Need help deciding on a grapple

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Exactly. Make the opening a bit higher too.

Yes, that too.

And don't price it up in the $1,800 - $2,000 range. There are already a lot choices in that range.

 

[Piston]

That's a pretty sweet set up .... I ordered the Titan 48" grapple earlier today... All I have to do now is order my hoses and fittings tonight!!! I can't wait to test it out next week!!!

Congrats! Your gonna wonder how you ever got along without it!

 

[shibaura_4043]

Thanks!!!

 

[shibaura_4043]

I still haven't ordered my hoses bc I cant decide on the size... you guys who ran 1/2" was it easy to route?? I know that 1/2" stuff is a less flexible than 3/8".... my pump puts out 11 gpm is it worth it to go ahead an run 1/2" for the possibility of running a PHD? It looks like the hoses leading to the rear remotes are 3/8" will I be doing any good if I upgrade my lines to the grapple to 1/2" when 3/8" is feeding the rear remotes? seems like the volume wouldn't change much but Im not sure.

 

[TomSeller]

I still haven't ordered my hoses bc I cant decide on the size... you guys who ran 1/2" was it easy to route?? I know that 1/2" stuff is a less flexible than 3/8".... my pump puts out 11 gpm is it worth it to go ahead an run 1/2" for the possibility of running a PHD? It looks like the hoses leading to the rear remotes are 3/8" will I be doing any good if I upgrade my lines to the grapple to 1/2" when 3/8" is feeding the rear remotes? seems like the volume wouldn't change much but Im not sure.

Per the attached 1/2" will drop about 1.3 psi per foot and 3/8" will drop 5.5 psi per foot at around 11 GPM. Neither is huge over say a 15' hose when you are starting at over 2000 psi (20 or 83 psi drop) but every PSI counts. If you want to tuck it around every bend real tight, 1/2" will be difficult, but not bad as far as I am concerned.

http://www.jhf.com/catalog_v6/1362.pdf

 

[brewdog]

I bought this style Grapple for my needs. Worked great on brush and limbs for clean up. While moving logs I realized the tines needed reinforced and the tips would bend. No more bending since they were reinforced on top and bottom.

 

[jcummins]

I still haven't ordered my hoses bc I cant decide on the size... you guys who ran 1/2" was it easy to route?? I know that 1/2" stuff is a less flexible than 3/8".... my pump puts out 11 gpm is it worth it to go ahead an run 1/2" for the possibility of running a PHD? It looks like the hoses leading to the rear remotes are 3/8" will I be doing any good if I upgrade my lines to the grapple to 1/2" when 3/8" is feeding the rear remotes? seems like the volume wouldn't change much but Im not sure.

I ran 1/2" front to back on my previous tractor. The grapple had 1/4" leads.

It was tight getting it in a spot below the seat and above the rear axle. I may go 3/8" this time on the M7040 I just bought.

 

[IslandTractor]

Per the attached 1/2" will drop about 1.3 psi per foot and 3/8" will drop 5.5 psi per foot at around 11 GPM. Neither is huge over say a 15' hose when you are starting at over 2000 psi (20 or 83 psi drop) but every PSI counts. If you want to tuck it around every bend real tight, 1/2" will be difficult, but not bad as far as I am concerned. http://www.jhf.com/catalog_v6/1362.pdf

90 degree bends are the challenge with stiff hose like 1/2". The connection to the rear remote fitting can easily be done by including a simple 90 degree angle fitting right after the quick connect. The trickier bend is under the operator station when the hose needs to make an abrupt 90 degree change of direction to go up the FEL mount post. One solution would be to use two hoses with a 90 deg elbow right at that point. Some folks do it with quick connects at that point but that just adds expense if you are not removing the loader frequently. I don't think most of us remove the loader often enough to justify qc at that juncture.

3/8" hose is however flexible enough to make a reasonably sharp bend at the FEL post. Unless you plan to run a snowblower or hydraulic auger off the FEL I'd go with 3/8 as the best compromise between toughness and flexibility to run a grapple off the rear remote.

 

[Xfaxman]

I bought this style Grapple for my needs. Worked great on brush and limbs for clean up. While moving logs I realized the tines needed reinforced and the tips would bend. No more bending since they were reinforced on top and bottom.

Your reinforcement looks good. What brand is the grapple?

 

[jcummins]

I sure wish you guys would make a 50" grapple just like the compact grapple, but make it with thicker material and rate it for tractors over 35hp. I keep looking at that little one and thinking it would be perfect size for a lot of us with 45hp or 50hp tractors, but just needs to be a little beefier. And the extra weight would be no big deal with the extra lifting capacity of our loaders.

4 years ago I had Markham build their light duty grapple with 1/2" stock and extra spacers to close up the bottom. Now NAI will make this grapple on special request, and I intend to order one just like it after the first of the year (no money now).