Are You Considering Buying a Brush Grapple?

By: Rhonda Arakaki-Langley

For: Tractor Town Equipment Inc.

While there are several types of grapples (rock, skeleton, grapple buckets etc.). The brush (aka root, clam-shell, claw) grapple is probably the most useful grapple you can get for your tractor or skid steer. It can save you a lot of time when cleaning up brush, logs, roots, large rocks and concrete and debris.

Brush grapples are made to fit a wide range of tractors and skid steers and recently brush grapples that are specifically sized and designed to work with compact and sub-compact utility tractor models are becoming more readily available.

When purchasing a brush grapple there are some specific things to look for:

1.     Make sure it is suitable for your Machine – You will need to know the loader capacity for your machine. You don’t want to overload your machine.  If you don’t know your loader capacity, you can do a Google search for the make/model specifications for your tractor and loader.

2.     Choose the right option:  After finding out what weight your loader can handle you will find that there are both light duty and heavy-duty options. Choosing which type of brush grapple is right for your loader and usage is important.

a.     Light Duty:

                                                                          i.      3/8” or thinner steel

                                                                        ii.      Weighs 500 lbs. or less

                                                                     iii.      Low capacity under 1750 lbs.

b.     Heavy Duty:

                                                                          i.      ½” or thicker steel

                                                                        ii.      Weighs over 500 lbs.

                                                                     iii.      High Capacity over 2500 lbs.

3.     Hydraulic couplers - Check that the couplers on the grapple will match the couplers on your machine.

4.     Grease fittings – Look for grease fittings on the cylinder pins. You will need to grease these fittings regularly. In doing so, you replace old dirty grease with dirt free grease which extends the life of your equipment.

5.     Hydraulic cylinder guards – Look for guard covers over the hydraulic cylinders. Covers help protect the cylinders

6.     Hoses and couplers-. Not all manufacturers include the hoses and couplers always ask if these are included in the price.

7.     A Universal mounting plate should come standard. If your Machine needs a different type of mount be certain to ask if it is available.

A brush grapple can definitely, make removing brush, keeping fence and tree lines clear, as well as moving logs and rocks much easier and faster. However, it pays to do some homework, be well-informed and choose the brush grapple that fits your particular needs.