Skid loader grapple

[D6c]

Kicking around the idea of a log handling grapple for skid loader.  Also want to be able to use for raking up brush, handling concret, rocks, etc.
How does this look?
Heavy-Duty Tine Grapple | Grapples | Skid Steer Attachments | Erskine Attachments LLC
Haven't priced yet...may be beyond budget.

[Bruno of NH]

I have a Ingland works great on log brush piles and rocks and Crete
But not good for scraping clean up work
They only cost around $1300

[alan gage]

I have very little grapple experience but I like the wider tooth spacing on that one for handling logs, brush and cleanup.

Around here most people have rock grapples (less tooth spacing) and I found it held too much dirt when trying to clean up brush after a grove was pushed over by an excavator.

One the other hand if you want to use it like many farmers around here (picking rocks from fields) the narrower tooth spacing of the rock grapple is nice so you don't loose all the smaller ones.

Alan

[Crossroads]

It looks like a well built unit, I don't think you'd regret having it. 

[hunterbuild]

I got one online two years ago. about $1200 dropped shipped to my driveway. was using my forks before. The difference in setting the log on saw is like night and day. set that log down easy, no rolling and banging the saw up. moving logs and rocks and stuff so easy.  

[Andries]

The grapple on my loader has been a huge improvement over always having to use the forks.


 
Unloading a fender trailer, placing logs on the mill, etc. Its been a huge time and frustration and fender saver.
 It's made by Erskine and I was able to pick it up at the manufacturing plant just West of Fargo, ND. which is a three hour drive from where I live.
I'll vouch for this grapple in that it is strong, well designed and like a Swiss Army knife.


 

[Andries]

A couple of points about picking out a grapple for you loader;
- match the lifting power of your loader to the grapple. My Ford is back weighted to 12,500 lbs with the FEL rated to 5000 lbs. so the width and weight of a six foot grapple was OK. On a smaller skid steer the same grapple would be a super bad choice.
- build site prep, digging up rocks and boulders, brush and branch cleanup, back dragging with a single top lid, to get a very smooth and clean site were important to me. So the replaceable ground teeth, 72" width and single top lid were the deciding factors. 



- if firewood handling on a smaller loader, I'd like the unit you showed. As said above, also good for rock bucket work or debris pickup.
- if you were using your loader just around the lumber yard, sawmill and log yard, I'd say that a grapple top on forks would be the way to go. Low weight, low cost, strong and simple. But not so good for the other stuff you may want to do. 


 
Like a lotta things in life, there's trade offs involved. 
. . . and it's very competitive market out there - you're going to get what you pay for. 
 
Put another way, by a clever guy on this forum, buy once, cry once. :-\

[D6c]

The grapple on my loader has been a huge improvement over always having to use the forks.


 
Unloading a fender trailer, placing logs on the mill, etc. Its been a huge time and frustration and fender saver.
It's made by Erskine and I was able to pick it up at the manufacturing plant just West of Fargo, ND. which is a three hour drive from where I live.
I'll vouch for this grapple in that it is strong, well designed and like a Swiss Army knife.


 

I like the replaceable teeth and serrated tines on the one you have, but I think I want one with twin grapple arms to grab odd shaped logs.  Weight shouldn't' be a problem since the track skid loader I have weighs about 11,500.

[Andries]

Thats a hefty loader for sure.
You should be fine with a grapple that weighs up to 1000 lbs.
Having the two grapple lids is much better for odd shaped items, I completely agree. 
The single lid does an OK job on the irregular stuff, and a great job on raking the log yard or mill area. 
It can pull all the kindling, scraps and trim pieces into windrows which are scooped up and tossed into the burn pile.
But everyone values different functions.

[nopoint]

Buy one! You will not regret. Easily pay for itself in saved time dealing with brush. If working in the woods a lot look for the ability to grab log on the end and drag out. Sometimes smaller logs I grab on end and even load or stack that way. Much safer than forks. Only downfall over forks is the shorter reach when loading logs etc.

[nativewolf]

There are good threads on this very topic.  The key points are to match skid loader to the grapple, if you have a heavy tracked machine you can use the heavy industrial grapples which will have heavier thickness on the steel side tine/points.  We have a kubota svl95 tracked machine that is a bit heavier than the bobcat comp.  We use and like the bobcat heavy industrial grapple.  We've managed to break a hydraulic cylinder pushing a tree and a tooth came over backwards.  We also have had issues with the grapple being darn sensitive to the hoses.  Other than that if you look at the pics of what is being harvested in the logging section you can see pics with a 8' oak about 40" being loaded over the side of log truck with our grapple.  We send out trucks with fully loaded with 20-40 logs/truckload with that grapple and then go clean brush with it.  

Like anything else the operator experience/touch is critical to success.  I have none...or terrible touch.  I don't use it much.  I have an operator that can almost rake the yard with it.  Overall, the most useful tool we have is the tracked skidsteer with grapple.

[D6c]

We have a kubota svl95 tracked machine that is a bit heavier than the bobcat comp.

That's what I have... Kubota SVL95-2s

[bandmiller2]

Double vs single lid, what if a dude modified a double lid so they could be pinned together for the time you want a single.?? Frank C. 

[KenMac]

I love and use my grapple more than anything else. Mine is a single lid design, and the only thing wrong with it. I plan to cut it and make a double lid out of it. Mine is from Everything Attachments and is very well made. 

[Stephen1]

-" if you were using your loader just around the lumber yard, sawmill and log yard, I'd say that a grapple top on forks would be the way to go. Low weight, low cost, strong and simple. But not so good for the other stuff you may want to do. "
I saw the grapple over forks. I has a good weigh ratio for my little bobcat...747
I am going to sell my too heavy graple with the bucket, it out weighs my Little Bobcat. I like the grapple over forks as I am always having my loads of lumber sliding off, just a real pain in the @$$.
Does any one build the grapple over forks in Canada?

[Andries]

I am going to sell my too heavy graple with the bucket, it out weighs my Little Bobcat. I like the grapple over forks as I am always having my loads of lumber sliding off, just a real pain in the @$$.
Does any one build the grapple over forks in Canada?

Stephen -
I'm looking at some other equipment that this outfit sells-they are new to me.
Pipe Grapples for Skid Steers & Loaders - Conterra Industries
. . . and yes, brother, I feel your pain when converting our metric $CAD into $USD  
Take peek at the video on these. These grapple-over-forks have a scissor type action when they clamp down, which may be just the ticket for log yard and sawmill operations.
It looks like the grapple jaws would push down on a stack of lumber with the jaws' arms coming down parallel to the boards.
No jaw marks on lumber or timbers?
no more spilled stacks sliding off the forks like a deck of cards?
Has anyone else seen this grapple action in use elsewhere?

[Crusarius]

now thats pretty sweet. Thanks for posting that link.

[Stephen1]

I like them.