my new Kubota L3130 setup

Rolando · Oct 3, 2005

Hi Alex,
Great pictures, but I wish I could get a grip on posting photos. Did you notice that some of your photos, like the first one, the one of the tree from the stump end, and the long tree without the kiddie pool showing, were all large, while the rest of them were small. Do you know what you did different? Because the resolution looked fine on the big ones, and you could see everything so much better.
Rolando

OrangeAlex · Oct 3, 2005

( Hi Alex,
Great pictures, but I wish I could get a grip on posting photos. Did you notice that some of your photos, like the first one, the one of the tree from the stump end, and the long tree without the kiddie pool showing, were all large, while the rest of them were small. Do you know what you did different? Because the resolution looked fine on the big ones, and you could see everything so much better.
Rolando )

Rolando,

Yes.. I just reposted those.. they all used to be small. Believe it or not that small pictures took about the same disk space but where much better quaility from a JPEG point of view.. I finally decided to go into Photoshop and set JPEG image size to very LOW which allowed me to leave the photo relatively large. In the end the large "low quality" photo takes the same amount of disk space as the small "high quality" photo.

-Alex

crown · Oct 3, 2005

Most Impressive!!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Have a great time and be safe.

SkyPup · Oct 5, 2005

I like the idea of the larger R1's, did the wheels simply bolt on, ie same bolt pattern? I'd like to do the same for our L-3130 as the front R1s really take a beating when the LA723 FEL is loaded with wet sand or something similar, have actually had two or three blow outs from too much FEL weight even with the tires pumped up to 30psi.

The OEM Goodyear Duratorque AG R1 on our L-3130 are 7.2-16's, yours are 8.3-16, and the front tires on the L-5030 are 9.5-16.

I've got an ANBO Grappler that weighs about 850 pounds on our L-39 and TL1000 FEL, I figured it would be too much weight for the L-3130 and LA723 FEL.

RFischer · Oct 5, 2005

That is a truly unbelieveable setup. Makes my little B7500 look like a midget! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

ericbx1500 · Oct 5, 2005

The picture were you said you found another tree for the wood pile it looks like your left front tire is starting to come off the rim.

OrangeAlex · Oct 5, 2005

( I like the idea of the larger R1's, did the wheels simply bolt on, ie same bolt pattern? I'd like to do the same for our L-3130 as the front R1s really take a beating when the LA723 FEL is loaded with wet sand or something similar, have actually had two or three blow outs from too much FEL weight even with the tires pumped up to 30psi.
)
yes, the bolt pattern was the same. no problem.

(

The OEM Goodyear Duratorque AG R1 on our L-3130 are 7.2-16's, yours are 8.3-16, and the front tires on the L-5030 are 9.5-16.
)
Even though the inside diameter is the same the overall outside diamter was larger for the wider tires. This was another reason I decided to swap out the entire L3130 set for the L4330 set. By the way, L4330 tires are made by Titan front and back. 6 Ply both.

(
I've got an ANBO Grappler that weighs about 850 pounds on our L-39 and TL1000 FEL, I figured it would be too much weight for the L-3130 and LA723 FEL. )
Actualy ANBO and Borgford are related. the "BO" in ANBO is Borgford. They had a falling out a while back and Dale Borgford and son started their own business in the same town (Colville, WA). That is why the design of the two grapples, yours and mine are similiar. I am not sure about the actual weight of both grapples. Mine is supposed to be 600#, but the dealer claims it was more like 800# when they weighed it. ANBO's grapple is supposed to be 800# but Dale Borgford told me "well.. that is what they [ANBO] claim, anyways. " Read into that would you will. I was looking at the ANBO grapple and it was 1/2" steel for the tines... when my grapple arrived I measured the tines and they are 3/4 steel.
So I don't know what to beleave anymore. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

OrangeAlex · Oct 5, 2005

( The picture were you said you found another tree for the wood pile it looks like your left front tire is starting to come off the rim. )
Yes, it kind of looks that way doesn't it. It was raining, and the ground was pretty soft that day. The tires sink into the ground a little, when the ground is soft, you are in 4x4 mode, and turning the front wheels sharply.

OrangeAlex · Oct 5, 2005

( That is a truly unbelieveable setup. Makes my little B7500 look like a midget! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif )
I am not sure what to say... except, "thank you" and "however, I am probably a bit more in debt then you are with your B7500." /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I wish I could have bought something cheaper to do the job.
This was more money then I wanted to spend when I first started looking. Originally was looking at 25-30 HP tractors like the CK30 and L3400. I soon realised the for me, I really need a grapple. The L3130 was the smallest tractor I could get that had the lift necessary to lift the grapple and have any sort remain capacity for something inside the grapple. I really didn't think I needed or wanted more HP, just more hydraulics. The L-39 has awesome hydraulics, but that was much more money then I could afford and was a little concerned about the ground clearance and wanted HST. Its funny, how Kubota marketed the L3130. The L3400 is less money and more HP but is less tractor. Strange.

Rolando · Oct 5, 2005

I see from the two manufacturer's web pages that Anbo uses A400 steel while Borgford uses A514 steel. My memory of the structures classes is pretty rusty (no pun intended), but I believe pound for pound A514 is stronger than A400, so even though your tines are 3/8" instead of 1/2" the strength may by comparable while you're grapple is lighter than the Anbo. That's not to speak about what other stresses may be involved or other merits of having the thicker tines. I don't know that one grapple is better than the other, I'm just throwing this out for whatever it's worth.

I wonder what the row was about between Anbo and Borgford? Did he say? I wonder if it was just a money argument, or direction of product or materials? It would be interesting to find out. It looks like both companies are still making great products and have great reputations.

OrangeAlex · Oct 5, 2005

( I see from the two manufacturer's web pages that Anbo uses A400 steel while Borgford uses A514 steel. My memory of the structures classes is pretty rusty (no pun intended), but I believe pound for pound A514 is stronger than A400, so even though your tines are 3/8" instead of 1/2" the strength may by comparable while you're grapple is lighter than the Anbo. That's not to speak about what other stresses may be involved or other merits of having the thicker tines. I don't know that one grapple is better than the other, I'm just throwing this out for whatever it's worth.

I wonder what the row was about between Anbo and Borgford? Did he say? I wonder if it was just a money argument, or direction of product or materials? It would be interesting to find out. It looks like both companies are still making great products and have great reputations. )
Sorry I goofed. I meant that mine is 3/4" not 3/8". you posted before I had a chance to correct my post.

I don't know what the rub was..and Dale js the kind of guy that wouldn't talk bad about the competition. I could tell he was really holding back and trying hard to not say anything negative. He just kind encouraging me to do my research as much as possible. I found it interesting however that he had a hand in designing the ANBO grapple and then started his own company with his own design.

OrangeAlex · Oct 5, 2005

Actually, come to think of it, both ANBO and Borgford where trying to be nice about each other. I believe ANBO is using AR400. While, Borgford is using A514 (alloy). As I understand, it AR400 is harder and abrasion(sp?) resistent if you are going to use it to dig roots out of the ground. The A514 is not as hard but is more flexiable, where the AR400 is more brittle. ANBO told me that I wont bend a tine on there grapple. Well, I can tell you that I already bent one of my tines on my Borgford slightly. I am not sure what would happen if I applied the same load to the ANBO tine. I guess it would snap before it bent.

Rolando · Oct 5, 2005

Well, that shoots MY theory! If your tines are 50% thicker than the AnBo, I don't see how yours could be lighter. Although we haven't talked about grapple width or number of tines. I'm speculating that Thom ('Skypup') got the AnBo 6 ft. 'GR' which weighs 780 lbs. When you add the weight of the skidsteer plate (which isn't included in the AnBo weights in their brochures) that pushes it up into the 800+ lbs. I believe you said you got a 5 ft. grapple? Maybe that's part of the answer.

OrangeAlex · Oct 5, 2005

In the end, I went with the Borgford because it was supposed to be lighter 600#. (according to what's on paper .. er.. on the web pages) .The L3130 does not have the lift of an L-39, else I would have considered the ANBO grapple more. I was afraid that it would be too heavy and not leave much lift capacity for actually doing something useful.

Rolando · Oct 5, 2005

Yeah, I've been struggling with that too. I need a grapple to move tree trunks and whatnot around, and have been concerned about the weight of the grapple verses the loader capacity. In fact, I've been vacillating about what tractor to get because I wanted the loader capacity of the L3130 but the light weight of the B3030. So neither one really fits my needs.

OrangeAlex · Oct 6, 2005

With 5 acres, do you think the grapple need will stick with you long term? If not, you might want to consider renting an excavator with a thumb.

You saw what happened to me and my heavy L3130. I have to buy a second machine now to cut the lawn. argh.

OrangeAlex · Oct 6, 2005

( Well, that shoots MY theory! If your tines are 50% thicker than the AnBo, I don't see how yours could be lighter. Although we haven't talked about grapple width or number of tines. I'm speculating that Thom ('Skypup') got the AnBo 6 ft. 'GR' which weighs 780 lbs. When you add the weight of the skidsteer plate (which isn't included in the AnBo weights in their brochures) that pushes it up into the 800+ lbs. I believe you said you got a 5 ft. grapple? Maybe that's part of the answer. )
looking at Skypup's photo and counting rake tines (11) I would say that is a 66" 5 1/2 foot. Mine is 60" 5 foot. Plus Skypup says that the weight is supposed to be 850# which is consistant with what is stated on skidsteersolutions.com web page for the 66" GR-66. ANBO's 60" is 730#. Which is still 130# more then the Borgford. Like I said, not sure what to believe.

OrangeAlex · Oct 6, 2005

You can tell the difference in width of the rake tines on Skypup's photo vs the photo I had (the close up of the grapple). A definate visable difference. check it out. Anyone got a 1000# scale?? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Rolando · Oct 6, 2005

I've got an AnBo brochure that Terry Anderson sent me and it says the 66" GR weighs 720 lbs. Add 75 lbs for the skidsteer plate and you're barely to 800 lbs. The weight of the 60" GR is 610 lbs, according to the brochure, and again without the skidsteer. I guess Skypup eventually will set us straight on what grapple he got.

Rolando · Oct 6, 2005

I'm thinking that I'll always need to be picking up and moving stuff. If not trees, then branches and brush. And I'm thinking about a light-duty grapple anyway, not in the class of an AnBo or Borgford. The grapple I'm looking at is made fairly locally to here and weighs in the 350 to 400 lb range for a 5 ft. wide. And yes, I had already decided the the L3130 would be too heavy to use for mowing.