I recently purchased a M62 and want to get a grapple for log work etc. I have looked at everything attachments and a few others. After talking with EA they recommend one of the largest series available which is like 4k+. I would like to keep it smaller than the track width of the tractor and it is 75 in wide and would like to stay with a dual top design. Any recommendations from kubota heavy duty skid steer setup vs something heavy duty of a series of Everything attachments?
Grapple recommendations and experience
- Thread starter Orangemonster
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RonBoyBX25D
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Equipment
B2650, LP Grapple, Bro-Tek spacers, QH, Box Blade, Landscape Rake, RB, and 1560G
Not sure if they are available in your area, but Virnig makes a very heavy grapple. I had a dual lid on a Toolcat, way to heavy for a BX or a B series so I sold it to an excavator with SSV75. He has worked it hard and it has held up. From what I can see they are both built well & close to the same.
It depends on your wants/needs. If you are handling mostly logs then a set of forks with a thumb would do the trick. Pushing out trees? Root fork is great but not so good at moving piles of logs at a time. L shaped grapples work great on brush cleanup and firewood and kind of meet in the middle.
My root rake doesnt carry big trees well i.e. 3+ foot diameter maples, and I end up using the forks.
My root rake doesnt carry big trees well i.e. 3+ foot diameter maples, and I end up using the forks.
Recommend you go with the HD version your tractor can handle. I use mine for all sorts of grubbing, trash, and log work. Good luck.
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I do not have any dealers near me but there looks to be some 100 miles or so in tennessee area. Will have to check them out. Yeah I would like the L shaped grapple for grub, trash and brush as well as logging. I currently have a set of kubota 5548 forks that are rated for 5500lbs but wasnt sure about potential damage doing something they weren't designed for. Does the L shaped grapple meet in the middle between the forks and the root rake? So what advantage would the root rake have over the L shaped grapple, of course besides being able to go below the surface to tear roots. In which case I would use a box blade. The front end loader has a max capacity of 3960lbs. The heavy duty ones that are available are around 1000 lbs.
Orange there is someone advertising daily on CL with all kinds of Grapple shown in the Huntsville area, several with dual grippers??? not sure if they show anything that heavy but worth a check
https://huntsville.craigslist.org/grd/d/normal-84-heavy-duty-root-rake-clam/6948897649.html
and
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/452483812253831/
https://huntsville.craigslist.org/grd/d/normal-84-heavy-duty-root-rake-clam/6948897649.html
and
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/452483812253831/
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Yeah I have seen locals advertising and on amazon etc but was wondering about personal experiences with using that quality of grapple versus kubota or everything attachements. There are so many brands and options out there.
EA has a lot to offer in selection and quality
, and you are correct, the options can convoluted I would suggest MTL root grapple. I have one and its real heavy (1100 or so lbs). Can handle anything you throw at it and will not bend. Your FEL would be the weak spot it something happened
You guys have bigger tractors then mine, but I have an MTL 60" double lid, and my 40 HP L4240 tractor will not tear it up. It was not expensive, works fine, and saves a lot of hand work.
I also have the MTL and I agree that the loader will be the weak spot .... under a grand for my 60"
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Personally Id rather bend the grapple than damage something on the tractor. If you go too heavy you lose too much carry capacity and might get over confident on the tractors capabilities.
I went with a no-name root grapple based on price figuring it would be cheaper to make repairs than to make a new one from scratch. You get what you pay for in the end. Ive had to replace the pins, do a bunch of re-welding. Bent the tines. Bent the thumb. Holes look like they were made with an acetylene torch. No bushings or grease fittings. Buttered welds.
Dont go by weight alone to decide what HD is...a lightweight grapple made out of AR300 steel would be better than a really heavy unit made from mild steel. You are buying a grapple for the tractor to move stuff with, not waste energy moving a heavy weight on the front end.
I dont think I would buy off the internet again without having a close look at the unit in person.
Yes I agree. I would like to see it in person as well first but have heard great things from ea and they look nicely built. I agree you get what you pay for. All of the grapples that will seem to match the front end loader capacity of the m62 are roughly around thousand pounds regardless since they are 1/2 inch thick times. I would like to know that if I dig down into brush or roots with the almost 9000 lb tractor behind that the bucket will hold together. I would like a heavy duty that is smaller than the current 73 inch that they offer. But they do not have it in that thickness. Land pride makes one that is 68in so not too much smaller.
My comment comes from the ad hype of showing using a root grapple like a dozer. If you try to use a FEL and rip up roots your going to bend the FEL, the grapple will be fine.
Get any well made grapple and it will hold up, I went MTL because it met what I want it for, and I have no thoughts what so ever of ever using it as a root rake/ripper