Mini Skid Steer Grapple Bucket vs Rock Grapple: Which to Use

A mini skid steer grapple bucket has a flat, solid bottom for scraping up loose material, while a rock grapple is an open, skeleton-style grapple for rock, brush, roots and debris. Which mini skid steer grapple you need comes down to how fine the material is that you have to move.

What's the difference between a mini grapple bucket and a rock grapple?

The difference is the bottom. A mini grapple bucket is a bucket with a flat, solid bottom and the grapple mounted on top. A rock grapple is a skeleton grapple: an open frame with no solid bottom.

The solid bottom versus the open frame changes how each grapple works:

• Grapple bucket: you scrape material up into the bucket, close the grapple over it and move the load.
• Rock grapple: the open frame grabs rock, brush, roots and debris, but very small material falls through it.

Which mini skid steer grapple should you use for the job?

Pick by the size of what you are moving.

• Rock, brush, roots or debris: use the rock grapple. Those loads are big enough for the skeleton frame to hold.
• Small or loose material: use the grapple bucket. A rock grapple is not the right choice for fine material, while the bucket's solid floor keeps those small pieces in as the grapple closes down on the load.

Does a grapple for a mini skid steer have to be a mini attachment?

Yes. Attachments can be swapped out on a mini skid steer, but they have to be mini skid steer attachments. A full-size skid steer attachment is a different fit, so match the grapple to the machine it is going on.