Tuf-Tug 6,000 lb. Capacity Cable Hoist Puller, 6 ft. Double Line, 3,000 lb. Lift

My tractor, 5k weight w/ foam tires, was bogged down to the axles in gumbo mud. The 6K come along with double snatch blocks was slow and laborious as far as getting it pulled up, but it worked. Had to use a cheater bar to crank it but I’m a 62yoa guy so guess that is to be expected. Only trouble I had was ratchets slipping if I didn’t keep continual tight contact the entire time. Wire rope didn’t bind or coil badly when cranking it back in. Pressure washed and WD-40 the heck out of it before hanging it up in the barn.

I was looking for a puller for a heavy job. I saw this in a T.S. store and was impressed with the appearance and I thought it would be a good piece. I was a little apprehensive of the price but I purchased it. It is very heavy but I would want it to be built heavy. I did not try it before the day of the job. ( Replacing the cables on a 140' foot bridge). Upon initial use it was near impossible to get the cable unreeled. It took two of us and had a very difficult time. When I tried to get it to free wheel the latch kept getting caught and would not release all of the way. This was the biggest problem and it was a huge one. It seemed to have a great deal of pulling capacity. As the day wore on and we learned how to work with it's short comings it did get a little more workable. I had pretty much decided I was going to return it to the store. After the job was done I took it home and gave it a couple of shots of oil on the reel and the latch. It seemed to make the reel work smoother and the latch loosened up a little better so that one person could make it free wheel easier. I would not have expected to have to do this on a brand new item! All in all it works but can be EXTREMELY difficult to use. You need a lot of patience and persistence. I am still on the fence as to whether it is worth the price. I will probably keep it but only because I know it does the job I bought it for and it does work a little better now. My suggestion would be to see if you can find a GOOD set of chain come alongs at a similar price ( which is what originally set out to do). If not then this might work for you. If you do buy it I would try it a few times and maybe oil the mechanisms before attacking that BIG Job. I hope this helps in your decision.