Skid steer and grapple questions.......

[JTtreecare]

I have run both the implemax grapple and now a Ryan's grapple and I would never own another grapple other than ryans! the implemax grapple I bent the grapple because of the design and did not like feeding the chipper with out the rotor that is what took me so long to buy another grapple

 

[tnttree]

Man those Implemax grapples were Hvy built, the arms were like 4X6 solid steel.
You bent it cuz it did not have a rotator?

 

[JTtreecare]

We had one of the early ones and I did not care for it as much as the Ryan's grapple I have now

 

[theXman]

The implemax grapples were built very well, too well maybe. That's my theory on why they went out of business. Too high of quality and cost more than what cheap china buying USA people wanted back in those years.

My two brothers each have tree services. One runs an ASV 4810 with the same floating implemax grapple that Mark has. The other brother uses the ASV/Terex RC100 with the same grapple. Both since around 2002.

I run the later model implemax rotator grapple with different tong design on my trusty ASV 4810, since maybe 2003 or 2004.

There is a learning curve to use the non-rotator ones. They have a range of motion, then if you go too far a limiting bolt will break. My brothers are extremely fast with them. Crazy fast. Their tongs are a boxed form and hollow, after very many years, the tongs can need rebuilding.

I love my implemax with rotator. I will never get rid of it. If it ever wears out, we will rebuild what ever wears out. I think I paid around $13,500 back in 2003 or '04, whatever year that was. my tongs are solid hard steel. 9000 lb warn winch on top too.

 

[Jeff]

The implemax grapples were built very well,

X, I heard the dad founded Implemax and the son killed the business. Don't know if that's true or not, but sure miss them: that was one great grapple! My employer back then had one in '99 on the ASV HD4520 (til that machine burned up mowing brush in '02) then put it on the ASV 4810. One hell of a combo. We didn't have the winch, but never really needed it the way we worked. One interesting thing I did notice was the 4810 with the 110 hp Cat used nearly twice as much fuel as the 4520 with the 115 hp Deere. Never actually measured it, but just seat of the pants feel when fueling them up after seemingly equal time working. Anyway, I liked that combo so much I'd almost contemplate moving to MD just to work for you and run one again.