapple (my dream but not sure I can justify the expense)?

I move many more things than pallets using my clamp-on pallet forks, and the "investment" for a pair is minor compared to a grapple. I use clamp on's because I couldn't justify a QA for either tractor. However the "quick-on's" (which don't fit either of my tractors) look even better.

In the picture of bamboo I posted earlier we would run into a pile of the stuff, lift it, then throw a chain over it so we could drive a distance. The attached picturs show some of our lot clearing and the resultant pile. I had an area about 100x75 that was 20yr old brush, saplings, vines, thorn brush so thick as to be impassable. We cut the saplings down and then would angle the forks down slightly, ram forward and lift.

I'd still recommend you get a lightweight grapple, but for a BX25D you run out of lift capacity quickly.

Yep and faster than one of them chain thingies. :laughing:

How's that do on a 20" hardwood tree?
/edit - do you even have any trees over 20" DBH?

 

[Xfaxman]

Nice attachment!!! And you have lots of nice toys to play with as well!

Thanks, after I sold the tractor, I modified a fork frame to use the 3 point cedar tree cutter on the V417.

So much better out front. :thumbsup:

With the chains and linkage it would set flat at the tree no matter what angle the V417 was at.

 

[Xfaxman]

-----------------------------

Originally Posted by Xfaxman
Yep and faster than one of them chain thingies. :laughing:

How's that do on a 20" hardwood tree?
/edit - do you even have any trees over 20" DBH?

Yep, there are a few big hardwoods around here. I think the cutter was rated for 12" trees.

I was clearing the north fence line after we moved here, cutting some 10" DBH oaks, when it got in a bind and broke a blade.

Now the hardwoods that I deal with are dead, so I just pull them or push them over.

 

[brokenknee]

Posted the picture before, my nephews skid loader loading stump into my trailer with my pallet forks. My tractor did not have the lift capacity to lift the stump. Little 30 hp cub.

 

[dragoneggs]

I pulled this cedar digging and lifting with the forks.

View attachment 457784

Awesome! Well done.

 

[Aquamoose]

Back when I had my Kubota before I upgraded to a bigger tractor. This lil' beast could lift anything as long as there's weight on the back. Of course, I keep things simple.

I fabbed these "tusks" as I call them and they have proven their worth. They were removable so I could use the bucket.

 

[Aquamoose]

Better views...

 

[IslandTractor]

Chain and bucket.
4n1
neither comes close to the grapple however.
forks plus thumb for certain things like logs work fine (but anything with a thumb is a grapple)

 

[dragoneggs]

Better views...

View attachment 460809

View attachment 460810

View attachment 460811

Looks good... thinking also of some type of quick bolt on attachment but it has to mate decently with my Piranha toothier. I love that so much I will never take it off.

 

[dragoneggs]

Chain and bucket.
4n1
neither comes close to the grapple however.
forks plus thumb for certain things like logs work fine (but anything with a thumb is a grapple)

Interesting... thanks for posting IT. I am definitely getting use of my chains for stump maneuvering!

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Any updates as to if the "arborist" got the tree down?

 

[Aquamoose]

Looks good... thinking also of some type of quick bolt on attachment but it has to mate decently with my Piranha toothier. I love that so much I will never take it off.

You can simply customize the position so it would sit on the tooth bar. It was easy to make.

 

[dragoneggs]

You can simply customize the position so it would sit on the tooth bar. It was easy to make.

That is what I am thinking. On my list of things to fab!

 

[dragoneggs]

Another day wishing I had a grapple.

 

[IslandTractor]

Another day wishing I had a grapple. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=465156"/>

You only live once.

 

[AlbionWood]

Finally got the Thumb working. Does this qualify as a not-grapple?

 

[dragoneggs]

Finally got the Thumb working. Does this qualify as a not-grapple? <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=465706"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=465707"/>

That's borderline, buddy!

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Finally got the Thumb working. Does this qualify as a not-grapple?
View attachment 465706View attachment 465707

I'd have to say no, it does not qualify.....I have a similar setup. A thumb on forks certainly makes them more useful in some situations though

 

[stuckmotor]

Finally got the Thumb working. Does this qualify as a not-grapple?
View attachment 465706View attachment 465707

I like that setup. Have you had any indication that full down pressure on a solid load might bend the top of the rack at the back that the forks attach to?