Everything Attachments - Bankrupt?

old and tired

Well-known member

Equipment
L2800 HST; 2005; R4
The whole thing's screwed up. Theoretically, it's done because the bankrupt party may have preferentially paid some vendors and not others, so this lets them divide assets 'equally'...
So, in my mind, I would want the equipment that was purchase back before handing over any money...

Should not get the equipment AND the money back...
 

PoTreeBoy

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L35 Ford 3930
Mar 24, 2020
2,439
1,253
113
WestTn/NoMs
So, in my mind, I would want the equipment that was purchase back before handing over any money...

Should not get the equipment AND the money back...
He said the equipment was custom made and wouldn't have any value to anyone else.

Besides, I'm not sure the court would allow that, either. Screwed up, I tell ya.
 

WI_Hedgehog

New member

Equipment
BK2370 in Trendy Orange w/F.E.L., 60" deck; Cyclone vacuum
Apr 24, 2024
20
15
3
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
THANK YOU for keeping the thread up. After what I thought was "reasonable research" I was very close to purchasing an EA Wicked BX Root Rake Grapple despite the pay-in-full-and-wait business practice due to the quality of the products. I did not suspect EA was no longer shipping products and never thought to look to see if a business with EA's reputation suddenly "went under."

After reading most of the 33 pages in this thread I'll unfortunately have to look at other manufacturers given the apparent financial history and predictable eventual outcome of EA's financial decisions. :confused:

The whole set of circumstances and outcome for the customers is unfortunate to say the least.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users

Old_Paint

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
LX2610SU, LA535 FEL w/54" bucket, LandPride BB1248, Woodland Mills WC-68
Dec 5, 2020
1,577
1,471
113
AL
THANK YOU for keeping the thread up. I was looking at purchasing an EA Wicked BX Root Rake Grapple.....

And now it looks like I'll have to lo look at other manufacturer. :confused:
I bought an LS brand (same folks that make the little blue tractors) standard duty grapple. Other than a few soft spots I found while abusing it (picking up rather large logs by the end), it's been pretty good. The teeth on the clamp are a bit long for their thickness, and tend to bend to the side at the brace, making them look like a cat with a cleft palate and requiring some obligatory beatings with a rubber mallet to straighten them. Then, one day, I got the brilliant idea of putting gussets on them, kinda like braces for teeth. Worked like a champ, and actually improved the ability to pick up smaller debris. Haven't had any issue with the lower teeth. It's dual cylinder, single clamp, so I have to make sure I grab irregular shaped items in the middle of the grapple to avoid tweaking the clamp, but they're typically large enough that I need to grab one at a time anyway. As for moving brush, it's got a pretty big opening (about 36"), and it's 54" wide, so it'll bite down on a lot of brush. It's all the grapple I need. Unless you're doing a LOT of stump/root removal, consider a standard duty grapple. Much less expensive. If you are doing a lot of stump/root removal, it would probably be more economical to get a heavy duty grapple in the long run because you'd have to have a separate tool for getting stuff out of the ground, then hauling it off. I can scratch up roots up to about 2 inches on the surface, but anything bigger I go get the stump bucket for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

WI_Hedgehog

New member

Equipment
BK2370 in Trendy Orange w/F.E.L., 60" deck; Cyclone vacuum
Apr 24, 2024
20
15
3
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
I want to thank members for being so helpful, including in Private Message.

At this point some of us need to discuss alternate vendors--it's unfortunate, I really wanted to buy from EA, but that's currently not possible and may never be possible.
---

I recently purchased a low-hour 2017 BX2370 with factory 60" mid-mount mower, F.E.L. (bucket), and rear counter-weight. Hydraulic connectors and FEL attachment system are 2017 OEM (not Skid Steer Quick Attach).

I'd like to be able to blow snow in winter, and specific to this thread to clean up windfall trees and put in walking paths in Central Wisconsin woods (composed of mainly oak and maple).

I thought I'd add a Summit 3rd function kit and EA Wicked BX Root Rake Grapple as it seemed to be the highest quality/most versatile setup for my use (which seems very similar to @Dusty71 in Post #418). From research here I believe the short bottom tines will allow me to dig roots for "reasonable" walking paths, easily pick up brush without digging in to hilly terrain, and pick up logs/"stuff" from above without damaging the ground on the "small" 23HP tractor while keeping the load close to the tractor as the lifting capacity is about 1,000 lbs. (I do not want to shim the valve and risk a FEL weld failing.)

As the EA Wicked BX is NLA it seems the next best choice is a Homestead Sub-Compact Tractor Independence Series Grapple.

Like @Dusty71 I'm completely open to suggestions.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,732
4,261
113
Eastham, Ma
I want to thank members for being so helpful, including in Private Message.

At this point some of us need to discuss alternate vendors--it's unfortunate, I really wanted to buy from EA, but that's currently not possible and may never be possible.
---

I recently purchased a low-hour 2017 BX2370 with factory 60" mid-mount mower, F.E.L. (bucket), and rear counter-weight. Hydraulic connectors and FEL attachment system are 2017 OEM (not Skid Steer Quick Attach).

I'd like to be able to blow snow in winter, and specific to this thread to clean up windfall trees and put in walking paths in Central Wisconsin woods (composed of mainly oak and maple).

I thought I'd add a Summit 3rd function kit and EA Wicked BX Root Rake Grapple as it seemed to be the highest quality/most versatile setup for my use (which seems very similar to @Dusty71 in Post #418). From research here I believe the short bottom tines will allow me to dig roots for "reasonable" walking paths, easily pick up brush without digging in to hilly terrain, and pick up logs/"stuff" from above without damaging the ground on the "small" 23HP tractor while keeping the load close to the tractor as the lifting capacity is about 1,000 lbs. (I do not want to shim the valve and risk a FEL weld failing.)

As the EA Wicked BX is NLA it seems the next best choice is a Homestead Sub-Compact Tractor Independence Series Grapple.

Like @Dusty71 I'm completely open to suggestions.
Does anyone know if these Homestead grapples are built with zerks on all wear points?
I see no mention of same in the Homestead literature.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
10,017
4,115
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
clicked the link, took a look. based on the design of the pivot points, I'd say no Zerks.
Not a deal breaker for me....$120K F150 doesn't have them either....
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,732
4,261
113
Eastham, Ma
clicked the link, took a look. based on the design of the pivot points, I'd say no Zerks.
Not a deal breaker for me....$120K F150 doesn't have them either....
$120K for an F150 ?????
Are you suggesting that for you, any tractor/machine or attachment (either low or high speed), costing under $120K, does not need to have zerks?
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: 1 user

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
10,017
4,115
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
I've had 3 or 4 ,discs that did NOT have ANY Zerks. OK, probably 100 years old but they still functioned fine.
Grapple 'hinge points' don't need a lot of grease due to super slow movement and not many 'cycles'. Proper daily maintenance is more than enough to make them outlive the owner.
If you want Zerks, simply bore out the bushing, machine 2 grooves, bore 4 more holes,tap for Zerk, clean, then install Zerk. Should take less than 2 hours of your time.

Query... anyone have Zerks on the tierod ends of their BX series tractors ?
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,732
4,261
113
Eastham, Ma
I've had 3 or 4 ,discs that did NOT have ANY Zerks. OK, probably 100 years old but they still functioned fine.
Grapple 'hinge points' don't need a lot of grease due to super slow movement and not many 'cycles'. Proper daily maintenance is more than enough to make them outlive the owner.
If you want Zerks, simply bore out the bushing, machine 2 grooves, bore 4 more holes,tap for Zerk, clean, then install Zerk. Should take less than 2 hours of your time.

Query... anyone have Zerks on the tierod ends of their BX series tractors ?
I did one better than that!
I replaced all Mid State grapple pins with bronze pins, and tapped them for zerks.

I wonder why all EA grapple pins had greaseable zerks?
EA collapsed from bad management, not from overbuilt products!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

fc1

New member

Equipment
L3940
Apr 17, 2024
1
1
3
Michigan
Like @Dusty71 I'm completely open to suggestions.
Hi, first post but I've been wrestling with very similar questions the last couple weeks. Since maybe mid-April I've written checks for (but not yet received!) a new-to-me 500hr L3940, a full set of OFA EKO chains from Windy Ridge (R4s+muddy property) and just yesterday an Anbo GR-45 in the 58" width.

Like I said, none of this stuff is here yet; tractor was originally to arrive yesterday but has been delayed until Sunday. The grapple is 2-3 weeks out and the chains were in-stock but I haven't heard anything about shipping from Windy Ridge. My first real machine of this type; I'm very excited. [Pallet forks, ballast box, and new jugs (filled with PowerService-treated diesel) are already in the garage.]

In any case, I read a ton and talked to sellers of tractors and chains and grapples and chose the indicated items very carefully. I'm really very frugal; it took a long time for me to make the decision to spend the sort of money we're discussing.

The chains are manufactured by a serious company from serious material and were less expensive than all the other typical contenders (in my sizes 25% less expensive than the Aquiine). The grapple is well thought out and is said to be very well built; Darren (the owner of Anbo) spent at least an hour and a half describing the differences between the series and the design philosophy behind them. All pivots greaseable, all US-sourced high-strength steel, made to work and last. I believe he told me the warranty was 2 years and 4 on the cylinders.

The shorter, more tightly spaced lower tines, and smaller grippable diameter will suit my needs well- I'm cleaning up ~8ac of heavily-wooded forest which hasn't been maintained for over 30 years. There will be lots of mill- and firewood, and much time rooting out swamp ash and poisonous vines and then replanting the forest floor with proper forage for small game. Darren assured me that back-dragging with the top tines was expected and intended use.

I'm a mechanical engineer enjoying geeking out on tractor stuff, it's been a blast. The 3940+grapple is going to completely transform my ability to improve the property; I'm very excited, and feel very fortunate indeed.

Check out Anbo; maybe give them a call if they look good to your eye. It's fun to check out the pictures of the enormous ones they make for big machines if nothing else.

No affiliation, and not even really an owner yet, but they passed my (over?) critical eye and, more importantly, got my down payment.

Best,
fc
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

D2Cat

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,061
4,424
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
I did one better than that!
I replaced all grapple pins with bronze pins, and tapped them for zerks.

I wonder why all EA grapple pins had greaseable zerks?
EA collapsed from bad management, not from overbuilt products!
Maybe the overbuilt parts was part of the bad management!
 

D2Cat

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,061
4,424
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
Hi, first post but I've been wrestling with very similar questions the last couple weeks. Since maybe mid-April I've written checks for (but not yet received!) a new-to-me 500hr L3940, a full set of OFA EKO chains from Windy Ridge (R4s+muddy property) and just yesterday an Anbo GR-45 in the 58" width.

Like I said, none of this stuff is here yet; tractor was originally to arrive yesterday but has been delayed until Sunday. The grapple is 2-3 weeks out and the chains were in-stock but I haven't heard anything about shipping from Windy Ridge. My first real machine of this type; I'm very excited. [Pallet forks, ballast box, and new jugs (filled with PowerService-treated diesel) are already in the garage.]

In any case, I read a ton and talked to sellers of tractors and chains and grapples and chose the indicated items very carefully. I'm really very frugal; it took a long time for me to make the decision to spend the sort of money we're discussing.

The chains are manufactured by a serious company from serious material and were less expensive than all the other typical contenders (in my sizes 25% less expensive than the Aquiine). The grapple is well thought out and is said to be very well built; Darren (the owner of Anbo) spent at least an hour and a half describing the differences between the series and the design philosophy behind them. All pivots greaseable, all US-sourced high-strength steel, made to work and last. I believe he told me the warranty was 2 years and 4 on the cylinders.

The shorter, more tightly spaced lower tines, and smaller grippable diameter will suit my needs well- I'm cleaning up ~8ac of heavily-wooded forest which hasn't been maintained for over 30 years. There will be lots of mill- and firewood, and much time rooting out swamp ash and poisonous vines and then replanting the forest floor with proper forage for small game. Darren assured me that back-dragging with the top tines was expected and intended use.

I'm a mechanical engineer enjoying geeking out on tractor stuff, it's been a blast. The 3940+grapple is going to completely transform my ability to improve the property; I'm very excited, and feel very fortunate indeed.

Check out Anbo; maybe give them a call if they look good to your eye. It's fun to check out the pictures of the enormous ones they make for big machines if nothing else.

No affiliation, and not even really an owner yet, but they passed my (over?) critical eye and, more importantly, got my down payment.

Best,
fc
Welcome. Have fun with your equipment.

When you started with, "I've written checks....."I thought here's another person who wrote checks to pay for equipment and the company has bellied up and he can't get the equipment or his money. Fortunately not, but don't use checks. A CC will protect you, at least some if a problem occurs. Hope you get your items soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,732
4,261
113
Eastham, Ma
Maybe the overbuilt parts was part of the bad management!
Customers (like me) LOVED it!
Superb attention to detail, and quality unmatched in the accessory/implement industry!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,202
2,857
113
SW Pa
Old Paint,, I had the same idea about my LP grapple, how ever I dont weld so that has not happened and most likely wont
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
10,017
4,115
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
re: Superb attention to detail,
too bad they didn't apply that to RUNNING the business !

It doesn't matter you make or sell if you don't KNOW what's going on 'in the office' ie: the 'numbers', WHERE the money is ( or isn't )
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users