mini grapples.

[Jehinten]

Who here runs a grapple rake style grapple for a mini skidsteer? What brand do you have? Pros and cons?


I bought a cheap one just to see if I liked it. It works great for my business 85-90% of the time. I also have a BMG for when it won't work or if the BMG will do a certain job better.

The one I bought was poorly made, poorly designed and made with cheap materials. The brand was titan attachments, somewhere around $1600. It didn't fit the attachment plate. It was oversized by 3/4" and would fall off of the machine. By the second job, small components began to bend, and there are grease zerks that are impossible to grease due to how it's built. The last major issue is the hoses being exposed to the front of the grapple between the tines. Anytime brush or small chunks of wood get in the grapple long ways instead of perpendicular to the machine, the grapple closing smashes them into the hoses and ruptures the hose. Being a British sized fitting, a 12" hose runs about $60.

I realize that last paragraph should probably be in rant and rave... but I wanted to make it known here in case anyone else is looking into this style of grapple.

I am now looking at a similar grapple from Quick attach. They boast a robust build, with 1/2" thick grade 50 steel. Anybody have experience with this one or another brand? It's quoted at $3200

 

[Lumberjack]

Why that style instead of a root grapple style with the longer floor?

 

[Brando CalPankian]

Why that style instead of a root grapple style with the longer floor?

Ditto.

I hated the short bottom style root grapple. I went with a log/brush grapple on my tractor. I'll check out what brand sometime.

That said, you can weld plate onto the tines or other areas to reinforce weak spots. Cheap steel is, well, cheap. It's also a balance of weight to strength. Too beefy and you lose capacity.

That unit looks more stout. My 2© is avoid a root grapple.

 

[Jehinten]

Why that style instead of a root grapple style with the longer floor?

To date I've only tried this style and the knock around bmg. I might like that style as well, but the one I showed does a really good job of plowing brush into a pile. Especially if it's spread out during storm work or a felling operation.

I can rake nearly as good with this grapple as the bmg rake (it does let smaller stuff through) and I can hold the bmg rake with this grapple.

If you open the grapple and tilt it forward you can backdrag to clear brush growth, and pull surface roots.

 

[Jehinten]

That said, you can weld plate onto the tines or other areas to reinforce weak spots. Cheap steel is, well, cheap. It's also a balance of weight to strength. Too beefy and you lose capacity.

I considered that, it's just has too many flaws in the build.

The grapple shown that should be heavier duty is actually 50lbs lighter, according to online specs.

 

[Brando CalPankian]

To date I've only tried this style and the knock around bmg. I might like that style as well, but the one I showed does a really good job of plowing brush into a pile. Especially if it's spread out during storm work or a felling operation.

I can rake nearly as good with this grapple as the bmg rake (it does let smaller stuff through) and I can hold the bmg rake with this grapple.

If you open the grapple and tilt it forward you can backdrag to clear brush growth, and pull surface roots.

I do the same with my tractor grapple, but it has a huge opening (bigger than the root grapple I tried). I'm a wizard with the log grapple on that machine. I found it easier. But different strokes, lol.

 

[Alec A.]

I like my Erskine mini root rake a lot when I get to use it. I like the short bottom tines for loading and raking, super useful. Its made of 1/2" Grade 50 as well

 

[Jehinten]

I like my Erskine mini root rake a lot when I get to use it. I like the short bottom tines for loading and raking, super useful. Its made of 1/2" Grade 50 as well

View attachment 99980

In looking those up, I see that it only has one cylinder. Does it seem to have enough squeeze? Both of the ones that i showed have two cylinders.

How long have you been running that one? Any issues?

 

[Alec A.]

Its got a lot of squeeze, I think the center mounted single cylinder is better protected than the tandem designs on the ends.

 

[tnttree]

the short tined "root rake" horizontal grapples are truly a rooting or grubbing grapple. the short tines give you more torque and force when grubbing out small shrubs and stumps in say a woods clean out situation. for General treework the longer tined "root rake" grapples give you more volume. that two cylinder single clamp technically has more squeeze, dual clamps gives you more of grabbing odd sized material like a crotch

Rob BM is now making horizontal grapples should you get near Ramsey sometime come check it out. love to have your opinion

 

[southsoundtree]

This has been my read on grapples as well. I am 95%+ bmg with an occasional long tine type grapples for the balance.

If I'm clearing up brush into big piles without concern about rocks, like a burn pile or grapple truck where I don't need or want max density, I'll use the long tine sometimes.

Pushing up my large brush pile that will go away by grapple truck is easier with the boxy long-tine.

 

[Jehinten]

Rob BM is now making horizontal grapples should you get near Ramsey sometime come check it out. love to have your opinion

Are these out now, or coming out soon? I'd love to continue to support BMG. I operated a knock around as my only grapple for about 5 years.

These days I don't chip, everything goes in a grapple truck. So my knock around is primarily used for narrow paths and the scoops.

Your comment on the dual cylinders seems true with the larger brush grapples that have independent jaws. The smaller ones for mini skids that I've been seeing have just the one that is ran by a single or dual cylinder. This can mean that you have fewer options on how to grab those odd pieces.

Compared to the bmg, the dual Cylinder certainly is slower to close, which really isn't a problem as I rarely want to close the BMG at full speed. But I'm not sure if it actually increases grabbing strength.

 

[CityArb]

We've had a good experience with larger CID Attachments, but I can't speak to their mini skid stuff.

Mini Root Grapple - CID

cidattachments.com

 

[southsoundtree]

Adding a bollard seems useful.

 

[Jehinten]

Adding a bollard seems useful.

I did exactly that with that cheap one. And a towing receiver.

I'd been spoiled with those options on my previous grapple.

 

[Daniel]

the short tined "root rake" horizontal grapples are truly a rooting or grubbing grapple. the short tines give you more torque and force when grubbing out small shrubs and stumps in say a woods clean out situation. for General treework the longer tined "root rake" grapples give you more volume. that two cylinder single clamp technically has more squeeze, dual clamps gives you more of grabbing odd sized material like a crotch

I agree 100%... I take it one step further and make it a grapple bucket for tree work with the solid bottom for moving stump chips, rakings and dust etc..

 

[Treetopflyer]

Lil sumthin like this ?

 

[Reach]

Lil sumthin like this ?

That style is what we run on full size skid steer loaders, and I can’t see why someone would want to run anything else.

 

[Lumberjack]

I run a root grapple (not root rake grapple with the short tines) to make it easier to see the engagement with the ground (or preventing the engagement) to "rake" debris if doing tree work.

I have thought about getting a bucket grapple at some point, but as best I remember, I've never owned a proper bucket grapple.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Me either but I’m gonna try that Avant demo bucket grapple