Grapple north american implements vs. wildkat grapple

[731marty]

Ok all you more experienced guys, can anyone enlighten me on any major differences in these two grapples besides price? Looking for a 48 in. single cylinder grapple to go on a Kubota L3800 with a LA524 loader. I understand many of you run the wildkats and like them and I've also read good things about north american implement grapples. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of either or both? THANKS!!! I love this site!!!!

 

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

Ok all you more experienced guys, can anyone enlighten me on any major differences in these two grapples besides price? Looking for a 48 in. single cylinder grapple to go on a Kubota L3800 with a LA524 loader. I understand many of you run the wildkats and like them and I've also read good things about north american implement grapples.

Never heard of North American Implement. Do you have a link to their site?

I have the 48" econo wildkat on my loader and I love the size and the weight. The thing is a terrific value if you call and talk to Anita and get a good price (the price on the website seems to be just a suggestion).


HH

 

[Red Horse]

Never heard of North American Implement. Do you have a link to their site?

I have the 48" econo wildkat on my loader and I love the size and the weight. The thing is a terrific value if you call and talk to Anita and get a good price (the price on the website seems to be just a suggestion).


HH

Ditto- thing is great value. Don't know anything about North American but there is nothing about the Wildkat that I could be critical of. In this day and age it is not often that you find something that so many people are impressed by its value.

 

[731marty]

North American Implements

 

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

Overall the specs on the NAI implements look comparable or better than the Wildkat products to me. And they advertise Amercian made cylinders which will probably hold up better than the Chinese made one on my Wildkat. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly satisfied in the value of the Wildkat. I'll get many years of good use out of it, and as Red Horse said, there's nothing to knock about it.

Any ideas about NAI prices? They're not listed on their site, and I'd bet they're more expensive than the Wildkat, but it seems like you'll get what you pay for.

 

[Red Horse]

Overall the specs on the NAI implements look comparable or better than the Wildkat products to me. And they advertise Amercian made cylinders which will probably hold up better than the Chinese made one on my Wildkat. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly satisfied in the value of the Wildkat. I'll get many years of good use out of it, and as Red Horse said, there's nothing to knock about it.

Any ideas about NAI prices? They're not listed on their site, and I'd bet they're more expensive than the Wildkat, but it seems like you'll get what you pay for.

Does look good and it does have grease fittings. And give it a plus for the American made cylinder. On the negative side, five tines vs 8 on the Wildkat and 2 top tines vs. 3 on Wildkat.

I can say with the stuff I was handling today, Wildkat with its higher tine count would have done a better job. and I also recognize that the more steel in the grapple, the less material capacity-but I'll still go with the durability and ability to retain more smaller pieces/branches/roots.

 

[731marty]

NAI quoted me a price of $1016 on 48 in. Single cylinder and weighs in at about 400 lbs.

 

[foggy1111]

Just my observation on the elephant in the room......

I have a Gator grapple....but thought I was purchasing a Markham product at the time I bought it. Now there are other name brands coming from this same area of the country.

It occurs to me like any number of folks in NC are fighting over the grapple / tractor attachment biz. They all seem well fairly well made - but low-cost pieces. Kinda a Hatfield / McCoy thing? Interesting.

 

[Red Horse]

NAI quoted me a price of $1016 on 48 in. Single cylinder and weighs in at about 400 lbs.

At that price, given I paid 667 delivered to MA., no doubt in my mind I would go for the Wildkat. By the way, I read some comments that their JD system was not the best fit so I got 50 bucks off and got mine without the mounts. I bought the JD hooks/pins and welded them on myself.

No nasty comments about my welding skills-I don't have any!:laughing:

 

[Reg]

NAI quoted me a price of $1016 on 48 in. Single cylinder and weighs in at about 400 lbs.

Ouch, that doesn't compare to what I have heard for WildKat.
(~150% ?)

OK, so a bent or broken cheap implement can cost more than one that doesn't bend/break as easily, I get that.
The WildKats SEEM to be of adequate strength - and SOMETIMES it just may be better to bend the grapple than the FEL frame ? (-:

Not that every "incident" results in predictable damage, or that it is an either/or thing between the grapple and the FEL frame.