Grapple Westendorf BC4000 Brush Crusher

schutte · Apr 11, 2014

Westendorf BC4000 Brush Crusher

I started searching for some sort of grapple attachment for my NH TC33D after we had a devastating ice storm here in NC. I had 20 trees down (mostly cedar and cypress) and numerous branches down in my yard. I try to keep about 8 acres regularly mowed and with all else I need to do I knew it would be into the summer before I got it all cleaned up.
I lost my help with the kids moving out and I am not in my early years anymore so I started looking for another implement! I called two local dealers and they worked up some setups for me. Mostly grapple buckets with a third remote. Price was between $2500 - $3500 which I knew would be tough for the wife to swallow.
There was post on TBN for 田laws that seemed interesting. There was not much detail or a user review but supposedly they did not require a 3rd remote and were about ｽ the price of the grapple bucket setups. I logged onto the Westendorf website and viewed their brush cutter series and video and was convinced this was it! My local tractor dealership was listed as a Westendorf dealer (mostly for their buckets) and they talked to the guys out at Westendorf and he thought they would work. I ordered directly from Westendorf since there is not tax for IA farm equipment.
Popped the pins off on my NH 7308 bucket and mounted these claws in about 30 min (they are about 120 lbs ea) and went to work. I grabbed whole downed trees that I had cut into about 20 sections and started carrying them down and plopping on the burn pile. The claws worked perfectly with only the bucket cylinders opening and closing them. The pivot joints on the claws were just right so that I could open them to grab a whole pile (5 grasp) and smash it down with the lift hydraulics while closing the claws. Or I could open them up just a bit and reach into a tree with one claw to grab out a broken main branch.
I have not seen any twist or stress on them. I致e picked up heavy enough loads that lifted up my backend (even with weighted tires and a scrape blade on the 3pt). I love them and will be tempted to see what they can do on the stumps once I get more trees up.
The only complaint I have is the lousy paint job. A lot of it came off on the shipping pallet and someone decided to grind down one of the claws a bit more AFTER it was painted. It wasn稚 Ford blue anyway so no big deal. One zerk was missing, again no big deal.

schutte · Apr 14, 2014

I finished up the cleanup! Wife says this was one of my best purchases for maintaining

our land.

The "claws" worked better that I could have imagined in grabbing out main branches broken of and hanging in some of the trees. I am posting a few pic's. My loader arms were not extended in one of the pic's and it looks like the tree is on my grill - but its not. On a few pickups I had to go backwards to get the load to the burn pile since the branches were so long and would get hung up under the wheels otherwise.

AaronS · Apr 14, 2014

Looks like a handy unit, but looks like it won't work with ssqa. That's a bummer.

bigballer · Apr 14, 2014

that's a really interesting design, first time I've seen that. looks like it's working out great for you! i love my wildkat grapple it sure makes cleanup easier and i find new uses for it all the time, this weekend i used it to stabilize a 12' ladder so i could get high enough to reach some branches with my pole saw..

Lunk · Apr 14, 2014

I've said it before, and will say it again:

Grapples (doesn't really matter what type, brand, duty rating) are the handiest darn things you can put on your loader. Best of all it opens up a whole new world in terms of jobs you can do, which is always a good thing.

Once my new grapple arrives, it will replace the bucket and remain the main implement found on my SSQA for sure.

Lunk

otlski · Apr 19, 2014

Looks pretty handy. How much did it set you back?

Dan

Xfaxman · Apr 19, 2014

I put this in my project file back in June, 2006.

Was going to copy the design for my TORO + Loader, but the 2' long forks moved a lot of brush, so I didn't build one.

schutte · Apr 22, 2014

Forks were another choice that I was considering. I don't have a quick attach so I was going to do the chain on 48" forks on my FEL with a roll-back guard. Very reasonably priced and I almost did just that. Thinking about how they would work for me though (without really trying one out) I felt the claws would do so, so much better. With how much brush I need to move (on my 6th burn pile like the on above from Xfaxman) and the type of brush (sprawling tree limbs, whole 30 ft tall cedars and cypress) I would not be able to get under a lot of it with the fork and secure it from falling off. I did not want to end up with having to tie everything down with a chain when I used my bucket to do that kind of material hauling. With the claws when you clamp down on the load its not going anywhere. I would grab into unstacked/unorganized twisted up brush piles and surprisingly get most of it. I had to do very little rearranging of a pile to be able to pick it up good the first try. You can use the claws to push/pull/turn some of the brush for a good grab alignment. By far the best thing was for getting out large broken branches that were stuck in the trees. If I could get a grab on it I could pull it right out. I am so glad I went for the $1620 claws (included $260 shipping). I am cheap but I know a good useful tool (for me) when I see and use it.