Maasdam Pow'R Pull 144S-6 1 Ton Capacity Pow'R Pull USA Made

Being a semi-professional hunter means I travel a lot for hunting. There have been times when I have gotten stuck and needed to be pulled out. I bought this and started traveling with it and it brings so much peace of mind knowing I can pull myself out. I also carry chains and other things I might need to add length in case there are no trees immediately close. I have also used it in loading a tree when cutting it down in order to get it to fall where I needed. I have used it to move an old furnace up the steps out of my basement for disposal. This thing has been so helpful to have around the house. It is a must have for all DIY project guys like me.

I use come-alongs like Maasdam Pow'R Pull for general farm work like stretching fence and yanking small trees out of the ground on the fly. For general, around the farm/work site chores, the 144S-6 works perfectly well. It has a smooth cranking motion, sturdy cable, and ergonomic design. I would caution you, though, that this is NOT a heavy duty come-along. It's meant for light duty, as its price suggest. Maasdam makes more expensive ones for construction sites and whatnot. Furthermore, the tool itself is dangerous. When working with it you'll spend most of your time around loads that are under pressure. Don't clown around with the tool. That's a good way to lose a finger, or worse. If you take precautions, though, you'll have a fine tool that will do exactly what its manufacturer intended.

I'm a gold miner and use com-alongs almost every day to move large rocks. I also always carry one in my Jeep "just in case" (along with some chain, some cable, etc.). Most small coma-alongs use stamped metal layers riveted together, they jam, hard to get cable out, slip, etc.. The MAASDAM P'wer-Pull (made in USA) uses all solid cast parts, operate smoothly, and easy to pull cable out. I bought my first MAASDAM in 1982 and still use it, along with the other four I have since bought. I broke one once... and unlike cheap "foreign" com-alongs, MAASDAM sells parts to fix them! The MAASDAM might be twice the price... but is honestly at least 4 times better!

Bought this to replace the water heater in my attic. It did the job well and is straight forward to operate (see photo).One weak area is the flat spring that toggles in or out to engage or disengage the pawl that ratchets the hoist up or down. This is bolted one end but simply engages with a slot in the handle. The engagement relies on the spring's extra length and it is not a very positive engagement. You push it one way or the other and when it toggles it either pushed the pawl onto the ratchet for lifting or away from it for lowering.While getting ready to lower the old heater, I pushed on the spring to toggle it and it wouldn't move. Pressing harder, the spring toggled but disengaged from the slot and wedged in the handle, but out of the retaining slot. It looks like you have to make sure there is no load on the pawl. This was not a safety issue for lowering as there is another pawl to control the lowering and this toggling of the spring simply disengages the "lifting" pawl. If this had happened while preparing to lift, it would have been before the load was suspended. Had the spring slipped while lifting because it had disengaged and had not been noticed, the load would remain suspended and you could still lower the weight. I carefully removed the spring, bent it back to shape and all is fine. I will just have to watch it for any future lifts or pulls.This hoist is very good value for money and does what it is supposed to do.

This is not well made. The casting on the aluminum spool broke during the first use. I called their customer service and they basically said it was my fault. As others have also stated, the ratcheting function is clunky and not smooth when letting the spool out.

If you feel you ever have a need for using a Come-A-Long, this is about the best you can find. I know it's only a One Ton capacity, and it only has a single cable. But, that is two of the three reasons to buy it, with the other being that it is USA made quality strong.I've seen those 3 and 5 ton, double cables in action. They are mostly BS rated and dangerous junk.I have a Ford ranch truck, it weighs a little over 5,000 pounds. I could not even imaging lifting two Ford trucks (5 tons) with a Come-a-long, much less one of those China stamp models. Seriously, if you have to deal with that kind of lift power, get a backhoe or call a tow truck.I understand the geometry of the dual cables and pulley ratio. But when you pull that cable to its limit (providing the gears don't explode) then release it, getting it back into its original wound position will be like trying to arm wrestle a live rattle snake.

Never used a puller before but this one worked fine the first time lowering an 800 pound press down a flight of stairs. The press was on skids. Lowered it down an exterior flight of stairs by screwing boards down on the stairs at the same width as the skids. Used 500 lb rope tied to a tree and connected the puller to the that rope and the press. Actually used the "puller" to lower the press down 12 feet of stairs. Worked great - really felt in control. We had several people on hand to guide the press but they didn't have to do much. I had tried to hire movers to move the press but they said they couldn't handle it. Power pull did the job. Use the right rope and connectors for your job, take your time to set up and be careful. I didn't need an 800 lb test rope because I was not actually lifting the press. Seems really well made and it was very easy to use.