Grapple Which GRAPPLE?

[buyerjohn]

Millonzi and WR Long are my 2 front runners...both cost about $1750 with QA and hoses included...here are links:

W.R. Long Inc. - Quality Line of Loader Attachments

http://www.miproductsgroup.com/attachments.htm

millonzi has two independent forks which may be better for uneven loads, the wrlong version looks stronger....both are 60 inch...

opinions or others i should look at...tractor will be a 30hp Kioti CK30

 

[IslandTractor]

As you know I have the 48" Millonzi and am very happy with it. I am wondering why you are considering the larger 60" double jawed version given the extra weight. As I recall, the KL120 loader I have has almost the lift capacity of the KL130. With the extra weight of the bigger grapple you could end up with less net lift capacity than I have. The 48" grapple which weighs just under 300lbs and has another 100lbs of QA adapter too, can handle quite a large load so I don't really see the need for the bigger grapple on our size tractor.

I've posted a few photos of loads I have been able to "eat" with my 48" "light duty root grapple".

 

[1bush2hog]

BuyerJohn -

What will you be using the grapple for?

Also, not sure what you mean by uneven? However, the WR Long grapple I have will hold most any size load that you can pick up with the FEL, but I try to center the load for overall balance before I pick it up.

Also, I agree w/IslandTractor a 60" grapple from either mfg. may be larger than ideal for the tractor you are considering

 

[buyerjohn]

thanks for the feedback. --- i'm surprised you're concerned about the wieght difference...with a delta of only 40 lbs for the 60 inch version (wr long model) vs the 48 inch version, I thought that was a pretty small increase in weight for a 12 inch increase in width. The loader i'm buying is the woods 1012 which has a capacity of about 1400 so the 40 lbs is a small tradeoff for the larger grapple. Or am I missing something?

By uneven loads, I mean the millonzi has two jaws that close vs the wr long which has one...is there a real world benefit to that? The wr long version looks stronger to me and it appears the hydraulics are better hidden but it's tough to tell for the pictures online.

John.

 

[buyerjohn]

forgot to add that i'll be mainly using the grapple for branches, logs, stumps, junk, etc...

 

[buyerjohn]

island - do you know if the 60 inch millonzi has 2 jaws or one?

 

[1bush2hog]

forgot to add that i'll be mainly using the grapple for branches, logs, stumps, junk, etc...


My vote is go with the WR Long - My only regret with the WR Long was not buying it sooner I use mine to move brush, rocks, logs, stumps, and junk too. I think the extra tines on the WR Long are also more beneficial when dealing with brush and debris. Alot of times A log will not be in a perfect location to pick up and I can use one end of the grapple to grab the log and drag it to a more ideal loading location. The flexibility of the WR Long also allows more versatility. The WR Long grapple is not the least expensive model out there, so you may want to look at some of the other grapple threads on this forum to get additional ideas.

 

[IslandTractor]

The 60" Millonzi has two jaws and weighs quite a bit more (I think more than 125lbs) than the 48" version. I did not realize the WRLong 60" was only a few pounds more than the WRLong 48". The WR Long 48" is about 50lbs heavier than the Millonzi 48 however. I do like the wider jaws on the Long...although the biggest problem I have with my grapple is related more to small stuff (less than 12 inches long) falling through the grapple rather than big stuff falling out the sides. Still the wider top jaw looks like an advantage at a cost of a little extra weight. Looking more closely at the two brands I'd say at the 60" length the WR Long looks better due to the weight advantage over the Millonzi. The two jaws on the Millonzi 60" version might be important for demolition debris but I doubt it is important for brush. At the 48" length I'm not sure the wider jaws are worth the 50 lbs.

For me the cost of the Millonzi 48 was less than half of the cost of the WR Long equivalent when I priced them. To be clear I got the Millonzi direct from the factory off Ebay and I don't know if they do that any longer as they try to build up dealer networks. My quote on the WR Long came via Carver (or was it Carter?) in NC if I recall correctly. The cost of the QA adapter needs to be considered as well and I gather this is included in your quotes.

I'd check the price on the 48" Millonzi set up as I do think you'd be happy with it. If the price difference is negligible then I'd be inclined to go for the WR Long 60.

$1750 may seem like a lot for an implement but grapples are so useful for brush clearing that I'd do it again in a flash at that price.

Two more photos: First is biggest load I could get with bucket and toothbar alone without getting off the tractor to secure the load vs. second photo with biggest load of brush I ever got with one bite with the grapple . Or, I could have titled the photos: this is your tractor and this is your tractor on steroids.