Following... For my entire life we've been loading every block by hand, trailering home, unloading by hand and stacking. Last year finally I saw someone using a grapple and ended up trading him a bottle of Crown to use it for a weekend. That was a Virnig MFG brand (their factory is 20 miles from here but they are national) and is VERY well built (but also 4 grand), but the tines had a weird V wedge that would get blocks stuck in them. Heck of a lot better than loading by hand but less than ideal for firewood. I've been looking all winter at different brands and most seem to be local manufacturers, no big name items down in the affordable range. Few weeks ago I was at a consignment auction with a handful of new ones with double thumbs, looked very well built with nice tines and they all sold in the $800-1100 range. I couldn't justify spending that on something I use once a year when I can rent one for $26, but I've got an offer in on a 40 acre wooded parcel down the road so now I may be in the market again