Seeking Grapple Wisdom

[Weedy Fields]

One thing I did'nt think about when I got my grapple was the max opening/grabbing dia.
I bought mine for moving rocks to make a rock wall. I had a couple rocks that were too big to grab around.
They where maybe 1-1 1/2 ft thick by approx 4 ft in dia..
I could grab them on the thin way but they were too heavy and the would slide out of the grapple.
I could not get the grapple around them to clamp them on the 4ft dia.
I ended up just putting a sling on them and then I could lift and move them.

Maybe with more operator expertise I'd be able to grab them and lift them but I felt the slings where the quickest and easiest way to get them moved at the time.

The grapple I have does not have teeth that match, the grapple lid and base teeth are opposite each other so the tips go past each other slightly.
I can't pick up anything small while standing up. Maybe 3-4 inches round I can. I have tried pulling stumps with the grapple and I can't. They are just too tight in the ground. Type of soil is a big factor I imagine. I can grab them but I just can't get them out of the ground. Again maybe more operator expertise is req'd.

Here is a link to the grapple I have.

55" John Deere Compact Grapple - Compact Tractor Attachments

they guy is local to me so went over and picked it up.
no complaints so far.

 

[DieselBound]

Weedy, what's the max opening on that grapple?

Unless the stump's roots are amply severed you're going to have issues with popping it out. Even with an excavator you're best digging well down and around the stump. If I'm not using an excavator to bust out roots it's my tractor+box blade with rippers: the stump then waits for an excavator to pluck out (when I get my NX5510 and a grapple I'll be able to reduce my dependencies on excavators, a bit).

There will always be something that will be beyond the spec of a given piece of equipment's ability. The right piece of equipment is the one that is able to handle the bulk of what is needed to be done (never will one be able to do everything).

 

[Weedy Fields]

Weedy, what's the max opening on that grapple?

32" at the tips, maybe 33ish about 4-5 inches in from the tips.

 

[paulfun9]

I got a 66" tomahawk. I am happy with it, appears well built. And happy I saved quite a bit of money.

If your not out abusing them everyday the Tomahawk grapples are well worth the money. One of mine is actually a Tomahawk rock bucket with the grapple on it and its well worth the 1000.00 I paid for it. Especially when you consider just the rock bucket by itself that I originally went to buy was only 200 less.

 

[IslandTractor]

Go small, go light, go single lid. Save your money for other attachments. You'll have more net lift capacity to boot. Mine is 48", about 300lbs. Opening width is about 42-44" as I recall. Made by Millonzi who went out of business when the owner died quite a few years ago.

My grapple cost me $500 and is as basic as you can get. If I had to do it over again I'd get the same thing except that I like the much better designed and wider EA upper grapple arm. Someday I may try to convince EA to sell me just the upper arm and replace mine. Still, I've had my grapple for ten years and beat the crap out of it. The bottom is missing paint but otherwise in original shape. The upper arm has been twisted a bit but works fine. This is how I twisted the upper arm: (note that only one tine is touching the 2000lb rock which was not simply lifted but actually pulled out of the ground in one lift...I thought it was smaller as only the tip was showing)

 

[DieselBound]

Go small, go light, go single lid. Save your money for other attachments. You'll have more net lift capacity to boot. Mine is 48", about 300lbs. Opening width is about 42-44" as I recall. Made by Millonzi who went out of business when the owner died quite a few years ago.

My grapple cost me $500 and is as basic as you can get. If I had to do it over again I'd get the same thing except that I like the much better designed and wider EA upper grapple arm. Someday I may try to convince EA to sell me just the upper arm and replace mine. Still, I've had my grapple for ten years and beat the crap out of it. The bottom is missing paint but otherwise in original shape. The upper arm has been twisted a bit but works fine. This is how I twisted the upper arm: (note that only one tine is touching the 2000lb rock which was not simply lifted but actually pulled out of the ground in one lift...I thought it was smaller as only the tip was showing)

Why mention your cost and the make when it's not possible to get one anymore? This tends to distort today's reality for those looking to get one today.

Yes, absolutely, get a grapple that's designed FOR CUTs. Heavy "HD" skid steer grapples might be better for clobbering stuff with but they're not going to allow you pick up more stuff.

I'd already mentioned it, but sometimes there IS a reason for wider grapples. Thank goodness that manufacturers understand that there are different needs and that they manufacture to meet them.

Present data. Present how one uses what one has (the good, the bad) and then let people decide.

 

[IslandTractor]

Why mention your cost and the make when it's not possible to get one anymore? This tends to distort today's reality for those looking to get one today. Yes, absolutely, get a grapple that's designed FOR CUTs. Heavy "HD" skid steer grapples might be better for clobbering stuff with but they're not going to allow you pick up more stuff. I'd already mentioned it, but sometimes there IS a reason for wider grapples. Thank goodness that manufacturers understand that there are different needs and that they manufacture to meet them. Present data. Present how one uses what one has (the good, the bad) and then let people decide.

I presented the cost because when I bought it WRLong was selling grapples that started at about $1500. There has been way more inflation in grapple prices than steel or labor in the past ten years. And, CAD design and cutting systems have cut the hours of labor necessary as well as steel waste substantially over that time period.

Beware of the cheap vendors using 1/8" tubing but any simple grapple made of mild 3/8" steel and 1/4" tube will last decades. Nobody sells their cheap grapple to buy a heavier wider one. A few folks who bought large grapples regret it as they were sold grapples intended for skidsteer use. CUTs aren't skidsteers and more importantly are not used the same way.

Small is beautiful.

 

[DieselBound]

Island, there's no disputing the fact that inflation is taking hold: did anyone expect any different with the Fed jamming money into the banks?

I'd read in some other thread where someone had a 900 lb grapple on their CUT. I have you and others to thank for ensuring that I made the right choice for my (new) tractor: EA Wicked Grapple.

Size that is matched to your needs is beautiful.

 

[IslandTractor]

Island, there's no disputing the fact that inflation is taking hold: did anyone expect any different with the Fed jamming money into the banks? I'd read in some other thread where someone had a 900 lb grapple on their CUT. I have you and others to thank for ensuring that I made the right choice for my (new) tractor: EA Wicked Grapple. Size that is matched to your needs is beautiful.

Many dealers persist in recommending that CUT owners buy grapple sizes more appropriate for skidsteers. I don't know if it is ignorance or avarice. And, as virtually nobody buys more than one grapple in a lifetime (xfaxman excepted) everyone buying a grapple is pretty naive. It seems to make sense to buy a grapple the same width as your standard bucket but only if you don't bother to think about grapple physics and uses.

So, congrats on a new grapple. I hope you will join in educating future CUT owners about grapple sizing and uses.

 

[paulfun9]

Please entertain me by telling me why the physics I used when I chose a 72" grapple for the majority of use on my DK is wrong? Grapples just like tractor options, attachments and HP are all relative to both the person using them as well as the jobs that user is going to do with them and the one theory (just like yours on HP) isn't the correct one for everybody.