Wild KAT attachments

[bubbacuse77]

Any body have feedback on Wild KAT attachments.

It looks like decent enough stuff? The prices look really good.

WILDKAT ATTACHMENTS by Mid-State Equipment

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Stay Classy

 

[LittleBlueTractor]

Any body have feedback on Wild KAT attachments.

It looks like decent enough stuff? The prices look really good.

WILDKAT ATTACHMENTS by Mid-State Equipment

---------------------
Stay Classy

I have a 48" WildKat grapple and have no complaints. It's made out of 3/8" steel and weighs around 300 lbs. It's so useful for what I do that I just leave it on in place of the bucket. It's not the "heavy-duty" version, but it's way over designed for my use -- I'm not sure I could damage it if I tried.

 

[bubbacuse77]

that is my thing, I want a grapple for brush mostly that is light duty, and mainly light.

 

[IslandTractor]

The grapple Little Blue Tractor has seems like a very good deal. I saw one of those from WildKat on eBay for about $600 which is a steal. Grapples are grapples. What you see is what you get and the construction or at least design and materials are the same as almost all other light duty grapples. I have a very similar Millonzi grapple, no longer made, that has lasted easily over the past six years even mounted on a 40hp tractor with 2700lb lift capacity loader.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

The prices ARE great. I have a 48" double cylinder WildKat grapple with which I am quite pleased. Better get while the gettin's good.

 

[LittleBlueTractor]

The grapple Little Blue Tractor has seems like a very good deal. I saw one of those from WildKat on eBay for about $600 which is a steal. Grapples are grapples. What you see is what you get and the construction or at least design and materials are the same as almost all other light duty grapples. I have a very similar Millonzi grapple, no longer made, that has lasted easily over the past six years even mounted on a 40hp tractor with 2700lb lift capacity loader.

Yeah, When it was all said and done (bidding, fees, tax,...) I paid $535.84 at an auction, so $600 is a great deal. Earlier I said I had no complaints about the grapple. While that is still true, one problem I discovered was sticks poking through the back of the grapple. I really like the fact that I can see through the grapple better than the bucket, but wasn't too thrilled about jamming a stick through my radiator. Had a friend weld some expanded metal across the back opening just this last weekend and now think I might have the best of both worlds: can still see, but it should reduce the radiator damage potential.



I plan to post more pictures with details in the "Customization" forum after I clean it up and get some paint on it.

 

[IslandTractor]

Almost all grapples have open backs (otherwise you couldn't see what you are grappling) so having sticks poke through is occasionally going to happen. However, once aware of this it is generally not hard to approach loads from the side so sticks don't poke through. As you are generally looking at the load right through the area that is vulnerable you can also just stop before a stick reaches the radiator. In six years I've ripped one hydraulic hose and bashed the radiator cowling once. Seems to happen mostly when rearranging piles rather than when actually root grappling. I've just gotten used to approaching "pointy" loads from the side.

 

[IslandTractor]

Rather than putting expanded metal on the grapple itself, how about just adding it to the grill guard? That way it won't obstruct your view.

 

[Missouri Pioneer]

Rather than putting expanded metal on the grapple itself, how about just adding it to the grill guard? That way it won't obstruct your view.

That's what I've been planning to do.

 

[beppington]

Any body have feedback on Wild KAT attachments.

It looks like decent enough stuff? The prices look really good.

WILDKAT ATTACHMENTS by Mid-State Equipment

---------------------
Stay Classy

I bought the bottom 1/2 (bucket part) of their 66" wide "deep" grapple, so I could push the teeth into the ground & pop roots & saplings up, or use it as very strong debris forks. It's a beast, but the fitment to my SS QA is not good ... There's a 3/8" gap between my loader's locking lever's pin & the implement's locking notch surface that keeps the bucket from being secure. I can wiggle it all around by hand & have to figure someday it'll fall off unless I modify it. Believe it or not, yes, the lever is locked down in this pic:

 

[LittleBlueTractor]

Rather than putting expanded metal on the grapple itself, how about just adding it to the grill guard? That way it won't obstruct your view.

Actually, that was the plan when I bought the 4'x8' sheet of expanded metal, but I couldn't figure out an easy way to do it and still cover all the vitals.

Putting it on the grapple itself was really simple. It didn't seem to block my vision much when I tested it out.

I'll wait to see what MP comes up with before I do the grill guard.

 

[IslandTractor]

It didn't seem to block my vision much when I tested it out.

That's all that really matters.

 

[LittleBlueTractor]

There's a 3/8" gap between my loader's locking lever's pin & the implement's locking notch surface that keeps the bucket from being secure. I can wiggle it all around by hand & have to figure someday it'll fall off unless I modify it.

Yeah, I've been reading about ill-fitting QA SS attachments in quite a few threads lately. There was a lot of talk about shims and such to try to fix it.

 

[beppington]

Yeah, I've been reading about ill-fitting QA SS attachments in quite a few threads lately. There was a lot of talk about shims and such to try to fix it.

I decided to go ahead & contact Connie at Wild Kat to see what can be done to make the bucket fit securely, & she responded quickly saying they will make it right & asked for a pic.

No idea how they will fix this, but we shall see. (hopefully)

 

[IslandTractor]

I decided to go ahead & contact Connie at Wild Kat to see what can be done to make the bucket fit securely, & she responded quickly saying they will make it right & asked for a pic.

No idea how they will fix this, but we shall see. (hopefully)

The photo you showed was not what I expected. The pins are obviously short but what you labelled as the 3/8 inch gap reflects the pin length. If the pin were longer that gap would not exist. Was the photo taken with the grapple lifted off the ground? If so then the mount fits and the pin is just short (I think). If the grapple is on the ground then perhaps there is a gap up at the top. It does seem that the mount is pressed against the grapple tightly and that if that pin was another inch longer it would fully engage the grapple mount hole. Is that right?

 

[beppington]

The photo you showed was not what I expected. The pins are obviously short ...

No, they are standard, un-modified pins that are in their locked-down position in the picture, & the only reason they appear to be short is because the metal they should butt up against is 3/8" away, which along with that piece being correctly sloped, that surface is also lower than it should be. I do see that they appear too short, but they aren't - Anything that looks awry in this area can only be from erroneous design and/or construction of this Wild Kat bucket's SS QA members.

... but what you labelled as the 3/8 inch gap reflects the pin length.

I was trying to show that the distance between the pin's sloped securing surface & the equivalent mating surface on the bucket is 3/8".

If the pin were longer that gap would not exist.

There is no way to make the pins longer without major mods to the standard Kubota SS QA system, which of course should not be needed. These pins work perfectly with my OEM Kubota bucket, just not with this Wild Kat bucket.

Was the photo taken with the grapple lifted off the ground?

Yes.

If so then the mount fits and the pin is just short (I think).

Just can not be.

It does seem that the mount is pressed against the grapple tightly ...

It is. In this pic all of the bucket's cantilevered weight is jamming the bottom of the bucket against my loader's SS QA mounting surfaces.

and that if that pin was another inch longer it would fully engage the grapple mount hole. Is that right?

If the pins were longer, my OEM Kubota bucket would no longer fit

 

[IslandTractor]

No, they are standard, un-modified pins that are in their locked-down position in the picture, & the only reason they appear to be short is because the metal they should butt up against is 3/8" away, which along with that piece being correctly sloped, that surface is also lower than it should be. I do see that they appear too short, but they aren't - Anything that looks awry in this area can only be from erroneous design and/or construction of this Wild Kat bucket's SS QA members.



I was trying to show that the distance between the pin's sloped securing surface & the equivalent mating surface on the bucket is 3/8".



There is no way to make the pins longer without major mods to the standard Kubota SS QA system, which of course should not be needed. These pins work perfectly with my OEM Kubota bucket, just not with this Wild Kat bucket.



Yes.



Just can not be.



It is. In this pic all of the bucket's cantilevered weight is jamming the bottom of the bucket against my loader's SS QA mounting surfaces.



If the pins were longer, my OEM Kubota bucket would no longer fit

I understand your points. What is confusing is that there does not appear to be a gap at the bottom of the grapple. Obviously the photo angle is wrong to gauge that properly so perhaps there is a 3/8 inch gap. The tip of the pin should protrude below the grapple mount. If I am remembering what mine looks like, just a half inch or so is visible below and not the whole tapered part of the pin. That is the measurement I think you want rather than the gap at the back of the pin as indicated in the photo.

 

[beppington]

I understand your points. What is confusing is that there does not appear to be a gap at the bottom of the grapple. Obviously the photo angle is wrong to gauge that properly so perhaps there is a 3/8 inch gap. The tip of the pin should protrude below the grapple mount. If I am remembering what mine looks like, just a half inch or so is visible below and not the whole tapered part of the pin. That is the measurement I think you want rather than the gap at the back of the pin as indicated in the photo.

The dimensions & locations of all the structural members that make up Wild Kat's bucket's SS QA section are just right ... except the metal to the right of the pin in my pic should extend toward the pin by 3/8" more. If the metal was 3/8" longer toward the pin like I'm describing, that metal would contact the pin's sloped securing surface at the same location that it does with my OEM Kubota bucket, & the Wild Kat bucket would be held securely in place by the pins.

In other words the slot the pin slides down into is 3/8" too wide. The length of the pin may look in the pic like it's an issue, but it's not.

 

[IslandTractor]

The dimensions & locations of all the structural members that make up Wild Kat's bucket's SS QA section are just right ... except the metal to the right of the pin in my pic should extend toward the pin by 3/8" more. If the metal was 3/8" longer toward the pin like I'm describing, that metal would contact the pin's sloped securing surface at the same location that it does with my OEM Kubota bucket, & the Wild Kat bucket would be held securely in place by the pins.

In other words the slot the pin slides down into is 3/8" too wide. The length of the pin may look in the pic like it's an issue, but it's not.

Interesting. This whole time I was under the impression that it was the vertical distance that you were talking about. So is the WildKat slot simply wider than the Kubota or is it moved forward? I won't be able to measure my grapple slots for a while but maybe someone else can compare. What is the width or depth of your grapple slot. Did you compare that to the standard one of the posters linked to?

Your problem is a bit harder to fix and will require welding in a piece or building up the area with a weld. A shim on the bottom is what I was thinking was needed but obviously not.

 

[beppington]

Interesting. This whole time I was under the impression that it was the vertical distance that you were talking about. So is the WildKat slot simply wider than the Kubota or is it moved forward?

I'm not sure, since I haven't directly compared them that way, but I'd guess the Wild Kat slot is wider, but it would be that the Wild Kat's slot is moved backward, toward the rear of the tractor (if "moved" is the case). I'll check it out & report back.

What is the width or depth of your grapple slot.

I'll have to measure it. I'll measure the slots on both my Kubota bucket & the grapple.

Did you compare that to the standard one of the posters linked to?

Not sure what you link you're referring to ...?

Your problem is a bit harder to fix and will require welding in a piece or building up the area with a weld. A shim on the bottom is what I was thinking was needed but obviously not.

Yeah, I can't envision how there's gonna be any kind of quick-easy fix, but I'm awaiting a reply & hope there is one (reply & fix!).