L3400 Grapple?

[gmeyer1198]

Hello all,

I think Im going to pull the trigger on a L3400 this week w/ backhoe and am wondering if this tractor is large enough to mount a light med duty grapple onto? I've got about 10 acres of mt land that I need to bury many feet of drain tile around the house and have already spend thousands on Heavy Duty tractor work and now need one to clean up clear the woods and use around the house and maintain my 3/8 mile rock drive. I'll be on hills and in the woods is really why Im thinking of going with the 3400 but I really need the grapple for the fall down from recent timbering clean up. Your thoughts?

Thank you

 

[Ductape]

You tractor will do well with a light duty grapple.Many members here have them on similarly sized tractors. I suggest using the search function and search the word 'grapple' for lotsof reading on them. There are several manufacturers who make lighter grapples, such as W.R. Long, and Markham........as well as grapples to add onto your original bucket. Check them out.

 

[Altex]

I agree. Do searches as this topic has come up before.

Also, here's another thing to consider. Adding a "skid steer adapter to the FEL as it will open up a lot of attachments to you."

"Tach-all Quick Attach" seems to come up often, something I'm considering. And, they have grapples. Click on the PDF brochure on this website.
ATI Corporation - Tach-All(tm) Quick Attach

 

[Samandothers]

A light duty grapple may weigh 400 to 450 give or take some. My 60" light duty is about 450 to 500 lbs. If you place a grapple on the 3400 and the LA463 you quickly reduce the amount of load you can lift. If possible look at going to the L4400 or Grand L to gain some tractor weight and lift capacity. I have a L4240 I use in the Blue Ridge mountains and it moves well in the trees and in the hills given normal caution.

 

[gmeyer1198]

Thanks for the feedback. I've got a great dealer nearby and he's coming out this week to look at the work Im planning on doing and giving his input. He wasn't real keen on the grapple thing though. I think I will go with a little larger though as I have a lot of rocks (300-600 lbs) that Im using for landscaping.

 

[HCJ]

A grapple is the most useful implement I own, especially for clean up of debris, removal of brush and small trees, and moving rocks. By all means, if you forsee doing these tasks, get one! The important consideration is the lift capacity of your loader. You will need a quick attach (ATI Tach-All) and a 48" Markham light duty grapple. This combination will weigh about 450 pounds (I am estimating), so it seems you need about 1500 lbs. lift capacity on your FEL to be effective. If I were buying a tractor, this would be the criteria for sizing it. Believe me, the grapple will be your favorite tool!

 

[Altex]

A light duty grapple may weigh 400 to 450 give or take some. My 60" light duty is about 450 to 500 lbs...

Here's a Light Grapple Kit you could attach to your Current FEL.
ATI Corporation - Grapple Kit Images
It would be much lighter than the grapple they're mentioning above.

 

[TRUST]

You might try reading this thread. I just added a grapple recently. I have been very satisfied with this particular one. It was the cheapest and the lightest(but built very strong) that I could find. In all, including reinforcing the bucket, It's about 125lbs. I'm sure your bucket will be bigger than mine and the grapple you will need will be bigger and heavier though. It's called "the thumb" from Greens machine shop. Either way, whether you add a grapple or go the full route, it is a awesome attachment that adds a new dimension to the usefulness of your tractor. I do a lot of brush and timber clean-up. I'm amazed at how big of logs this thing will hold. The grapple is not the weak link, it is the lift capacity of my loader.

Grapple thread

The Thumb

 

[HCJ]

One more thought, I see the lift capacity of the LA703A is 1543 lbs. That's plenty for what you are describing. With the Markham grapple, those 500 lb. rocks could be picked up effortlessly and placed anywhere you want them. I just did that all weekend. Tried to pick one up with my bucket and just pushed it around trying to get under it, changed to my grapple and picked it up as easily as reaching out and grabbing it. You don't need one wider than 48", any wider just unnecessarily increases weight and give little or no advantage. Also I am not sure what QA if any is available on the LA703. If it is not skid steer compatible, I would get it without a bucket (your dealer can sell them this way, i just bought one) and get the Tach-All (yeah, it's kind of expensive but really well made and expands the range of implements you can use) and order a skid steer QA bucket from Markham instead of a Kubota bucket. It's way cheaper, well made, and by ordering both a bucket and grapple, they will discount cost and shipping. Oh, it's black, not orange. However, in my opinion, my bucket sits in my barn, and my grapple lives on my tractor. If you are not moving materials (gravel, sand, mulch) you really don't need a bucket. You will also need a pin kit from ATI to attach the QA to your loader arms (a bolt kit, costs about $90.) I just did all of these things after much research here, and I couldn't be happier. My tractor is bigger (M-6800) so I got a little heavier grapple in a 48", but I have seen the Markham light duty and it would do anything mine could. Check out Islandtractor's posts on grapples. You may also consider a box blade. It complements a grapple by smoothing up where you have been working, and adds ballast to the rear. A grapple on the front and a box on the rear is a land clearing dream. Hope this helps. If any other questions arise, please ask.

 

[Jw5875]

Here's my L3400 with WR Long grapple and Woods BX 80 hoe.


jw5875