Kena 3pt log grapple

[pclausen]

I spoke to Tom Addington about his 3pt grapple. He designed the grapple in-house (in addition of course to the boom). They are now using 2 cylinders, one for each jaw. There is a timing valve so that both close/open at the same rate. No rotator, but grapple mount has return to center springs (like the Wallenstein). A really cool feature is that it uses a hydraulic top link (which I already have on my tractor) so that you can bring the grapple in towards the tractor and extend it out as needed for the task at hand. The weight of the unit is over 1100 lbs and the grapple is attached to the boom with a 2.5" diameter pin.

He has yet to have a customer break one. Lead time about 4 weeks right now. Only bad news is the price, $6,295. Somewhat less since I already have the hydraulic top link, but probably still around the $6k mark. Once I see the pictures, I'll see if he would perhaps be interested in selling just the boom portion, and I could then add a Valby grapple. I'm interesting to find out how much of the cost if the grapple vs. the boom.

He said one of the main reason for not having a rotator is that most people don't have 3 rear remotes (top link, grapple, rotator). A lot of customers only have a single remote and he then sells them a diverter valve so they can switch between grapple and top link.

 

[PapaPerk]

Check out Addington Equipment. They make some STOUT skidding grapples. That kena looks nice but for me the grapple itself seems a little on the small side as far as the opening. Also the cantilevered pins on the 3pt could be prone to bending. I could definitely see myself building somethin like it though. For the money it might be worth a try. You could probably break it then fix/modify it three times and still be cheaper than most other grapples.

These look much stouter for that big John Deere! I like! :thumbsup:

 

[PapaPerk]

I spoke to Tom Addington about his 3pt grapple. He designed the grapple in-house (in addition of course to the boom). They are now using 2 cylinders, one for each jaw. There is a timing valve so that both close/open at the same rate. No rotator, but grapple mount has return to center springs (like the Wallenstein). A really cool feature is that it uses a hydraulic top link (which I already have on my tractor) so that you can bring the grapple in towards the tractor and extend it out as needed for the task at hand. The weight of the unit is over 1100 lbs and the grapple is attached to the boom with a 2.5" diameter pin.

He has yet to have a customer break one. Lead time about 4 weeks right now. Only bad news is the price, $6,295. Somewhat less since I already have the hydraulic top link, but probably still around the $6k mark. Once I see the pictures, I'll see if he would perhaps be interested in selling just the boom portion, and I could then add a Valby grapple. I'm interesting to find out how much of the cost if the grapple vs. the boom.

He said one of the main reason for not having a rotator is that most people don't have 3 rear remotes (top link, grapple, rotator). A lot of customers only have a single remote and he then sells them a diverter valve so they can switch between grapple and top link.

Yeah grapples are pricey.... that's why you may consider the skidding plate hitch.... just saying.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I don't understand your operation or the conditions of your site but you did mention 20* slopes. I might be all wet here if so I apologize. I can see using the grapple if you are working behind a feller/buncher or another tractor/dozer with a winch that can get the logs all lined up along the skid road for the grapple to pick and go. But if you are working alone, cutting, limbing, and skidding on a steep site I can't believe you wouldn't be way better off with a winch. Just my $.02 from my experience logging with a tractor in hilly woods.

 

[pclausen]

I'm working 3 lots (17, 12 and 6 acres) all within 1 mile of each other. The 17 and 12 acre lots were thinned out last year by a logger and I have been working on cleaning up all the slash since then. Some of it is really hard on my tractor using just the front end grapple, but at the same time, its a pain to get out of the cab constantly to hook up chains and drag it out. Each of these lots still have about 100 trees each I need to cut (mostly pine and poplar), and after that, there will be ongoing maintenance.

The 6 acre lot is basically all woods and hasn't been touched in probably a 100 years. I need to clear about 60% of it to open up some great views of the mountains and then build a house there for my mother. This lot is fairly level, unlike the larger ones.

I can see spending $2000 or even $3000 for a log grapple to make this easier, but this is by no means a full time operation. I did drop north of $6k on a large stump grinder that has been worked hard on the 17 and 12 acre lots already and I have plenty of work left for it to do. But I'm not sure I can justify spending $6k+ for a log grapple, but on the other hand, I don't want to spend $3k for one that will get tore up by my tractor in 12 months.

One thought would be to get something like the Addington, take good care of it (all my implements are in a machine shed and well maintained), and then sell it once I'm done. I would imagine a good quality one would hold its value well if taken care off. I'm sure I would come out well ahead of hiring someone to all this tree clearing. Besides I love working in the woods.

I would be doing all the work by myself. I might think more about a winch, especially if mounted to the log grapple like what Addington offers. Not sure how much it adds to the cost, but I'll ask him next time I talk to him. My experience with chains has just been using the drawbar on the tractor with a 10ft chain on large logs I can back right up to, and a 100ft chain that I manually drag down or up hills to pull out trees/logs, then when I can get the tractor close enough, switch to the 10ft chain and pull them the rest of the way out into the open. I can certainly see how a winch would make this a lot easier and not have to fight dragging that 100ft chain across the ground, constantly getting on and off the tractor. It was less of a pain with the open station CUT I had before, but with this full size cab tractor, constantly getting in and out is a pain.

I figure it will take me 2-3 years to get everything cleaned up the way I want to working weekends and holidays, so I definitely want to invest in tools that can make the job easier.

 

[PapaPerk]

I don't understand your operation or the conditions of your site but you did mention 20* slopes. I might be all wet here if so I apologize. I can see using the grapple if you are working behind a feller/buncher or another tractor/dozer with a winch that can get the logs all lined up along the skid road for the grapple to pick and go. But if you are working alone, cutting, limbing, and skidding on a steep site I can't believe you wouldn't be way better off with a winch. Just my $.02 from my experience logging with a tractor in hilly woods.

Yeah I agree... with the explanation of the property.... a winch makes the most sense. Of course you have to get on and off the tractor.

Instead of a grapple... for $6,000 I would consider buying a smaller tractor (30-40 hp 4x4) for logging duty... and just use a skidding plate. The big John Deere is gonna take beating in the woods if it's not a wide open forest with high limbs.

 

[pclausen]

I have been walking through the woods with a pole saw cutting limbs along the paths and cutting little saplings flush with the ground. Then as I pull out the trees, I grind down the stumps as I go. A painful and slow process for sure, but it helps keep the green on the tractor, the hydraulic lines from getting torn out, and the tires full of air/liquid.

What attracted me to the Kena was the less than $2k price point, and that it would hook up to a cat2 tractor. I agree, I can't see dropping $6k+ for grapple that won't be used extensively for a larger operation than what I need it for.

My end goal is to have about 25-30 acres of "park like" properly with just majestic trees, with all the limbs trimmed high, maintaining the ground with a bush hog in the rough areas and a finish mover in others where conditions allow it. It will take many years to get there working weekends for sure! I got quite a bit of river frontage as well that I haven't even started on yet. Also looking to dig a 2-3 acre pond/lake where I have a natural spring. Too bad I'm still about 18 years away from retirement!

 

[catdozer]

Have you thought about giving a local fabricator a call? Or how bout MIE and give them your situation and I bet they could build you a nice log grapple. Seeing this thread I really think I could put some plans together on one!

 

[PapaPerk]

I have been walking through the woods with a pole saw cutting limbs along the paths and cutting little saplings flush with the ground. Then as I pull out the trees, I grind down the stumps as I go. A painful and slow process for sure, but it helps keep the green on the tractor, the hydraulic lines from getting torn out, and the tires full of air/liquid.

What attracted me to the Kena was the less than $2k price point, and that it would hook up to a cat2 tractor. I agree, I can't see dropping $6k+ for grapple that won't be used extensively for a larger operation than what I need it for.

My end goal is to have about 25-30 acres of "park like" properly with just majestic trees, with all the limbs trimmed high, maintaining the ground with a bush hog in the rough areas and a finish mover in others where conditions allow it. It will take many years to get there working weekends for sure! I got quite a bit of river frontage as well that I haven't even started on yet. Also looking to dig a 2-3 acre pond/lake where I have a natural spring. Too bad I'm still about 18 years away from retirement!

:thumbsup:

Sounds like a great plan! That will be a nice piece of property!

 

[Don87]

I've been reading this since you first posted, and honestly..........I would go with that Kena grapple. If you watch your log length (will be more trips, but you have all the time in the world) It will do what you need at a much lower cost.

You can buy a winch seperately to mount on your tractor for pulling up the ones on the slopes.

 

[dstig1]

Based on your description I would vote skidding winch. You already have a grapple on the FEL for handling in the open. You need something for difficult access like slopes, tight areas. Get a large Farmi, etc and make sure it has 2-4 chokers so you can hook up a couple logs at once. You have enough power to pull multiple logs of all but the biggest stuff.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

To the OP, check out Ryan's Equipment:RYAN'S EQUIPMENT
Look under new products and you'll find some very nice grapple choices for the green beast.

Matt

 

[pclausen]

Thanks for the link Matt. That RTG-60 does look like it would be a good match. If only the cost was the same at the Kena. Love that built in parking stand of the RTG-60.

But I guess its true what they say, you get what you pay for... I still feel the Kena offers the best bang for the buck, and I think if I don't abuse it, it should be ok behind my tractor. I'm going to try to chase down the actually manufactor and talk to them about it. Looking closely at the photo, the pins look to be cat1 and that you have to add bushings to get to cat2 side. If that's the case, I can see bending a pin the first time a log gets snagged on someting while making a turn.

After walking the 6 acre lot that needs 60% of the trees felled, the slopes are even less that I remembered, so I feel I can clear that lot without the need to do any pulling with a skidding winch or 'old school' chaining.

 

[pclausen]

I tracked down the manufacturer.

http://www.nomarrstrap.com/aboutus.html

I gave them a call and talked to a guy that was quite knowledgeable about the unit. It does indeed have cat 1 pins permanently welded on, but he said they have tested it on 100hp tractors and got the front end to lift off the ground with no damage whatsoever to the unit. Never had any come back broken that he knew off. The only complain he had was that the grapple fingers don't overlap, so it won't grab anything smaller than 12" diameter unless you grab it with the tips or at an angle.

The boom is 56" long and is made of 1/4" material throughout and very strong. Thinking about it as I type this, I think if it was truly made of all 1/4" material, it would be a lot heavier than the 130 lbs that is listed. Of course that might be a misprint. He send me the front and back images of their brochure. Not much technical details but interesting.

It is carried at select Tractor Supply stores, and it just so happens that the store 17 miles from me has one sitting out front for $1999. They have always been good about price matching in the past, so they should at least be able to price match the $1875 price I saw online. I'll be able to go take a look at it in person (I'll be sure to bring my measuring tape ) and see that I think about it. There supposedly are several of these sitting at select tsc stores around the country. They do not show up on their online store, which the guy from Kena that I spoke to has been trying to get them to do for a while.

 

[PapaPerk]

How much are the Ryan units. Sure look nice!

Not having overlap on the jaws seems like it would limit its use. A 12" tree is pretty big... Seems like you would want to grapple.

 

[pclausen]

Yeah, been thinking about the 12" minimum opening and how that might not be all that great. The 50-100hp Ryan unit is $5,500 list. Very very nice looking unit for sure!

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Why don't you just go with the Ryan unit and sell it when your done? The Kena is a decent looking setup but I'd be skeptical of it holding up behind that green dream machine you run. I think the Ryan is perfect match for the deere.

Matt

 

[crazyal]

Looking at the pictures of the Kena I'm wondering how it rotates. I can see the grapple is hanging on the boom with chains but is the rotation just what the chains will allow but being that short it seams like it wouldn't want to rotate easily if you wanted to pick up a log that was perpendicular to the tractor. Or is there some form of swivel built into the grapple?

 

[PapaPerk]

Looking at the pictures of the Kena I'm wondering how it rotates. I can see the grapple is hanging on the boom with chains but is the rotation just what the chains will allow but being that short it seams like it wouldn't want to rotate easily if you wanted to pick up a log that was perpendicular to the tractor. Or is there some form of swivel built into the grapple?

I think it's just suspended by a chain. It self centers by gravity.

 

[nctacoma]

another vote for a skidding winch, You can move more wood per turn with a winch, you aren't limited to just one large stem per trip, you can stay on your wood roads and not track up the forest, you can skid up or down things that you wouldn't be able to drive to with the winch. I am constantly amazed at how much I can pull with my skidding winch. Plus I can focus on keeping the woods roads clear and don't have to worry so much about using my tractor in the woods or impaling something important.