# Ropes......wire pulling ropes



## Coach529 (Sep 20, 2016)

I have a bunch of longer (300'-500') long wire pulls coming up.

What is everybody's favorite wire pulling rope?

Thanks


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Mule Tape.....

For very long wire pulls with large conductors... (I always worked for an EC when doing these, haven't done them on my own) we used the Greenlee Braided pull ropes.


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## NewElect85 (Dec 24, 2017)

The kind you can borrow. :biggrin:

Polypropylene is our role of choice. It's lightweight and doesn't stretch and is easier to tie an eye on than a braided rope.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Anything actually sold as pull rope. I've messed around with random rope and wire rope, both. Regular rope has too much stretch and it's more like pulling with a rubber band. Wire rope can slice through bends in offsets, even in metal pipe. Some supply houses have rope to lend or rent if you bought the wire from them in the first place. A decent option if you only do big pulls once in a blue moon. Worth an ask.

If these are relatively small-ish conductors, as mentioned, the mule tape is a fine option. Inexpensive, sturdy, and reusable if you like to frustrate yourself winding it back up around a stick or something.


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## NewElect85 (Dec 24, 2017)

Something like in a 5 gallon bucket?:smile:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

NewElect85 said:


> Something like in a 5 gallon bucket?:smile:


Pull string certainly comes in 5-gallon buckets normally, but I've only seen mule tape on metal spools about the size of what #10 comes on. I wouldn't be too excited to pull 500' (even #12's) with pull string, but I can't pretend like I've never done it.


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## NewElect85 (Dec 24, 2017)

MDShunk said:


> Pull string certainly comes in 5-gallon buckets normally, but I've only seen mule tape on metal spools about the size of what #10 comes on. I wouldn't be too excited to pull 500' (even #12's) with pull string, but I can't pretend like I've never done it.


A sub we used on time carried his mule tape around in a bucket. It seemed to lay down and pack in it pretty good. We borrowed that idea and now keep a 100' 3/4 rope in one with a lid.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Ideal sells a measured mule tape that's 4500 feet of 400 pound test. I forget what I paid for it, it's not cheap but that's a lot of tape and it's worth it when the measured lines are useful. 

Ideal also has a bucket of 1300' of 1800# that's about $155 last time I bought it. 

I recycle mule tape if it's clean and in decent condition, if there's no empty spool handy I wrap it around those cheap extension cord holders. 

I have borrowed the big ropes when I need them, if I was going to spend money and invest in big ropes I think I'd buy braided because the twist in the three-strand type ropes can be a headache with certain cables / materials. You can use a swivel but really the swivel doesn't totally fix the twist.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

How hard are the pulls and what size conduits generally? We do a lot of long pulls 500-1400'.

We've had really good luck with the slick Itoolco rope. It's not cheap though.

It is considerably easier to pull in than the standard pulling rope you get from Greenlee, Ideal, etc.

We managed to pull this Itoolco rope in 1300' with a 400lb Ideal mule tape last week. Regular rope wouldn't have came close to that distance. We would of needed to use 1200 or 1800lb mule tape to get the regular rope in.

But, we have lots of different ropes for different situations. We regularly use the Greenlee rope for long pulls with light loads on it.


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## Rob-Bryant (May 24, 2016)

all depends on what you're pulling and what puller you're using. A Greenlee Super Tugger pulls at 6500 lbs. even if your wire doesn't weigh that, if it gets hung up, the puller will still pull up to that weight. Yellow Poly has way too much stretch and can be dangerous if it breaks. Any Double Braided rope is good, doesn't have to be Greenlee...WAY overpriced. you can find aftermarket double braided rope much cheaper, that may or may not have eyes spliced on them. If it doesn't, you can usually get a boat marina to do splice the eye for you.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)




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## RunningSparky (Feb 9, 2013)

joebanana said:


>




+1 on this...for large conductors, mule tape bucket for all others.


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## Tonedeaf (Nov 26, 2012)

you should defiantly know the rating of you rope before pulling...

for large feeders we use 7/8" double braided ropes....I have a couple 600 footers that are +10 years old still in good condition.

never use a questionable rope with a pulling machine....


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

The only rope I ever broke didn't even look questionable to me.


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## bostonPedro (Nov 14, 2017)

I like Samson rope for bigger wire pulls. Its the best out there as far as I am concerned. 
Smaller wire pulls I like polypropylene rope, I am using Ideal right now 3/8 size 
14 to 8 AWG maybe 6 AWG wire depending on pull I like Mule tape 

Stay away from Southwire rope. It sucks. Its stretches way too much to the point it can become flat and doesn't hold up either.


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