The Easiest Cable Puller Tool Ever?

Brian Rhodes

•Nov 06, 2017

IPVMU Certified

This Austrian Runpotec RT 2008 Cable Puller claims it makes the toughest pulls easy. The demo video below shows it:

The video shows the process easier than explaining it, but the process is roughly:

Cable to be pulled is hooked to a special semi-rigid lead
Lead is inserted into the pump gun
Pump gun drives the cable through conduit, tubes, or raceways regardless of the bends or Ls in the way

The tool means that installers do not need to use pulling lube, which generally is a mess to clean up:

The biggest problems I see:

The conduit turns/bend this tool powers through aren't code or cable warranty compliant. Three 180 degree Ls is impressive, but isn't really a common problem.
A majority of cable pulling doesn't involve conduit or raceways, so fishing equipment is still needed
The 199 Euro/ $230 USD kit is expensive for only pulling cable in conduit

Anyone use this tool? Is it worth it?

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(1)

Undisclosed End User #1

•Nov 06, 2017

Slightly off topic, but, I use to use a Grabbit to fish a poly line through warehouse "Z" beams from the ground level, avoiding the need of a lift..

http://lsdinc.com/installation/7305/Grabbit

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Brian Rhodes

•Nov 06, 2017

IPVMU Certified

In reply to Undisclosed End User #1

I recently saw some *crack* electricians use a telescoping painter's pole, a bent coathanger, and some duct tape.

The foreman told me he saw a 'grabbit' or something like it, but couldn't find one at his tool vendor so he knocked one up out of junk.

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Undisclosed #2

•Nov 06, 2017

IPVMU Certified

In reply to Brian Rhodes

I recently saw some *crack* electricians...

More often *crack* is something you see with plumbers ;)

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Undisclosed End User #3

•Nov 06, 2017

Gopher Pole is a great tool, I have used RC Trucks w/FAT Tires to drive across the t-bar lid to drag a pull string.

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Undisclosed Integrator #4

•Nov 06, 2017

This tool looks interesting and would have came in handy over the weekend. I'm not a technician by a long shot so trying to get a fishtape through flexible metallic conduit with three 90 degree "bends" was a comedy of errors and frustration.

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Undisclosed End User #1

•Nov 06, 2017

Drone to pull light weight leader line.... (only in my imagination, not in reality, but I foresee the day...)

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Undisclosed Integrator #5

•Nov 06, 2017

A shop vac, fishing line with a tiny piece of foam rubber tied to the end will string the fish line in seconds, then tie onto a pull string. Much cheaper and just as reliable. That conduit run is a code violation due to the number of bends exceeding 360 degrees.

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Undisclosed #2

•Nov 07, 2017

IPVMU Certified

That conduit run is a code violation due to the number of bends exceeding 360 degrees.

Perhaps they are just showing off, like the old Krazy Glue commercial:

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Undisclosed Integrator #6

•Nov 07, 2017

My favorite trick on long cable pulls that seemed impossible manually was to use a 3/8” x 12” drill bit and wrap the pull string on it. The torque of the drill was more than sufficient when I couldn’t budge the wire any more.

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Ty Mullen

•Nov 07, 2017

COR Security, Inc.

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #6

Here's the commercial version of that idea.

Rack-a-tiers Power Pull-It

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Undisclosed Integrator #6

•Nov 07, 2017

In reply to Ty Mullen

That’s exactly it, but no extra gear and I did it 25 years ago out of necessity.

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Undisclosed Integrator #6

•Nov 07, 2017

In reply to Ty Mullen

That’s exactly it, but no extra gear and I did it 25 years ago out of necessity. Well, close, I put the end of the drill bit in a box or a hole in the concrete for strength and leverage.

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Matthew Davis

•Nov 07, 2017

I used a low pull crossbow with a pull string attached to a arrow that has a rubber tip on it. Works great when pulling cable through suspended ceilings or warehouses.

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Undisclosed #2

•Nov 07, 2017

IPVMU Certified

In reply to Matthew Davis

Sounds like it’s worth a shot. What do you recommend for the shaft, 400mm carbon?

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Matthew Davis

•Nov 07, 2017

In reply to Undisclosed #2

I bought a pack of 20 Easton Raider arrows off of ebay for $25. They are carbon 400 and it works really well. I have an old Barnett crossbow and the pull is down around 40-50 lbs.

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Brian Rhodes

•Nov 07, 2017

IPVMU Certified

In reply to Matthew Davis

Check this product out: Cable Installation Gun (LaserLine)