Customer Reviews

Neiko Heavy-Duty 5-Ton Come-a-long Power Puller - 3 Hooks and 2 Gears

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This product appears to have the strength to do the job as I was able to pull my dock up the lake bank about 15 feet like I needed, but it has two major annoyances. One there is a cheap little metal guide for the wire that bent pretty much immediately. The second and most annoying problem is when you want to pull the cable back out you need three hands. One to pull, two to hold the gear open, and the third to keep freeing a different medal guide whose corner continually catches the wire when pulling it out. I would not buy this again even at this cheap price.

Update 7/6: on the 2nd use this product broke under stress. I was trying to pull some metal rebar out of the ground and little 150lb me pulled so hard the bolt holding the cable spindle bent. I would not recommend this product at all. Toolprice offered a refund but I am guessing the cost to ship it back will negate much of my refund.

We bought this Come-A-Long to pull a cedar tree trunk out of the ground after we had cut all of the roots down to a couple of feet. We did it, even though we just made it.

It appears not to have been lubricated during manufacture. It almost galled before I realized it, and sprayed it with WD-40. In addition, it seemed right to the limit of its pulling power as the handle was beginning to bend. We were almost ready to give up when the tree trunk began to move. It was easier from then on.

Judging from Come-A-Longs that I have owned in the past, this one would be rated more 2 tons than 5 tons. I would not trust it to lift 5 tons! They claim it is made with hardened steel. Every part I can see is made of stamped sheet steel. However, it does a job and the price is very reasonable.

Note that with 3/16 steel cable, this has a single line breaking strength around 4000 pounds and a safe working load of around 800 pounds. You can double that with the block. I would expect it to break before 5 tons.

For the price I can't really complain about this item but I should point out some "details".

First of all, there are no markings anywhere on this thing to tell you the rated capacity or anything else.

Second, if you've seen an old, Made in USA, cast iron and forged steel true 5 ton come-a-long in your granddad's barn or at your uncles shop you'll probably have some doubts once you pull this little thing out of the box: it's all laminated and stamped parts, very light weight.

Despite the cons, and the fact that I had to tighten some of the cross-bolts right out of the box, I'm still happy with the item - price. Before using it I'll be replacing the skinny cable with some 1/4 or 5/16 and then use this thing till it breaks. You'll see a follow up when that happens!

Ahh, the noble come-along - commonly used for directing multi-ton trees away from your valuable property when felling them, retrieving vehicles stuck in the woods or back roads miles from civilization, and other demanding, imperative tasks.

So WHY would you cut corners when buying one?? Especially from a shady company like this, which misrepresents capacity.

As the man noted, 3/16 cable breaks at 2 tons. And Neiko claims 5? Oh, right...That's its "pulling power"... This equipment is limited by cable strength more than gearing. I own a Tuf Tug cable puller, which cost much more $$(as well as some cheapo ones) but it is rated for 2.5 tons and still has 1/4" cable. Highly recommend that instead, buy USA!

You can get low end 2 ton units, which this one actually is (being generous with that even), that have same cable size for much less $$ than this, but I'd really recommend not doing so. Unless you feel like opening up the living room with an oak tree through the roof and a cable wrapped around your leg when the unit fails.

Why does someone buy a "heavy-duty" 5-ton come-a-long? In my case it was to use it. The first time I used this product to pull a cut and snagged tree down it broke. Really not much more needs to be said. My feeling is that you should not be able to break this product by pulling on the handle to ratchet it up by hand. It should just stop before you could break it. Nothing extraordinary was going on. If you plan to actually USE this and expect a heavy duty product you will not be happy.

Compared to the "1-ton" and "2-ton" come-a-longs sold by, e.g., national home improvement warehouses, this one is massive, constructed with much larger/heavier components, but the price is either about the same or only slightly higher. In particular, the hooks on this unit are much larger and formed via superior drop-forging. Regarding loads: it appears that not everyone plays by the same rules when specifying pulling ability. Many fail to mention that their "X-ton" unit is ok for pulling an X-ton load along a horizontal or slightly inclined surface, and/or that the BREAKING limit of their unit is X-tons (not the safe working load limit). This one is rated more transparently: The "Pulling capacity" spec is 5 tons. The "Load capacity" spec is 2 tons.

I purchased this item to replace a section of chain link fence but I did not want to spend a lot because this was a one time use. I have used professional Come-a-longs so the short comings of this one were very evident. Most notable is the fact that there is no quick release. After you have tension on it you have to slowly release the tension in the reverse order that you applied it until there is almost no tension left. However if you need something that you will use infrequently and don't want to worry about having to go out and rent one if you need it, then this is not a bad value.

This is a good and strong product. I give my come-a-long an unusual use. I use mine to tighten my slackline between two trees or posts. Slack-lining is a balance and concentration sport or past time that is not easy but it can be alot of fun once you get the hang of it. I say the use of the come-a-long is difficult because once you have it tight, it is very hard to open it or loosen it. I've even severely cut my hands with it while breaking it loose. The thing does what is supposed to though. It pulls and it pulls and holds alot.

I have a question for any of you out there that have one of these and know how to use it effectively... Once the come-a-long and cable are tight, how do you loosen it? Is there a trick or technique to make this an easier process. I've begun wearing gloves and using a screwdriver to help me leverage so to lower the bottom teeth while with the other hand I hold the top release up. I think there has to be an easier less dangerous way.

Bottom line if you want to pull the hell out of something, a cable or a tress stump this product is great. Use with caution.

one thing i did not like about this product is that it did not come with any type of instructions.

Broke the first use trying to pull a stump was using speedy chain couplers rated at 3200# and the entire cable spool collapsed before anything else broke totally worthless way overrated.