# Looking to purchase grapple dump trailer



## bassman215

View attachment 238600


Looking at purchasing this grapple trailer. Guys wants $10500 and it's going to take about $3k to relocate it to where I am. Don't know a lot about the value of these types of setups but it seems like a good price to get into one. I think it would come in handy. What are your thoughts?


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## Toddppm

Is that homemade? Looks way long in the front and might be too heavy on the tongue.


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## bassman215

Not really sure if it's homemade or not. I'll have to ask.


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## CUCV

I'd say its worth every penny of that price


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## TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT

i am familiar with this kind of set ups. and in all reality there perfect for storm clean up work and NOTHING ELSE. its not a log trader, its refered to as a trash trailer. boom max's out around 3000 lbs. if your looking for something to haul logs you should look at something heavier. also if you do decide to buy this unit. i can recommend some fairly cheap haulers who can help you ship it.


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## D&B Mack

If it comes ready to work, I would say it is well worth it. You can't do that set-up for anywhere near that cost.


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## bassman215

It's ready to work. My bro worked with the guy for a while and said it worked good. I just thought it would help loading firewood logs and some bigger stuff. If I could pick a log weighing 1k-2k I would be happy. We don't deal with really heavy stuff too often. Right now we cut it down and load logs that the chipper doesn't chew up on a couple 16ft flatbed trailers and then hand unload. If we could pick them with this and then dump it would be nice. Also I think it would work better to run a small pruning crew than loading brush on a trailer. We could go 1-2 days at least before having to dump. That was what I was wanting it for.


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## angelo c

Funny, I was having an argument with my bud yesterday about this type of set up..he said you would get much more use from a dump truck and a kubota...that made perfect sense to me. unless your access is clear and open you won't get that thing back to the tree. A decent kubota/skid steer will and be infinetly more useable at the end of the day. I lost the argument as far as I was concerned. way more attachements rentable at the rent all place then attachments for that dump/grapple. Also what is the reach and how much stabilty can you get w/o stabilizers?


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## D&B Mack

angelo c said:


> Funny, I was having an argument with my bud yesterday about this type of set up..he said you would get much more use from a dump truck and a kubota...that made perfect sense to me. unless your access is clear and open you won't get that thing back to the tree. A decent kubota/skid steer will and be infinetly more useable at the end of the day. I lost the argument as far as I was concerned. way more attachements rentable at the rent all place then attachments for that dump/grapple. Also what is the reach and how much stabilty can you get w/o stabilizers?



What do you do with the kubota when your full of cargo? So you have to make another trip back to pick it up.

I believe those are stabilizers on there.


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## bassman215

Trailer has outriggers on it. Most jobs we do I would not want to take tractor/skid steer onto b/c of tearing up the grass etc... We would simply drag brush to curb and pick up with grapple. Logs would be moved with log dolly and picked up with grapple. A lot removals we use a crane and can place heavier wood near grapple to be loaded also. At least that's how I think it would be a time saver.


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## Mowingman

There is a company in Vermont that builds grapple trailers. It is called Blue Ox Equipment. You might want to check out their website, then call them to see what a trailer like that sells for new. I believe a new one will cost at least twice what they want for the one you are looking at.
Sounds like you will have about 14 grand invested when it is all said and done. For 20 grand, you can buy an older, used, grapple truck with dump bed. Just another option to think about.
What axles are under that trailer? It should have at least 7,000 lb. axles, for a GVW of 14,000. If they are less than that, I would pass on it.
Jeff


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## TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT

Mowingman said:


> There is a company in Vermont that builds grapple trailers. It is called Blue Ox Equipment. You might want to check out their website, then call them to see what a trailer like that sells for new. I believe a new one will cost at least twice what they want for the one you are looking at.
> Sounds like you will have about 14 grand invested when it is all said and done. For 20 grand, you can buy an older, used, grapple truck with dump bed. Just another option to think about.
> What axles are under that trailer? It should have at least 7,000 lb. axles, for a GVW of 14,000. If they are less than that, I would pass on it.
> Jeff



yea thats a perfect example of where i was going with it, i have a great condition 97 chevy grapple truck with a 25 yard dump body. perterson lightning loader, just had the truck completly refurbished, i would sell it for 24,000 shipped door to door , just a thought


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## angelo c

D&B Mack said:


> What do you do with the kubota when your full of cargo? So you have to make another trip back to pick it up.
> 
> I believe those are stabilizers on there.



I was thinking maybe load it on to the trailer thats hooked up behind the dump truck? 
My eyes must be bad, didn't see the riggers.

We've used the kubota several times and it is not that damaging to lawns with turf tires. Call me crazy but I'd rather drag brush with the loader. Every site has its nuances, all in all I would imagine more uses at the end of the day for a loader then that setup. 

Your still gonna have to have a dedicated truck to haul that set up around with too. What's your chipper gonna hook to? We used to have a dump trailer behind a pick up for firewood delivery...couldnt wait to get rid of that thing. Maybe thats whats leaving a bad taste in my memory..not saying its not useful to have just saying if you had a limited budget you might get more use out of a different set up.


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## D&B Mack

angelo c said:


> I was thinking maybe load it on to the trailer thats hooked up behind the dump truck?



But if you are full with debris, logs, etc. You will have to come back for it later. That was my point.



> My eyes must be bad, didn't see the riggers.
> 
> We've used the kubota several times and it is not that damaging to lawns with turf tires. Call me crazy but I'd rather drag brush with the loader. Every site has its nuances, all in all I would imagine more uses at the end of the day for a loader then that setup.
> 
> Your still gonna have to have a dedicated truck to haul that set up around with too. What's your chipper gonna hook to? We used to have a dump trailer behind a pick up for firewood delivery...couldnt wait to get rid of that thing. Maybe thats whats leaving a bad taste in my memory..not saying its not useful to have just saying if you had a limited budget you might get more use out of a different set up.



It doesn't sound like he is taking a chipper to those jobs. He wants to drag prunings and such to curb line and load with grapple. The nice part about that set-up, the crew can work, stockpile near curb line, leave the site and then another driver with the trailer can come and clean up by himself. If the specs work, then I would go for it.


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## Toddppm

If you're doing alot of crane jobs why not just have the crane load into your truck or trailer directly?


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## angelo c

Toddppm said:


> If you're doing alot of crane jobs why not just have the crane load into your truck or trailer directly?



and if you're doing a lot of brush work..chip into the chip truck. there might be a reason why every other tree service does not already have one of these...but hey I'm all for more tools in the shed, if your budget allows it.


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## bassman215

We run a bucket (no chip box) to the jobs with a chip truck and our chipper. When we do removals we pull a trailer behind the bucket truck and another one behind a pickup when needed. Anything that can be split and used for firewood gets loaded on trailer(s) and donated to a couple local churches. If we use a crane then the large trunks etc are loaded onto the trailer with the crane. There are still a lot of removals done with out the crane that a self loading grapple trailer with a dump body would be nice. also on days when we might run the bucket and chip truck on the bigger jobs, I could sent out a smaller climbing crew with a pickup and a trailer like this. All our trucks are under CDL to avoid having to have CDL drivers. Just don't know if I want to pay insurance on another big truck that isn't going to get used everyday and most grapple trucks I see are CDL and almost twice as expensive to get into as this trailer would be. Not sure if we are going to get it but I think it would be handy to have around if I could get into it for around 13-14k. I don't think I would spent the money to buy a new one right now though... It's not a necessity right now, just something for the right money could make the job a little more efficient.


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## pdqdl

bassman215 said:


> ... I could sent out a smaller climbing crew with a pickup and a trailer like this. All our trucks are under CDL to avoid having to have CDL drivers. Just don't know if I want to pay insurance on another big truck that isn't going to get used everyday and most grapple trucks I see are CDL and almost twice as expensive to get into as this trailer would be....



You had better think about that a little more. That trailer is going to be over 10k gvwr, and that will probably require a class A CDL to haul around.

_Unless you are going to hook it up to a ford ranger, your GCWR is likely to go over 26K._


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## FatMax

pdqdl said:


> You had better think about that a little more. That trailer is going to be over 10k gvwr, and that will probably require a class A CDL to haul around.
> 
> _Unless you are going to hook it up to a ford ranger, your GCWR is likely to go over 26K._



That trailer could be easily towed with something larger then a ranger and still be under CDL.


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## TRISTATEFORESTRYEQUIPMENT

FatMax said:


> That trailer could be easily towed with something larger then a ranger and still be under CDL.



that trailer alone is almost over cdl weight, cdl weight for a trailer is 10,001 lbs. anyhting over that you need a cdl


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## FatMax

jo6wo said:


> that trailer alone is almost over cdl weight, cdl weight for a trailer is 10,001 lbs. anyhting over that you need a cdl



That isn't true at all.

Combo has to be over 26k combined GVWR and the trailer needs to be over 10k GVWR before a combination needs a CDL.


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## no tree to big

FatMax said:


> That isn't true at all.
> 
> Combo has to be over 26k combined GVWR and the trailer needs to be over 10k GVWR before a combination needs a CDL.



dont know about WI but in IL if your trailer is 10,001 you need a class A period you could be towing it with a honda civic and you need a class A...


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## FatMax

no tree to big said:


> dont know about WI but in IL if your trailer is 10,001 you need a class A period you could be towing it with a honda civic and you need a class A...



That is not true in IL. You really should research your own states information a little better.

IL is like Wi in that case. The comibined GVWR would have to be over 26k as well as the trailer GWVR being over 10k to require a class A.


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## alpineman

jo6wo said:


> yea thats a perfect example of where i was going with it, i have a great condition 97 chevy grapple truck with a 25 yard dump body. perterson lightning loader, just had the truck completly refurbished, i would sell it for 24,000 shipped door to door , just a thought



Beware, i just purchased a bucket truck from Joe and i paid top dollar for a truck that only made it 5 miles off of the lot. Joe then refused to help us get it fixed after I paid the expense of flying two guys out from Colorado to drive it back. My guys are now stuck somewhere in PA with no way to get the truck fixed! Worst buying experience ever. Joe made numerous claims to make the sale and then did nothing to back it up in the end. Buyers beware!!!


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## Yellowdog

alpineman said:


> Beware, i just purchased a bucket truck from Joe and i paid top dollar for a truck that only made it 5 miles off of the lot. Joe then refused to help us get it fixed after I paid the expense of flying two guys out from Colorado to drive it back. My guys are now stuck somewhere in PA with no way to get the truck fixed! Worst buying experience ever. Joe made numerous claims to make the sale and then did nothing to back it up in the end. Buyers beware!!!



That's really, really crappy. I hope you stopped payment on the check!


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