Educate me on how to pick a grapple

[Sidekick]

I have a tractor on order with 3rd function because I need something to help me move brush and clean up. Started looking for a grapple to buy and found a couple different designs but no real explanation of what's best for what.

My needs are mostly cleaning up bushes cut with a brush cutter and polesaw, cleaning up my woods that is now littered by dead blown over ashes, and removing wild rose and berry bushes that always make me bleed. Would also hold up logs for blocking firewood.

I see there are curved ones with giant mouths and short root catchers along with some that have more of a bucket shape with a smaller top clamp with long flat digging areas. Just wondering what members like best and if any brands stick out as good or bad. Another thing is weight. Some heavier ones are 800 pounds. My loader can only pickup 1900 pounds and thinking any grapple over 500 pounds and 60 inches wide may be overkill for my machine.

I have never used one before so don't really know where to start.
Thanks.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I have a tractor on order with 3rd function because I need something to help me move brush and clean up. Started looking for a grapple to buy and found a couple different designs but no real explanation of what's best for what.

My needs are mostly cleaning up bushes cut with a brush cutter and polesaw, cleaning up my woods that is now littered by dead blown over ashes, and removing wild rose and berry bushes that always make me bleed. Would also hold up logs for blocking firewood.

I see there are curved ones with giant mouths and short root catchers along with some that have more of a bucket shape with a smaller top clamp with long flat digging areas. Just wondering what members like best and if any brands stick out as good or bad. Another thing is weight. Some heavier ones are 800 pounds. My loader can only pickup 1900 pounds and thinking any grapple over 500 pounds and 60 inches wide may be overkill for my machine.

I have never used one before so don't really know where to start.
Thanks.

I'm not sure how much my rambling will help. My usage sounds similar to yours. Mostly, I'm carrying saplings I cut down to dump. The other day, I cut a couple of 8-10" pines that were encroaching on a trail and needed to clear them off the road. And the power company did ROW maintenance which left small trees and branches to clean up.

I have a Landpride SGC1060, which is a claw style. Landpride also makes the root style, as well as various other styles. They also make different grades, like they do with other implements. I was on the border between the 0660 and the 1060, which weighs just under 400 pounds. I think the 0660 would have been sufficient, but went heavier to make sure. One advantage it has is the tines are closer together so I think I could pick up and place rip-rap if I need to.

To use the claw style, I roll the grapple down and then start closing the lid. You really need to lower the grapple, roll it back and close the lid simultaneously. This would be easier with a button on the stick instead of my second stick (and with more practice).

I like that I can rake, forward or backwards, with it. But I could carry more saplings and logs with longer bottom tines.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

What tractor have you ordered?

 

[Siesta Sundance]

I have a tractor on order with 3rd function because I need something to help me move brush and clean up. Started looking for a grapple to buy and found a couple different designs but no real explanation of what's best for what.

My needs are mostly cleaning up bushes cut with a brush cutter and polesaw, cleaning up my woods that is now littered by dead blown over ashes, and removing wild rose and berry bushes that always make me bleed. Would also hold up logs for blocking firewood.

I see there are curved ones with giant mouths and short root catchers along with some that have more of a bucket shape with a smaller top clamp with long flat digging areas. Just wondering what members like best and if any brands stick out as good or bad. Another thing is weight. Some heavier ones are 800 pounds. My loader can only pickup 1900 pounds and thinking any grapple over 500 pounds and 60 inches wide may be overkill for my machine.

I have never used one before so don't really know where to start.
Thanks.

Stay away from EA.

In what you described for use, a land pride SGC1060 type grapple would probably best.