Grapple bucket question

[Nebraska]

So I had a nothing too great elm log waiting in line to go to the mill, I lifted it with pallet forks got by the mill it's not real fresh, the bark was slipping off tough to get a bite with my cant hook and roll it off.  I didnt have weight centered  pefectly and by the time i pulled the rest of the bark it was really slick and had slid to the side enough  it was in a bad spot to get it with the forks. I didn't have the tongs down with me so there it sits. I was just going to park the tractor in the shed for the night. and figured I'd load the log and saw it up sometime this weekend. It's about four feet from where I wanted it and I'll just get the chains and tongs and set it up there....., but the whole time I'm lusting after a grapple bucket..  I'm thinking a single cylinder vs twin acting, I would like it to move a round bale as well as a log or brush pile my tractor is quick attach and big enough to lift anything I can reasonably handle. Do any of you who use them have preferences and why? I don't log,  I get trees from friends running excavators clearing trees or a couple tree services blessed with all I can saw and it would make a measurable difference in efficiency.

[Riwaka]

Might try a grapple rake  for the logs and brush. (bucket - might as well have a proper loader bucket for loose material - sand, wood chips etc. )

Quite a few different designs for much the same purpose , for grapple rakes. 

https://www.mtlattachments.com/tractor-attachments

Round bales, prefer just 2 or 3 prongs  on a separate attachment for the simple bale handler. Lots of wrapped bales then the 'Keltec bale slice' for feeding and curvedoft hands' for loading/ handling wrapped rounds. 

[Ed_K]

The forestry grapples I see for sale wouldn't work very well on a round bale. If you have the where with all build a grapple addition to your regular bucket. wouldn't be to difficult using a single cylinder piston to hold down on the bale. Using a cylinder long enough to close to the bucket edge. I tried picking up a bale with me home made grapple the opens to 35" and I could pick it up but it was by biting into the top edge of the bale and it was pretty tore up by the time I got it moved. 

[moodnacreek]

Forks on a loader [not on the bucket] is the best. Most times a grapple just gets in the way. We bought one and never use it unless needed for brush, scrap metal clean up etc. Some yards weld a strip of key stock on top of the forks so slippery logs don't go sideways.

[Nebraska]

Well I 've got bale spears and I didn't want  to add a grapple to my existing bucket for the in the way factor. Had them on a couple tractors growing up don't  want them on the good. I've seen a bucket with shallow rounded side and a grapple for grabbing logs that might hold a little snow or rock. Which i have contemplated building I keep the blade on the tractor from about thanksgiving til spring. I suppose a jack of all trades bucket/ grapple may not do anything well.

Key stock on the forks would've fix the issue last night ...good thought ....maybe a second shorter set of forks may be the answer, the key stock might be a little rough on my chemtote firewood carriers and pallets. Would welding on the forks mess up the temper of the steel?... I think it might,  but a home made set of shorty's..hmmm..

[moodnacreek]

You would not want to do a weld across the fork in the stress areas but a short small weld here and there should be ok.

[mike_belben]

SAS scrapyard forks are covered in hard face. 

[samandothers]

I have a single cylinder unit 5' grapple.  Mine is not a root rake which suits me fine.  I can use it similar to forks to carry things if it's on the tractor.  The tractor is 42 hp.  The grapple works well for me though I have had some logs I could drag but not lift very well, limits of my tractor's lifting.  The grapples can be heavy and take up some of your weight lifting ability.  I use my grapple a lot for brush and rocks as well as logs.  When sawing I'll disconnect the forks near where I off load the saw and stack the lumber on the forks.  The grapple goes on the tractor to load logs, non hydraulic mill.  After cutting I'll disconnect the grapple, attach to forks and carry lumber to drying area.  Works well for me.

[Nebraska]

Yes samandothers that sounds like what I was thinking about, I don't have use for a root rake my smaller tractor is similar in size to yours.  I just I could save lots of up and downs on the tractor esp loading and unloading logs, or mill trailer or otherwise.  Do you have a picture of your setup? 

[62oliver]

I have this bucket      http://www.erskineattachments.com/industrial-tine-grapple
it works well for logs and lots of other things, for round bales I prefer pallet forks.
 I've had that grapple for quite awhile, if I was buying one today I think I might look more at a skeleton rock bucket with a grapple.

[g_man]

I like this Frost Bite Log Grapple. Excellent for logs and rocks. So-so for brush compared to a root grapple. Only weight about 350 lbs.



 



 





gg  

[Nebraska]

I like that claw type grapple that would be slick. The double cylindered one is like one a client of mine has,  he isn't  far away and I'm sure I could use it.. with my luck id bend it up...the last thing I borrowed from a neighbor was a payloader and of course the batteries died while I had it. So it was returned full of diesel with two new John Deere batteries...Dad's voice in my head "always bring it back as good or better than it was if you borrowed it."