Looking for Brush Grapple for Skid Steer

[Stumpy VRTC]

I recently bought a Takeuchi TL130 and Im looking to upgrade it with a brush grapple. I've looked at quite a few and now I'm trying to decide which one, for the money is the best. I've looked at Quick Attach and Carolina Attachments. Both have a similar tight clamshell design, but there is about 1,000 dollars difference. From what I can tell the only difference is the steel type. Quick uses T-1 steel and Carolina uses A-36. Im a tree man not a steel man!
Has anyone ever used any one of these attachment or do you know of any others that are a good buy? I cant spend a lot of money, but I also know what happens when you don't spend a little extra on quality. I don't want to replace this attachment in a couple of years.
Any info or guidance will be much appreciated!

Stumpy

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I would suggest you check out CID attachments. You can get a hd root grapple for right around 2k.

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[andydodgegeek]

I have a grapple built by midsota and it is about as close to perfect as I could imagine for working in the woods. Another member here has had one for about 7 years and they have used and abused it and it is holding up great. I will try to post a link to where I got mine and some pictures when I get home to my computer. It wasn't cheap but you definitely get what you pay for.

 

[pdqdl]

There are a lot of different models out there. Beware any attachments with long straight steel in it. When you are pushing through thick piles of debris and hit an immovable object, each little point has to be strong enough to stop the moving weight and added horsepower of your machine.

Most brush grapples will work fine until you start hitting rocks. A lot of the rock rakes are not really very sturdy, either. I would look hardest at "root grapples" or "rock grapples" They both will pick up brush just fine, and they are generally built heavier to do some digging, too.

Avoid grapple bucket designs, unless you plan on doing mostly small materials with cleanup of loose debris that will fall though the other designs. The sides on the bucket limit what you can carry in longer logs & brush. I just load a smooth bucket into my grapple when we go out so that we can rake sawdust and debris into it like a dustpan.

There are two main types of grapple design: single, wide clamp or two individually operated clamps. Each has it's own advantages. The single grapple units are probably cheaper and stronger, but they don't clamp oddly sized material as well as the double clamp units. I love my single grapple, but it is not terribly effective at picking up a pile of firewood length logs. On the other hand, it makes up for that shortcoming when it picks up a 4' diameter log that is 8' long.

My single grapple is excellent at back-dragging brush away from obstructions, because it is always straight and it has many more points than the typical 4 prongs found on a double grapple attachment. The double grapple designs do not have the ability to control which grapple opens first, so they are either all up, all down, or lost somewhere (uncontrollably) in the middle.

 

[andydodgegeek]

Here is a picture of my Bobcat 853 with my grapple. It is very heavy duty and I really like the way the bottom is flat and not curved up like so many of the other grapples I have seen, it make it nice for going along the ground picking things up. I hope my picture shows up, I am not used to this new site set up yet.

 

[andydodgegeek]

Here is the website for the grapple I have http://midsotamfg.com
Mine is what they call an Industrial grapple, I have the 77" one.

 

[andydodgegeek]

Her is another picture, That is a BIG heavy piece of solid Red Oak. I have no problem lifting them up and over the side of my dump truck.

 

[pdqdl]

How much you can pick is largely determined by your machine. I think a Takeuchi 130 will pick up even more than that 853.

I prefer the curved variety because it has a larger throat and can carry bigger materials. Also, the curved versions are a little bit better at "picking" logs up from the top because both points are directed into the object. Flat forks are obviously going to be better at following the ground and scooping stuff up.

Your double grapple conforms better to the shape of the log than mine would. There is no "best" grapple, although I have seen quite a few that might qualify as the worst.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I am planning on getting a new cid extreme hd grapple for my loader this spring. It opens up to 44"

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[Stumpy VRTC]

Thanks for all the info and pics guys. I just found one at a farm auction down the road from me. It starts Thursday. It doesn't have a name on it, but by the looks of it, it is a Wildkat or a Bobcat brand 72" HD root grapple. If I can get it for a decent enough price, it might be a good starting grapple. I can always upgrade after I have used and abused this one. They run around 1800 or 2000. I should be able to get it for around 1500.

 

[pdqdl]

I am planning on getting a new cid extreme hd grapple for my loader this spring. It opens up to 44"

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If I guessed correctly from the CID website, that grapple is made with 1/2" steel. My bobcat would bend those tines like putty. In fact, it bent the 3/4" tines on my grapple like putty, until we put triangular struts on them. That mostly fixed the problem.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

The tines are braced very well. I have never seen a grapple thats made with 3/4" steel. Just the grapple would weigh 2000 lbs

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[pdqdl]

I have never seen a grapple thats made with 3/4" steel. Just the grapple would weigh 2000 lbs

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Well...let me help you out with that. Here is one that is made with 3/4" steel.




I'm not sure if it weighs a ton, but it certainly isn't light. We added all the triangular struts on each side of the "teeth" because we kept bending them. I did not measure, but I think I put 3/8" plate into each of those welded on struts.

True confessions: only the spikes on the grapple are 3/4" thick; the "rake" part is built with 1/2" steel. As I recall, we bent the lower ones a whole lot more than the upper ones. The spikes only stick out about 8"-9" from the horizontal bar that binds them all together, so they were pretty short and stout. Just not stout enough.

That root grapple is made by M&M Engineering. I could not find them on the internet, so maybe they were making them too heavy to be profitable.

 

[kr5258]

Check out Solesbee’s. They make an excellent product. Recommended one of their grapple rakes about 8 years ago to a friend who does lot clearing. Saw him this past weekend and he is still very happy with his purchase.

 

[nitrousbaby]

Just bought a verse tech 72" HD about three months ago. I've put it through hell and it keeps on working great. The reason I went with this unit is because of its light weight. (385lbs) my little 1840 case needs all the help it can get. Love the root grappler type I've loaded around 100 cord this year makes it nice when you can leave chips and dirt in the yard not in the trailer. You'll love a grapler one of the handiest tools there is

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I have a versatech root grapple to and this is what happened to mine. The main tube that the tines attach to is only 1/8" wall square tube.

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[nitrousbaby]

Wow that sucks. Now I notice yours just from the small picture you posted is constructed a bit different was yours the HD model? I was told mines all half inch tines and 1/4 in square stock. But that was just told to me by a guy in a suit.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Yeah, mine is supposed to be the HD model. The tines are 1/2"

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[2treeornot2tree]

I had to add gussets to the tines to so they wouldn't bend when I pinch stuff.View attachment 329163

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[sgreanbeans]

I need to get a set of tracks for mine. I had a bobcat 873 with them, man that thing would go anywhere. I prefer the bucket bottom grapple, I had one liek your but I like bein gable to use it for other crap as well, so then I don't have to switch if I am doing dirt or mulch. It was great for land clearing tho.