72" Tomahawk grapple.

[manike]

I couldn't find much actual end user experience before I bought my 72" Tomahawk grapple from the auctions so I figured now that I have had it a while and put it to some serious use clearing up a crazy storm we had a few weeks ago that I would share my experience with it.





It's rapidly become my favourite attachment. I bought it because I have 10 acres of neglected woodland that I wanted to clean up and to bring firewood back for the house and work shop.

Two weeks after I got it, we were hit with a huge storm and 85mph winds which knocked over more than 40 trees on the property and put us without power for six and a half days. I spent those working the tractor, grapple and stihl chainsaws like crazy. In a couple of cases lifting trees off neighbours property to help reduce damage and help them clean up.

The grapple and tractor were life savers. I could easily pick up an oak trunk 2.5" in diameter and 6-8 feet long and take them to my wood pile. The grapple and tractor had no issues doing it at all. Picking up or locking down on the piles of limbs and brush and pushing it to a rot pile was a cake walk. Jobs that used to take me days (cleaning up a downed tree) took hours or less.







I also had one section of the woods, maybe half an acre, thick with vines and tangled brushed in which about 8 trees all came down together. I was easily able to use the root clearing function to pull up the thick vines and clear it out enough to cut up the trees.

Overall so far, other than wearing some paint off it, it shows no signs of any issues at all and I am extremely happy with it.

 

[aeblank]

Awesome! I've been seriously looking at tomahawk! On the 66" model its within about 30lbs of the EA. And half the price..... I'll post more later (when not on phone), but thanks for the thread. Saved me from starting one!

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[aeblank]

Ok, I know the subject is the 72", but I'm most interested in the 66", so that's what I have the most info on. In general, ETA's Wicked grapple is the benchmark. BTW, there are a couple Tomahawk threads over on tractorbynet as well.


ETA:
410 LBS
9 tines
2 lids
$2074 with free shipping within 1,000 mi.
greasable
Bottom tines seem "tall"
Tine tips don't have support angles (seen as a good thing, for ground penetration).

Tomahawk:
442 LBS (32lbs more)
8 tines (1 less tine, so 1-1/8"-ish extra space between each tine)
2 lids
$1283 with shipping/pickup separate.
perhaps non-greasable
Bottom tines seem nicely less-tall
Tine tips have big huge angle supports


I'm also trying to decide on 1 lid or 2 lids. Price is $280 to add the second lid/cylinder. I figure I can drill the pivots to be greasable or McMaster has "wheel axles" for sub-$10 each if I felt the need. I don't plan to rip roots with mine, so I'm also not concerned about the tine tips. I am only like 3 or 4 hours away, so I'll drive and pick it up.

ALSO, their pallet forks are the cheapest I've seen. My dealer is far cheaper than "everyone" at $540 plus tax for Walco 42" tine. These guys are $501!! Dang.

I've read nothing bad about them. Their distributorship is the only odd thing, being sold new at auction here and there sporadically. They at least have a (quite nice) website now, which makes a huge difference.

Seems to be just the OP and I. Let us (me) know how you like it over time.

 

[manike]

On mine you can grease all the pivot points so I would expect it is the same on the 66".

I bought mine from the auctions, which I agree is a little weird for a new item sales path, but paid significantly less than that.

I like the fact the tine tips are supported. I expect I would bend them otherwise eventually... With my tractor I have no issue putting them into the ground, but it's pretty sandy here in South Jersey so that may not be the same everywhere.

So far I have been glad for the double lids. I often pick up cut firewood or stumps and it has helped hold down uneven loads. I just removed 4 stumps today with the help of the grapple and my Bradco 485 back hoe (review coming) and on one occasion picked up two stumps that were close together at the same time with each lid coming down to hold a stump. Not a big deal, but it's 300 yards to where I dumped them so it saved me some time and I appreciated it!

I couldn't find much information on them from actual users hence the reasons I started this.

 

[Spurlucky]

Those pics look great. Glad you're happy with it. Very rewarding to have a tool work as designed and reduce time to finish the task at hand.

 

[aeblank]

I just got one this last weekend!
I'm going to use a diverter valve for the hydraulics, and I don't have *any* of the parts yet. I do like the looks of it though. Picked it up "used" from a guy that never used it. He apparently got it as part of some package deal. $850, no tax, and while it was a couple hours away, I was going there anyway.

Mine does NOT have grease-able pivots. So that kinda sucks. I'll perhaps buy some "axles" from McMaster Carr. Haven't looked into that yet.

Question... On that picture you have with the load of wood. Did you grapple that all, or did you hand-throw those in? I have hopes of moving piles of wood with it, instead of by hand. I am also, though, working on implementing a palletized system of wood, where I remove multiple handlings.

Anyway, here she be.......

 

[manike]

Interesting. So the 66" doesn't have greasable pivots but the 72" does. hmm, I wonder why not.

Question... On that picture you have with the load of wood. Did you grapple that all, or did you hand-throw those in? I have hopes of moving piles of wood with it, instead of by hand.

I have done both, so I am not 100% certain, but looking at how it is stacked there I am pretty sure that was a grapple load. I tend to stack it slightly more organized when I do it by hand.

I am also, though, working on implementing a palletized system of wood, where I remove multiple handlings.

Nice. I also picked up some quick release plates and intend to weld up a rack or two that I can stack wood into and then move it from my wood pile to by the house or into the work shop in winter. I'd like to see how you get on with your plan, so please keep us up to date. Thanks

 

[aeblank]

This is what I'm doing. Free pallets, free (scrap) wood for the sides/top.

Load it once, let it dry for a year or whatever, then put it by the basement door. I can have 1, or I can have 100. I'll probably take some sheet metal roofing scraps and put a cover over it, screwed down of course...

These pallets are small @30" wide. But, they were what was available. I think I grabbed 22 of them. I hope to mostly have much bigger pallets in the future. Of course, these small ones *should* fit through the basement door, and I was thinking of sitting them on a "furniture dolly" from harbor freight.

I'll still use my shed for the winter though, as my pallet forks / FEL come off when the blower goes on (front mount blower).

 

[aeblank]

Interesting. So the 66" doesn't have greasable pivots but the 72" does. hmm, I wonder why not.

I suspect it's a vintage thing. They didn't at first, but added it some time later. Who knows.....

 

[aeblank]

Re: 72" Tomahawk grapple.

I wish I had time (already have all the parts and pieces) to hook up my diverter and USE my grapple. Grrrrr.

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[djm1204]

i do not have the Tomahawk grapple but have a 72" Landpride I got a deal on - have to agree it has become my most favorite tractor attachment so far.

the only thing that I have not been able to do with it is dig, well actually I can dig in the Florida sand, just can't pick the sand up and move it with a grapple. I have over 30 acres - 27 of which is mostly Pine and Oak trees. The grapple is a life saver around the property, just starting to clear a fence line 8' x 5000' Chain saw - grapple and chipper will be my primary tools.

Love my grapple

 

[car compulsive]

I don't dare order a grapple. My wife would chase me down the road with it.

 

[aeblank]

Bummer. Mine made me call the guy on the cl ad.

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[Daren Todd]

Bummer. Mine made me call the guy on the cl ad.

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You got yourself a keeper for sure

 

[aeblank]

I'm DONE! Well, except for 2 or 3 small details.
I've only got about 10 minutes on it, so I can't speak to its durability.
However, I'm happy with my Tomahawk!!

 

[aeblank]

Also......

 

[manike]

I like the idea of using it put some of the larger logs on the splitter... I used to do that manual, including getting the strains from it.

Glad you are happy with yours also

As fall hits, I have a lot of work planned for mine.

 

[aeblank]

It worked well.

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[Uncle Fester]

I just purchased the Tomahawk 66" single lid at an equipment auction . The pivots are not greasable on mine but as mentioned by others it should not be difficult to add them. They had the 72" model there and those did have greasable pivots. I went with the 66" because it is a 100 pounds lighter. I've only had it a little over a week but I've already put a few hours on it. I can't remember being more satisfied with an attachment purchase. We had our pines thinned and the foresters left quite a mess. Considering I paid about a third of what the competition would have cost I am extremely pleased.

 

[aeblank]

I can't remember being more satisfied with an attachment purchase.

Awesome!
Pics?

I plan to drill out the bolts on mine and make them greasable. Hopefully I do it before it starts to show signs of wear.

One thought, I do recall in a 4shorts youtube video him getting a land pride grapple (for a BX). It also did not have greasable pivots, and he added grease zerks. That's a LAND PRIDE (i.e. name brand) unit. Magically nothing needs grease anymore. Grapples, U-joints on cars, etc.