trail clearing technique and tools

Rockbadchild · Sunday at 7:56 AM

ArlyA said:
We are looking at a used 2017 JD 4044r with 800 hours now at our regional dealership. Has the power beyond option for a BH, a skid steer type attachment mount on the loader. Comes with a bucket and forks. Would need to add the circuit to the loader to power the grapple. (cost 1K to add) and a roof grapple of sorts.... Has cab.

a grappler for trail clearing is amazing... you can use the power beyond to add a other valve in series to power the grappler that would only cost you a valve and a few hydraulic line which is like $300... if you buy a valve with power beyond you will still have one available.

shooterdon · Sunday at 9:13 AM

Arly, when I got my machine, I added the third function for the grapple and the extra $700 was worth it. I use my grapple a lot for handling logs and I process about 35 cords a year.

We had a bad ice storm last spring (no powder for 17 days) and I helped neighbors clear 2.5 miles of our county road so we could get out and cleared the downed trees/branches on their properties. The grapple was a god send and I am the only guy with a grapple.

You posted the EA grapple, and it is likely the best grapple out there, but it is priced accordingly. My MTL grapple is one of the least expensive and has done a lot of work with no issues at all. It cost $1000 when I got it and is now $1800:

MTL RG-7 HD Root Grapples 60" & 72" Models - Black or Orange — MTL Attachments

Brand New Built in the USA Skid Steer Universal Quick Attach RG-7 Root Grapple ***LIMITED 150 PRODUCTION per Month OF RG7 MODELS*** Highest quality Construction - BUILT IN THE USA Only 150 of the RG7 Grapples will be made each Month to be sold- This includes all sizes and Models of the RG7

www.mtlattachments.com

My tractor has more lift capacity than the JD 4044 (2700 lbs at the pins) and I have not damaged the grapple. But I don't do stupid things either. Well, I lifted the rears trying to lift a log that was way too big.

You can likely get the MTL plus the third function for the cost of the EA Wicked grapple.

Back to the third function. The extra $700 was easy for me to justify. When I got my machine I figured I would be using it for another 15 years. $50/year. Plus, I added a tree/post puller and was thinking about a hydraulic front blade. This year I will be replacing my pallet forks with hydraulicly adjustable forks. Another place where a third function is the cat's ass.

shooterdon · Sunday at 2:06 PM

Why is grapple and EA highlighted and linked to EA?

Cut this crap out please. I have no desire to support EA.

Milo · Sunday at 2:49 PM

ArlyA said:
We are looking at a used 2017 JD 4044r with 800 hours now at our regional dealership. Has the power beyond option for a BH, a skid steer type attachment mount on the loader. Comes with a bucket and forks. Would need to add the circuit to the loader to power the grapple. (cost 1K to add) and some root grapple.... Has cab.

That's like a nice size tractor for use on your trails, I don't think I'd want any larger. I wouldn't want a cab for woods work because many places I'm in are too tight and sometimes I end up getting on and off often. I don't need AC in summer and in winter I just wear my insulated 1-piece suit and enjoy the outdoors.
But you may benefit from a cab tractor there in winter.

Rockbadchild · Sunday at 3:20 PM

I would also get a brush cutter with it, that will save you lots of wiper snipper.

ArlyA · Sunday at 3:43 PM

Rockbadchild said:
I would also get a brush cutter with it, that will save you lots of wiper snipper.

We are. Just didn't mention it.

airbiscuit · Sunday at 4:57 PM

Now that you have your own camp/trails, what will happen to the trails you put so many volunteer hours into?

ArlyA · Monday at 7:57 AM

These root grapples are sure heavy! Looking at the style with the rear cylinders and as narrow models as we can get.

groundcover · Monday at 9:35 AM

I have one of their quick claw mini grapples for the Witch, one of several items from them. Great product, great to deal with.

Tractor | Grapples

The swiss army knife you've been looking for. We offer grapples to tailor to your tractor, budget, and the job at hand. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call us at 1-866-428-8224 or request a quote.

quickattach.com

ArlyA · 2026-02-25T08:31:19-0500

What style of debris grapples are you folks using? Like to move rocks stumps, logs and slash with one and of course, one version is not best at all jobs. Its a compromise.

RobertEH · 2026-02-25T11:56:26-0500

I picked up a stinger grapple end of last year. LOVE IT. Exactly what I wanted. My use cases are moving large rocks, logs and brush.

https://stingerattachments.com/buy/ccg-56-compact-clam-grapple/

RobertEH · 2026-02-25T11:58:22-0500

I feel like for Brush, a single top clamp would be better than the independent clamps on mine. I find that brush often ends up between the two top clamps and is unsecured. But give my other use case having the independent clamps is worth it.

ArlyA · 2026-02-25T11:59:49-0500

RobertEH said:
I feel like for Brush, a single top clamp would be better than the independent clamps on mine. I find that brush often ends up between the two top clamps and is unsecured. But give my other use case having the independent clamps is worth it.

I was thinking single clamp top as well. What HP is your LS?

EscapedSuburbia · 2026-02-25T12:05:35-0500

I have the 55" Everything Attachments on my 35hp Kubota and it's stood up to a lot of abuse. A big part of why I bought it is its light weight because I have limited loader capacity so I didn't want a heavy grapple taking way from what I could lift. Although I'm overall happy with it, if I had it to do over again I'd go with the style where the bottom "jaw" sticks out more horizontally. That would make it easier to scoop stuff up, especially brush. If I had more lift capacity I'd also go for the double lid style. That would allow it to better grip tapered logs and also pick up multiples of things like firewood sized pieces. With only one upper lid it's tough to pick up more than one thing at a time.

I'm not unhappy with what I have and I've used it a ton, but if I had it to do over and had more lift capacity I'd choose differently.

ArlyA · 2026-02-25T12:11:05-0500

This tomahawk weights 400+lbs and got lots of fork length. 66" wide. Might me be more fork than I'd like.....

Milo · 2026-02-25T14:38:31-0500

EscapedSuburbia said:
I have the 55" Everything Attachments on my 35hp Kubota and it's stood up to a lot of abuse. A big part of why I bought it is its light weight because I have limited loader capacity so I didn't want a heavy grapple taking way from what I could lift. Although I'm overall happy with it, if I had it to do over again I'd go with the style where the bottom "jaw" sticks out more horizontally. That would make it easier to scoop stuff up, especially brush......

That's what I went with as well, I think mine's just under 300#. It's done everything I've asked of it from digging up rocks, carrying logs (I don't like the idea of dragging them in the dirt), to moving limbs and brush.

Bearsixty7 · 2026-02-25T15:31:10-0500

I bought the Everything Attachments Wicked 60" Root Rake Grapple back in 2020 or 2021 for the 40 hp LS and it has held up well. It is one of the strongest yet lightest as it is made with Hardox.
I have recently been using it on my 75hp tractor and it is an ox!

I have not used it for anything where I think a dual lid would be better, there may have been a couple times the longer lower tine version might have worked better, but most of the time it has worked beyond expectations.

Catawba is the only other one I would consider equivalent or close from what I have read.