# Rope puller vs.come-along



## ozy365 (Jul 20, 2006)

Don't spend money on come alongs. Rope pullers are a great alternative. You can run the whole length of the rope, the ratchet tight by pulling the tail around the spool and you can use 1/2" line (hard lay 3 strand works best for me. I used one to land this dead hemlock


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## TheTreeSpyder (Jul 27, 2006)

A come-a-long or wench has a spool that loads with line; this gradually reduces the pulling leverage.

Rope Pullers, Capstans and Chain Hoists work the line onto the drum and then off; so it doesn't build up, to change/lessen the pulling leverage/ ratio of pulling lever/lever to cylinder size that line is loaded onto. The Chain Hoist has a set pulling length, but not the loss of power.


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## Ekka (Jul 27, 2006)

I suppose it's safe as the rat???? prevents it from undoing or getting slack. But like spydie said you'd build up a big wad of rope on the spool.

Also, what's the safe load or breaking strength of that device? And how much do they cost? And how do you anchor it to the tree?

You guys have funny terms, a come along? I've also heard hand billy. Any chance of a pic of a typical come along system for us remote islanders.


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## Fireaxman (Jul 27, 2006)

I have not learned to fully trust my Maasdam rope puller yet. It has slipped on me a couple of times, even on 3 strand, and it does not work well for a hard pull using double braid or kernmantle. My bull ropes are 5/8 double braid, so I have to put in a section of 1/2" 3 strand to use the rope puller. I think that gets the safe working load down to 5 or 6 hundred pounds.

I have a Griphoist I dearly love. It runs on 7/16 wire rope much the same as the rope puller runs on a rope, except the wire rope runs through it without a bend. It works with a leveraged brake system, harder you pull the harder the brakes grab. It weighs a good bit more than the rope puller, but I can still get it up in a tree, and it is much more reliable. 4,000 lbs safe working load on single part line. I think that is about the same amount of pull I get with my 4WD 3130 Kubota on dry ground. It is slower than the rope puller, because of the mechanical advantage.

I guess each has its place, but like I said - I dont trust the rope puller for anything critical. I dont do it, but I would be willing, to hang my life on the Griphoist.

Ekka - I'll be rigging the Griphoist for a pull on a live oak this weekend. I'll try to remember to get a picture for you.


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## clearance (Jul 27, 2006)

Fireaxman said:


> I have not learned to fully trust my Maasdam rope puller yet. It has slipped on me a couple of times, even on 3 strand, and it does not work well for a hard pull using double braid or kernmantle. My bull ropes are 5/8 double braid, so I have to put in a section of 1/2" 3 strand to use the rope puller. I think that gets the safe working load down to 5 or 6 hundred pounds.
> 
> I have a Griphoist I dearly love. It runs on 7/16 wire rope much the same as the rope puller runs on a rope, except the wire rope runs through it without a bend. It works with a leveraged brake system, harder you pull the harder the brakes grab. It weighs a good bit more than the rope puller, but I can still get it up in a tree, and it is much more reliable. 4,000 lbs safe working load on single part line. I think that is about the same amount of pull I get with my 4WD 3130 Kubota on dry ground. It is slower than the rope puller, because of the mechanical advantage.
> 
> ...


I too have a griphoist, it says Tirfor on it and that is what I call it, also with cable that is approx.7/16, about 70' long. What an awesome piece of gear, I rigged it to the front of my truck, tied it to the bull rope I had in the trees, backed up till the tires spun, blocked the truck and yarded them over with the Tirfor. Works great, holds in or out, invented by the Germans in WW2, they never had a patent so it is copied, by Jet and others, the real ones are made by Tractel I believe. Beats any come along, rope puller, whatever.


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## a_lopa (Jul 28, 2006)

here it is....trust me it takes ALOT to blow the shear pins,there still intact.


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## Ekka (Jul 28, 2006)

Hey Lopa, where in the big blue sea would you buy a Tirfor winch here????

I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one, they're rare as hens teeth.


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## a_lopa (Jul 28, 2006)

we are nothing without that....sometimes


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## BlueRidgeMark (Jul 28, 2006)

TheTreeSpyder said:


> A come-a-long or *wench* has a spool that loads with line; this gradually reduces the pulling leverage.




I've never noticed that before. Can you help me with this Spyder? Where's the spool on *this *wench:










:hmm3grin2orange: 



(Maybe you were thinking "winch"?)


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## Adkpk (Jul 28, 2006)

Nice wench! I need a winch in my line. Rock wrestling.


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## rbtree (Jul 28, 2006)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> I've never noticed that before. Can you help me with this Spyder? Where's the spool on *this *wench:




now there's a wench i'd love to winch.....about anywhere


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## TheTreeSpyder (Jul 28, 2006)

Giv'er a spin and see!

Ummmm we kinda been saying wench for years since ISA; 
i was jest trying to be like the cool kids.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Jul 28, 2006)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> I've never noticed that before. Can you help me with this Spyder? Where's the spool on *this *wench:
> 
> 
> (Maybe you were thinking "winch"?)



Looks like a Come Along to me


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## Fireaxman (Jul 28, 2006)

Uhhh........yes, I think I'ld like to have one. Where does the handle go? Never mind, if I get one I'm sure it will come with instructions. Probably more instructions than I would care to hear.

But about the Griphoist - I've never been man enough to shear the pins either. We are talking about the Griphoist, aren't we? 

Think I got mine from somewhere in California, but a quick search of the web turned up this address.

Tractel, Inc. 
110 Shawmut Road 
Canton, MA 02021 
[email protected]
Toll Free: 800-421-0246 • Tel: 781-401-3288


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## ASD (Jul 28, 2006)

try this place 
ExtremeOutback.com

Extreme Outback Products 
Dept ORN
P.O Box 3075. 
Vacaville, CA. 95696 U.S.A. 
Phone 707-447-7711 
Fax 707-447-7722 
e-mail:
[email protected]


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## TheTreeSpyder (Jul 29, 2006)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> Looks like a Come Along to me



Yeah, with you in tow!opcorn:


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## Fireaxman (Aug 7, 2006)

Ekka said:


> .... Any chance of a pic of a typical come along system for us remote islanders.



Griphoist (Tirfor) rigged on 2 part line to pull the limbs together on a live oak before I cabled it yesterday. Would not normally want the cabling so tight but the crotch was already split (by Katrina) and this is a last ditch effort to hold it together. Tree is to large a diameter at the crotch for rodding (7 feet) and too tall for external support.


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## preventec47 (Feb 17, 2022)

Several different models of the GRIPHOIST





Lifting and Handling Wire rope hoist Catalog


Lifting and Handling Wire rope hoist Catalog | Tractel® is a world leading safety specialist providing reliable, innovative and cost-effective working-at-height solutions.




www.tractel.com


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## preventec47 (Feb 25, 2022)

I like the idea of the Maasdam rope puller being able to use the whole length of the rope and all but I dont think it has the power that I need and the Grip Hoist is just too much money. So I got the More Power Puller.
**
It has a longer pull than Come-Alongs and a three ton pull rating for winching down leaning trees with more power. It is similar to a wire cable come-along but the pull is longer with the rope. Cost $400 from Amazon with shipping .


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