Pulling wire or cable through conduit can place large amounts of strain on the back, shoulders, and wrist.  In addition, workers often pull conduit in awkward positions and while working overhead.  Wire and cable pulling machines have electric motors that pull wire or cable for the worker.

The first step in using a wire puller is to attach a pull rope to the wire.  After the pull rope is securely fastened, the rope is fed through the wire puller and wrapped around a spool at the base of the device.  Most wire pullers have built in pulleys for work at different angles and heights.  Other wire pullers need to be used in conjunction with pulleys to redirect the force. At this point, the worker can turn on the motor and carefully feed the rope off the spool as it pulls wire through the conduit.  Many pullers have booms up to 12 feet long that can be adjusted for overhead and underground work, e.g., through manhole covers.

There is a large variety of wire and cable pullers on the market, depending on the application. Pulling forces vary from 1,000 to 10,000 lb, and pullers weigh between 50 and 400 lb.  Most pullers are available with two speeds: a faster speed for lighter pulls and a slower speed for heavier pulls.  Wire and cable machines have three motor options: a built in motor, a custom motor that attaches to the puller separately, or an attachment to an electric drill.

Many cable pullers set up in less than 10 minutes and can be installed and operated by 1 person. 

Porta Pull 4000 FXP Wire Puller and Cable Tugger

Mechanical Wire and Cable pullers will increase productivity

Dan Anton, PT, PhD – Eastern Washington University

• Electrical
  • Install and maintain electrical control systems
    • Stressful hand & wrist activity
  • Install interior wiring systems
    • Stressful hand & wrist activity
  • Pull wire through conduits
    • Stressful hand & wrist activity
  • Work with or remove old wiring
    • Stressful hand & wrist activity