Grapple Piranha Root Grapple

[Dougster]

These load calculations can be tricky so the best approach is to make sure you have "excess" capacity for whatever job you are planning.

I think I am going to be okay for most routine tasks... despite the fact that I missed my initial design basis of being able to pick-up and move an 8-ft long, 24-inch ID reinforced concrete pipe section with the grapple... a whopping 1,736 pounds. We are apparently stuck with using chains or straps on that nasty little task. As it was, to save weight and lifting capacity, I compromised from 1/2" tines down to 3/8" tines. No way I was going to go to 1/4". I'd be bending them up almost daily.

Dougster

 

[IslandTractor]

I compromised from 1/2" tines down to 3/8" tines. No way I was going to go to 1/4". I'd be bending them up almost daily.

I don't know of any grapple with 1/4" tines. Mine has 3/8 inch.

1736lbs: while you cannot lift that to full height, you should be able to lift that off the ground to move it. Have you tried?

 

[Dougster]

I don't know of any grapple with 1/4" tines. Mine has 3/8 inch.

Perhaps I used the wrong term as most tines are, in fact, reinforced in some way up front. I should have just said 1/4" construction like the Millonzi Light Duty Root Grapple (one of my personal favorites in the lightweight category):

Untitled Document

1736lbs: while you cannot lift that to full height, you should be able to lift that off the ground to move it. Have you tried?

Nope. That particular drainage project was cancelled when the land purchase fell through. Still, it seemed like a reasonable criteria at the time... until the reality of heavy-duty grapple weights sunk in.

Dougster

 

[IslandTractor]

Perhaps I used the wrong term as most tines are, in fact, reinforced in some way up front. I should have just said 1/4" construction like the Millonzi Light Duty Root Grapple (one of my personal favorites in the lightweight category):

Untitled Document

That is my grapple (48" LD Millonzi) and it has 3/8 inch tines. Perhaps there is some lateral reinforcement bracket that is 1/4 inch or 5/16" but the business end of the grapple is definitely 3/8 inch.

 

[Dougster]

That is my grapple (48" LD Millonzi) and it has 3/8 inch tines. Perhaps there is some lateral reinforcement bracket that is 1/4 inch or 5/16" but the business end of the grapple is definitely 3/8 inch.

Well, I've got to admit it... you've stumped me good. You are the Guru, you actually own one and now I am totally confused. Sadly, I didn't save any of the detailed specs on any of the lightweight grapples I was considering at the time.

All I know right now is that my 66" grapple... where not reinforced... is basically 3/8" steel construction and weighs 635 lbs. Those boasting full 1/2" construction were all close to 800 pounds and up.

The Millonzi light duty root grapple in 66" is said to be 421 lbs. How they do that without using mostly 1/4" steel is beyond me. Maybe it's in the spacing and other construction details... I just don't know. But if that light duty Millonzi is truly built as solid and sturdy as mine... I just lost over 200 lbs of lifting capacity for nothing.

Dougster

 

[IslandTractor]

There is something odd here as my 48" grapple with a single upper jaw weighs 285lbs. The 66" Millonzi LD with double jaws weighs 421lbs and must be made with the same gauge steel as mine. However, your Piranha weighs more than 200lbs more than the LD 66" Millonzi. Something ain't right.

I've attached the closest up photo I have of my grapple. It is 80 miles away so I cannot run out and confirm the measurements. There is no reference point however so one can just 'eyeball' the steel thickness.

Did Millonzi tell you their LD versions were 1/4 inch?? I only have a vague recollection being told they were 3/8 inch but they sure seem that thick to me up close.

 

[IslandTractor]

TI've attached the closest up photo I have of my grapple.

Just measuring on the computer screen and taking into account that the photo is from an angle, it looks as though the grapple tines are about 3/8inches wide (Using a line legal pad I get 27 lines on paper =48" overall grapple size, one tine is about 1/4th the width of a "line" on writing paper so if one line on writing paper = X then width of tine is roughly (48/27) divided by 4 = 0.44. That is closer to 3/8 than 1/4.

I'll PM Joe@MI and ask him to confirm it.

 

[Dougster]

Did Millonzi tell you their LD versions were 1/4 inch? I only have a vague recollection being told they were 3/8 inch but they sure seem that thick to me up close.

I looked at a lot of grapples from a lot of different sources before I made my decision. Many were through a certain large auction site and the information posted there was not always accurate. At the time, it was tough to get much information on the Millonzi light duty grapples... one of my top choices when I was mainly looking at 72" widths... as their website was not complete. Things have improved a lot in just a few months!

The bottom line is that I am going 100% by (my faulty old) memory. I could easily be mixing up my numbers here.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

Just measuring on the computer screen and taking into account that the photo is from an angle, it looks as though the grapple tines are about 3/8inches wide (Using a line legal pad I get 27 lines on paper =48" overall grapple size, one tine is about 1/4th the width of a "line" on writing paper so if one line on writing paper = X then width of tine is roughly (48/27) divided by 4 = 0.44. That is closer to 3/8 than 1/4. I'll PM Joe@MI and ask him to confirm it.

They do appear to be 3/8 inch if I had to guess. All I can say is that the difference must be in the spacing and backbone. 200+ pounds of difference has got to be somewhere!

Dougster

 

[IslandTractor]

There is still 200lbs of steel to be accounted for in your grapple You sure you don't have 1/2 inch tines?

 

[Dougster]

There is still 200lbs of steel to be accounted for in your grapple You sure you don't have 1/2 inch tines?

Ha!!! Nope... 3/8 inch all through the middle... admittedly heavily reinforced up front. I also just noticed that the outside rows (each side) appear to be 5/8" and not 1/2" as I had thought. But it's very cold and very dark out in that garage right now... so forgive me if I am off a bit. My hand and the ruler were shaking so much I could barely read the numbers. For all I know I've got 1/2 inch outside tines and just a lot of thick black paint!!!

But half inch all around? No way. It would be pushing close to 800 lbs and you know I had to stay under 700 pounds to meet my goals.

Dougster

 

[LaVita]

From the Piranha web site:

Our grapple is constructed out of A36 steel. It has 1/2" Sides, 3/8" middles and 5/8" tongs.

Chuck

 

[LaVita]

OK, hot off the press. Just talked to Anita at Piranha. The tongs are 3/4". The web site is wrong. The weights are:

60" - 620 lbs
66" - 660 lbs
72" - 720 lbs

Chuck

 

[Dougster]

OK, hot off the press. Just talked to Anita at Piranha. The tongs are 3/4". The web site is wrong. The weights are:
60" - 620 lbs
66" - 660 lbs
72" - 720 lbs
Chuck

Very Interesting. Made me go back and find the e-mail they sent me while I was still shopping back in December. Here are the weights I was given at that time:

60 inch 613 lbs
66 inch 635 lbs
72 inch 701 lbs

The small difference could be anything... adding hoses and couplings, shipping weight on pallet vs. net weight... minor design changes... who knows?

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

From the Piranha web site: Our grapple is constructed out of A36 steel. It has 1/2" Sides, 3/8" middles and 5/8" tongs.

Just talked to Anita at Piranha. The tongs are 3/4". The web site is wrong.

Something tells me they may vary (improve?) the design in small ways with each new batch.

Dougster

 

[North GA]

Flintlock

Can you post a link to the 48" Piranha grapple for $700.00. I can't seem to find it on their website.

 

[LaVita]

North GA, I think that was the Millonzi not the Piranha.

 

[flINTLOCK]

My bad. That price was 48" root grapple seen @ Dehnerwelding.com. I was looking at Piranha and their products in same time frame and mixed them up. Still, Dehner product seems good for the $$

 

[diyDave]

Talk to piranha. These guys will make anything you want them to. I custom ordered a 4' grapple with a single cylinder and double fork for about $1050 (3 or 4 years ago). The piranha that I have in my ASV looks like it could chew up the other one pictured a couple of posts ago. Look at the hinge pivots- bolts on the light one 1-1/2" pins with grease fittings on the piranha.

 

[IslandTractor]

The question is not who can make the toughest heaviest grapple, the more relevant issue is what size, weight, style and build of grapple is optimal for CUTs. Skid steers generally are more powerful than CUT FELs and do different types of work. I haven't heard of anyone on TBN complaining that they "used up" or destroyed their grapple or grapple bucket. It would be silly to pay more or lug around a heavier grapple than necessary to get the job done.