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A300 grapple suggestions

JPSouth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
125
Location
SW Montana
While doing some work for a guy, I wound up cleaning a bunch of irrigation feeder ditch for his uncle. There is a complex system of ditches going into this ranch, and one of them is long overdue for a complete rebuild; it was last tended to in the early 60s. It is around 1.2 miles long and probably 60% has almost completely disappeared underneath heavy brush and small trees. The channel is not hard to spot, so re-establishing the ditch will be relatively easy once the cover is removed. I will be using my 6T mini with a bucket and brush rake, and figure I can speed this whole thing up considerable if I get a grapple for my A300 - there will be a considerable volume of material to pile and burn, and I likely will have help to run the skiddy.

I won't be dealing with much rock on this job, but others will come along. There are several configurations of grapples out there, rock/brush, forestry, etc. - suggestions?
 

barnbuilder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Messages
134
Location
Waxhaw, NC
I purchased a Bobcat 82" grapple for my A300 last year. It works good but kind of wish I had gone with a Faver. I think for scooping and moving it would work better. Of course the week after I purchased mine there was a Bobcat brand and Faver on Craigslist for $2k each.
 

Mark13

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
272
Location
IL
I have a demo dozer with the removable floor that I totally love, wouldn't know what to do without it. But it certainly does not replace a root rake style grapple if you need to get down into the ground and rake things out.
Here's a picture of it with the solid floor bolted over the skeleton floor and the end plates bolted on. I can't get other pictures of it to load.
20170526_164523.jpg
 

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Mark13

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
272
Location
IL
Mark13...I don't own one, but I think the Demo Dozer is a great product...the receiver tubes are a stroke of genius, too....but, they are not "cheap"!!

It's definitely my most favorite grapple of the different ones I have owned and many different ones I have used. I priced the demo dozer out then got prices on a half dozen other grapples from various brands. The demo dozer I thought was priced pretty competitively and is much more versatile then any of the others.
 

StumpyWally

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Messages
516
Location
Liv'in the Dream ---------------> in Ballston, NY
Occupation
PE Civil Eng'r, Computer Sys. Mgr., Retired
In my opinion...
Top Photo: Grapple should be 2 independent arms, not one; teeth/rakes look a little too slender & fragile.
Bottom Photo: Teeth look better, independent grapples could be extend closer to each other.

Advantages of Demo Dozer:
  • Solid grapple edge allows small objects to be picked up.
  • 2" receiver hitches on grapple arms allow many uses.
  • removable floor plate & sides allow use as both a rake & a bucket.
But...it all depends on what your primary use/objective is.
 

Mark13

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
272
Location
IL
In my opinion...
Top Photo: Grapple should be 2 independent arms, not one; teeth/rakes look a little too slender & fragile.
Bottom Photo: Teeth look better, independent grapples could be extend closer to each other.

Advantages of Demo Dozer:
  • Solid grapple edge allows small objects to be picked up.
  • 2" receiver hitches on grapple arms allow many uses.
  • removable floor plate & sides allow use as both a rake & a bucket.
But...it all depends on what your primary use/objective is.

I'd agree with you on all those points.
Some of the things you can't do with a normal grapple and things I never would have thought to do with a grapple prior to the demo dozer.
20170527_182833.jpg 33032509_10160440284215357_578767441799151616_n.jpg IGA 5.jpg IGA 3.jpg
 

f311fr1

Senior Member
Joined
May 11, 2016
Messages
698
Location
Middle TN
Both of the styles you show will drop a lot of debris through the spaces. I own each of the pictured styles from CID and I think I am going to buy a demo dozer with a removeable floor.
 

Mark13

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
272
Location
IL
How are you hooking those fence posts?

If you go up to post #4 I have a picture attached that shows the grapple holding a small tree that will explain it better. The cutting edge of the bucket and the edge of each grapple touch all the way across. If you use the outside edge of either side of the bucket you can grab tall items and pinch them, it grabs hard enough it'll tip the skid over or it crushes whatever you're holding on to. So for those posts I would drive up with the grapples open, turn slightly to the left or right depending which side of the bucket I was using, close the grapples and just lift the arms up. All the posts layed out in the picture near the train was 15ish minutes of work and I never got out of the cab. It would have been quicker but to reach each post I was teetering on the edge of a ditch which slowed me down a bit inching forward until I could reach the post but not fall into the ditch and get stuck. Hopefully these pictures help explain it better. In a couple of the pictures you can see the post extending past the top/back of the bucket when it's curled down. In the 3rd photo look at the very left corner of the cutting edge. There's a pile of wire on the ground almost under the bucket and a little bundle of wire I have held in the very corner of the grapple. All that wire came out of that pile of wood and it was all done in a minute or two from the cab of the machine.
20170613_124903.jpg 20170711_095023.jpg 20170711_101342.jpg 20170711_190423.jpg
 

Bumpsteer

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
1,333
Location
Front seat on the Struggle Bus
Occupation
Mechanical designer
I don't care for a grapple with an open back....to often there are branches that poke through towards the operator.

I went with the Bobcat Industrial grapple.

I've since added teeth to it...

Ed


grapple.jpg bobcat2.JPG bobcat3.JPG
 
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