Thank you. I purchased a 1-ton come-along from Lowes, my first one. I thought it would be obvious how to operate it. It was not. Anytime a tool is used under extreme loads we MUST know what we are doing! I live in a very rural location and I work alone so I must be competent. UA-cam has been such a blessing to me in more ways than I can mention. Everything I have learned in life (I'm 70 years old) I have learned from other people. UA-cam has made it possible for me and others who are isolated to keep the learning curve steep. I am indebted to people like you. Bless you all and be safe.
Yes, UA-cam is amazing that way thank you for your instructor video. I just picked up a cheap come along from Amazon that came with no instructions. Your video is most helpful.
THANK YOU! As you probably know, a TON of these have been returned to the store and/or gotten bad reviews because people [thought they] could not release the tension. I would have been one of them until YOU SAVED THE DAY.
Thank you so much for this simple, informative video. I am a lone female doing a sheep/goat fencing project completely by myself and before watching this video, I tried to find the cable release spring for a whole day which, was incredibly frustrating, lol🙈 Thank you so much for sharing this simple secret technique that, is nowhere indicated in the instructions of my brand of come along! It is only simple if you know how and I would have been truly lost without you. You saved the day❤
If you hadn't put up this video I would have finally had to get a grinder and cut my come-along cable to get out of my predicament. THANK YOU. You should get a medal for this.
I bought this winch approximately 5 years ago and quite honestly hated it because of releasing the cable. I used slip joint pliers to release the cable and it was still a twenty minute struggling job. I watched your video today and worked the winch with ease. Thank You One Million Times for making my life easier. I subscribed to your channel today!
Thanks, mate👍👍👍😃 You are the only person I could find that actually explains how to operate this puller. The instructions for the Gorilla brand are absolutely useless when you haven't used one of these things before. Great video. Thanks again, mate👍👍👍
This is hardly his discovery. 2 years earlier, another user showed this feature using the Maasdam winch as an example and then others started making similar videos: "Maasdam Rope Puller (Rope Come-Along) for Tree Work" Timestamped video ID: ZE6MjmBJk20&t=534s "How to use a Comealong: Video response" Video ID: G0pkVGhfaII
Great and simple after you get past that first non-talking intro. I can tell you I almost just went to another video when you had the come-along connected to the wall and kept pointing and doing things that should of had some close up shots to see what was going on. I stopped the video and glanced at a few comments and wondered why people thought this was so terrific. So I watched more and was satisfied with your instructions. I'm just saying....lots of others might think this is a no talking video and move on or give it a dislike. And that's a shame cause it really is great once you get past the confusing intro. Just wanted to let you know. Jesus bless.
I've been trying to pick a come along and every single one of them has bad reviews for build quality. The only negative reviews I've seen on harbor freights was the tension issue. Now I can confidently buy the Harbor freight one. Thank you!
Fantastic video: in focus, clear, concise and simple. These devices are handy but releasing tension too fast can have potentially disastrous consequences. Also, a come-along is not safe for hoisting or suspending a load. Use a crane or block and tackle for those jobs. I think I can remember this by repeating "spring up, handle away from spring" to release tension
THANK YOU!!! I used a slightly smaller HF winch to straighten a bowed rim joist on a deck, and got stuck when I couldn't figure out how to release the tension. You saved the day! Harbor Freight should pay you royalties.😇
Well it wasn't so much obvious to me I've been messing around this thing for an hour! If I didn't see this video that would still be screwed! Thank you very much!
Almost left early as no sound in the first 10 seconds , Might explain you negative 25 (at this point ) as people move through these videos . I liked it though , simple and direct , thank you !
When our apartment trash compactor is emptied, we have to open the end door and put any large furniture in it. But it's hard to close that door! Well, a come along is exactly what we needed
Well done! Borrowed a come-along from a friend to move a log, couldn't figure out how to release tension, watched four unhelpful videos before I came across yours, which is a model for how to do a how-to video. Thanks for posting! Clever design for the the ratchet release but the UI could use some work...
Thank you for posting this. I inherited this in my boat and there’s no brand name on it. I’m doing rigging work on my boat in Indonesia and we couldn’t figure this out. Thank you again.
Note this is the same come along that Mendards sells under their "Big Red" name. Apparently, the same crappy instructions come with it too. Thank you so much for the video!
Good to know! HF sells rebranded Chinese tools so it makes sense that "store brand" variants elsewhere would have the same model. That made me check out Princess Auto which is kind of a Harbor Freight of Canada and sure enough, their "4 ton cable puller" looks identical. I then searched for this directly on AliExpress and sure enough, it is available directly from China, bypassing the middleman if you like. But if you do go through AliExpress and only get one, then it's twice the cost of the HF version. Go to Alibaba.com, though, and you can get bulk orders in the $15/unit range. Anyway, I love rabbit holes like this. Thanks for bring up the Menards link!
Great video! I’ve had this sitting in my truck for about a year now just in case I need help getting something onto my trailer. I didn’t even consider how I would release the tension on it. I bought this after watching your video but apparently didn’t watch it till the end, until now that is lol.😆👍 Thanks!
just got one going to move (or try) to move my zero turn onto trailer.., thank you for explaining it nice video, Im back Mine is so tight cause Ive been trying to figure it out LOL, its dark now so I'll have to wait, my isn't the same as yours mine came from walmart.. seems like I'm gonna pinch my finger off... but thanks again I came back to watch again and again..etc... LOL
Where were you a couple of weeks ago? I was cleaning out a closet and found my old HF come along still in the box. I could not get it to work and yes, the instructions were useless so in the trash it went. Thanks! Now for another trip to HF.
That's it .. I'm buying one tmw. They are about 30 bucks right now. Awesome vid. Need to move the car into the garage. Small driveway slope . This should do
I know this is different than ratchet straps but falls in line with what I see ALL the time where people don't know how to feed the tag end through the windlass on a ratchet strap to start tightening and once tightened they have no clue on how to loosen it. Its a similar process of pushing the ratcheting handle back to "break" the poll so the windlass can spin freely.. I work at Lowe's and often times have customers and even employees who help them load appliances etc that have no clue.. they end up cutting the ratchet straps when they get home.. It's one of those things that once you do it and learn it you get that "aha" moment and realize how simple it is. Most common issue is people not taking out enough slack and birdnesting the excess material where it binds up the gears and actually does get stuck.
Thank you! To straighten my a post I had to use a winch puller tightening and releasing the tension of a chain & grab hook. Both your winch puller and grab hook video was a godsend!!!
I've been using a HF come-along for years and never knew this. I didn't expect it to be in the manual anyway; usually the manuals for these items are a bit of creative fiction from someone who seems to have been only supplied with a general description what the device even is.
Bought a 4ton winch puller from HF because my 50 yr old craftsman died. The HF winch had confusing instructions so I had to ad-lib on how to it. That ‘spring paw selector’ (or should I say finger slicer) is like a suicide switch ! My craftsman had a selector switch on the outer side of the puller. Also the cable did not wind around the pulley evenly and would bind against the outside ‘safety’ plate! Yes it worked but not very efficiently!
I went through the same process, try to read the manual but the print is too small. Change my glasses, ah that's better, still I don't understand how to release the mechanism. F*** that ,check YT. Yours was the first video, excellent explanation, thanks.
My winch was broken. It has a flat wide spring that, I guess keeps the cables organized. Mine has a very tiny rivet to attach that spring to the half cover. The cable was pinched under that spring. Maybe if you're here trying to unwind your winch you are looking for such an answer. I pushed out the old rivet and will replace it with a nail that I mushroom out by hammering. Hope that helps someone. Oh yeah and I didn't know hand winches had that feature build in so thanks.
Fast forward about a year. I bought a more expensive come-along, not from HF. The better quality is very obvious and it operates so simply, the instructions are optional! You do get what you pay for.
I just got the same one last night and saw people complaining about it and was hoping for a video explanation like this. Thanks! Would you think it’s a good idea or a bad idea to lubricate the pivoting parts of the come along?
I'm not planning on it, unless I see that rust might become an issue. My come-along isn't likely to be used enough or for long enough for the friction to make any notable differences in the metal -- heat or wear.
Haha! Oh man, I hear you. Unfortunately, it likely won't be for at least another year. I'm building a house right now and anything not related to that is necessarily pushed to "later".
Thank you ! Might sound picky but to improve the video . . . . . have at least SOME sound at inception as I had no clue that you were silent on purpose and thought the video sound was FUBR. Hope that helps.
I just need to know where to get a release pawl spring. Mine broke somehow and I have no idea where to get a replacement. Harbor Freight clerk was no help.
It looks like a standard extension/tension spring with dual hooks. I got out my calipers and measured it: Length: 2.5in / 65mm Diameter: 0.44in / 11.6mm Wire: 0.06in / 1.5mm Coils: 23 Your best bet is to get an assortment of springs and choose the one that's the closest for find a hardware store with a good selection of springs.
![DIY How to Operate a Cable Puller "Come-Along" Basic Tutorial [Cable Puller Come-Along Operation]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XkZXBgU_j2s/mqdefault.jpg)
![DIY How to Operate a Cable Puller "Come-Along" Basic Tutorial [Cable Puller Come-Along Operation]](/img/tr.png)
Thank you. I purchased a 1-ton come-along from Lowes, my first one. I thought it would be obvious how to operate it. It was not. Anytime a tool is used under extreme loads we MUST know what we are doing! I live in a very rural location and I work alone so I must be competent. UA-cam has been such a blessing to me in more ways than I can mention. Everything I have learned in life (I'm 70 years old) I have learned from other people. UA-cam has made it possible for me and others who are isolated to keep the learning curve steep. I am indebted to people like you. Bless you all and be safe.
Yes, UA-cam is amazing that way thank you for your instructor video.
I just picked up a cheap come along from Amazon that came with no instructions. Your video is most helpful.
THANK YOU!
As you probably know, a TON of these have been returned to the store and/or gotten bad reviews because people [thought they] could not release the tension. I would have been one of them until YOU SAVED THE DAY.
Yeah I have no idea how to do it 😂
Thank you so much for this simple, informative video. I am a lone female doing a sheep/goat fencing project completely by myself and before watching this video, I tried to find the cable release spring for a whole day which, was incredibly frustrating, lol🙈 Thank you so much for sharing this simple secret technique that, is nowhere indicated in the instructions of my brand of come along! It is only simple if you know how and I would have been truly lost without you. You saved the day❤
If you hadn't put up this video I would have finally had to get a grinder and cut my come-along cable to get out of my predicament. THANK YOU. You should get a medal for this.
😁 ikr
I bought this winch approximately 5 years ago and quite honestly hated it because of releasing the cable. I used slip joint pliers to release the cable and it was still a twenty minute struggling job. I watched your video today and worked the winch with ease. Thank You One Million Times for making my life easier. I subscribed to your channel today!
Add me to the growing list of appreciative users who were confounded trying to understand the instructions on how to release tension.
Thanks, mate👍👍👍😃
You are the only person I could find that actually explains how to operate this puller. The instructions for the Gorilla brand are absolutely useless when you haven't used one of these things before.
Great video. Thanks again, mate👍👍👍
This is hardly his discovery. 2 years earlier, another user showed this feature using the Maasdam winch as an example and then others started making similar videos:
"Maasdam Rope Puller (Rope Come-Along) for Tree Work"
Timestamped video ID: ZE6MjmBJk20&t=534s
"How to use a Comealong: Video response"
Video ID: G0pkVGhfaII
Great and simple after you get past that first non-talking intro. I can tell you I almost just went to another video when you had the come-along connected to the wall and kept pointing and doing things that should of had some close up shots to see what was going on.
I stopped the video and glanced at a few comments and wondered why people thought this was so terrific. So I watched more and was satisfied with your instructions.
I'm just saying....lots of others might think this is a no talking video and move on or give it a dislike. And that's a shame cause it really is great once you get past the confusing intro. Just wanted to let you know. Jesus bless.
You're the man! Just what a tactile learner needed. Simple, blindingly obvious! 👍🏼
No bs, clear and concise. Thanks for being a real one.
I've been trying to pick a come along and every single one of them has bad reviews for build quality. The only negative reviews I've seen on harbor freights was the tension issue. Now I can confidently buy the Harbor freight one. Thank you!
J
Incredibly helpful. Who wudda thunk a stupid spring would cause so much anger! Thank you!
😊 Thank you. My wife and I thought we were going crazy. We could not figure out how to release a load gradually. Mucho gracias mi amigo!
Fantastic video: in focus, clear, concise and simple. These devices are handy but releasing tension too fast can have potentially disastrous consequences. Also, a come-along is not safe for hoisting or suspending a load. Use a crane or block and tackle for those jobs. I think I can remember this by repeating "spring up, handle away from spring" to release tension
Easier way to remember is flip switch, go in reverse
THANK YOU!!! I used a slightly smaller HF winch to straighten a bowed rim joist on a deck, and got stuck when I couldn't figure out how to release the tension. You saved the day! Harbor Freight should pay you royalties.😇
Well it wasn't so much obvious to me I've been messing around this thing for an hour! If I didn't see this video that would still be screwed! Thank you very much!
Almost left early as no sound in the first 10 seconds , Might explain you negative 25 (at this point ) as people move through these videos .
I liked it though , simple and direct , thank you !
Thank you. My son and I were fighting the HF come along until we watched this video. Many thanks, friend in Idaho.
When our apartment trash compactor is emptied, we have to open the end door and put any large furniture in it. But it's hard to close that door! Well, a come along is exactly what we needed
The feature to mechanically force the come along to unwind is fantastic. Many come alongs do not have this and are nearly impossible to unwind!!
Thank you,,i am 67 and always fought these things,,i used a different method but it was a hassle,,this makes it simple..great video
I am so happy to have seen this video. The instructions that came with the come-a -long were useless. Now to go outside and get to work!
Thank you!!!! I wrestled with my new come along for a half hour trying to get it to release tension. Grrrrrr
Well done! Borrowed a come-along from a friend to move a log, couldn't figure out how to release tension, watched four unhelpful videos before I came across yours, which is a model for how to do a how-to video. Thanks for posting! Clever design for the the ratchet release but the UI could use some work...
I’ve been searching for the best way to use this wrench and I must say you’ve done the best job. It was like a commercial. Great JOB!
Thanks!!!
I have the 4000 lb one from hf and now I know how to release the tension thanks to you video
Thank you for making me feel stupid. Great video. Helped a lot.
Thank you for posting this. I inherited this in my boat and there’s no brand name on it. I’m doing rigging work on my boat in Indonesia and we couldn’t figure this out. Thank you again.
Outstanding! It was either this or lost fingers. Thanks for saving the trip to the hospital!
Best step by step on how to release HF come along. Thanks!
As has been said before, thank you my friend i was really struggling to release the winch under load. Easy when you know how though.
Blindingly obvious is right!!! So much so that I TOTALLY overlooked it -thanks for the tip!
BEST EVER explanation!!!! I finally understand this device which has always confused me!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!
Note this is the same come along that Mendards sells under their "Big Red" name. Apparently, the same crappy instructions come with it too. Thank you so much for the video!
Good to know! HF sells rebranded Chinese tools so it makes sense that "store brand" variants elsewhere would have the same model. That made me check out Princess Auto which is kind of a Harbor Freight of Canada and sure enough, their "4 ton cable puller" looks identical. I then searched for this directly on AliExpress and sure enough, it is available directly from China, bypassing the middleman if you like. But if you do go through AliExpress and only get one, then it's twice the cost of the HF version. Go to Alibaba.com, though, and you can get bulk orders in the $15/unit range.
Anyway, I love rabbit holes like this. Thanks for bring up the Menards link!
Great video! I’ve had this sitting in my truck for about a year now just in case I need help getting something onto my trailer. I didn’t even consider how I would release the tension on it. I bought this after watching your video but apparently didn’t watch it till the end, until now that is lol.😆👍 Thanks!
Thanks, I really appreciate this. Just spent the last half hour unsuccessfully trying to work this out. It sure is a handy little tool. Cheers.
THANK YOU. I was losing my mind trying to figure out how to release this.
Awesome video budd, I was to dumb to figure it out myself 🤦
BEST vid on tension release EVER!
Finally a great instructional easy to follow. Great Job Brother 👏 👍
just got one going to move (or try) to move my zero turn onto trailer.., thank you for explaining it nice video, Im back Mine is so tight cause Ive been trying to figure it out LOL, its dark now so I'll have to wait, my isn't the same as yours mine came from walmart.. seems like I'm gonna pinch my finger off... but thanks again I came back to watch again and again..etc... LOL
You saved me. I had my trailer up in a tree doing rust repairs and forgot how to release my mini winch. Talk about feeling stupid.....
Great explanation. Keep up the good work man! Thank you!
Just got one of these, very pleased to find this video. The provided Instructions were not good for this step, so thank you!
Thanks got to admit I was stuck trying to work it out
Where were you a couple of weeks ago?
I was cleaning out a closet and found my old HF come along still in the box. I could not get it to work and yes, the instructions were useless so in the trash it went.
Thanks! Now for another trip to HF.
Thanks a lot!! I struggled with this for some time before looking for a how-to video!
Excellent video & instructions. Thanks!
Good deal. I didn't notice the direction adjustment where the spring is. That HELPS!
Thank you very much for your video. Its been a great help to move a tree trunk
Thank you. That is a great explanation! I use mine very rarely and tend to forget how that release mechanism works.
Thanks, man. I'm stretching a fence and forgot how to release it.
I thought I was doing some wrong but watching this I did ok. Thanks
That's it .. I'm buying one tmw. They are about 30 bucks right now. Awesome vid. Need to move the car into the garage. Small driveway slope . This should do
Thank you so much you just saved me
Thanks for showing us that now I'm certain that I can use it to raise and carefully lower my load
Looks good, I'm getting one of these tomorrow to straighten a bent boat trailer fender. Looks like it'll do the job. Thanks for the tips! 👍
I bought that exact tool !!!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the instructions..!!
I know this is different than ratchet straps but falls in line with what I see ALL the time where people don't know how to feed the tag end through the windlass on a ratchet strap to start tightening and once tightened they have no clue on how to loosen it. Its a similar process of pushing the ratcheting handle back to "break" the poll so the windlass can spin freely..
I work at Lowe's and often times have customers and even employees who help them load appliances etc that have no clue.. they end up cutting the ratchet straps when they get home..
It's one of those things that once you do it and learn it you get that "aha" moment and realize how simple it is. Most common issue is people not taking out enough slack and birdnesting the excess material where it binds up the gears and actually does get stuck.
Thanks!
I know my comealong had this funtion, but I didnt know how to do it.
Brilliant deduction
Thank you! To straighten my a post I had to use a winch puller tightening and releasing the tension of a chain & grab hook. Both your winch puller and grab hook video was a godsend!!!
So easy yet so hard. Thanks. After watching your video it all made since.
I've been using a HF come-along for years and never knew this. I didn't expect it to be in the manual anyway; usually the manuals for these items are a bit of creative fiction from someone who seems to have been only supplied with a general description what the device even is.
Great to-the-point info; just what I needed. Thanks!
Good video. Well demonstrated. 👍
You’re a legend! Thank you
Very nice and thorough video. Thank you so very much for this video, brother!
How did I not know this? Thank you!
Thank you! Mine didn't come with the instructions. Sounds like I didn't miss much.
Lack of this knowledge is how most people get hurt with a come along. Thanks for educating those that didn't know.
Bought a 4ton winch puller from HF because my 50 yr old craftsman died. The HF winch had confusing instructions so I had to ad-lib on how to it. That ‘spring paw selector’ (or should I say finger slicer) is like a suicide switch ! My craftsman had a selector switch on the outer side of the puller. Also the cable did not wind around the pulley evenly and would bind against the outside ‘safety’ plate! Yes it worked but not very efficiently!
Thank you.
Thank you, this video gave me the info I needed!
Nice!! I am going to get the 4000LB one next time i am at HF and have seen videos of people struggling to release the tension.
very helpful -- thanks!
Amazing video
Great video - Thanks!
I went through the same process, try to read the manual but the print is too small. Change my glasses, ah that's better, still I don't understand how to release the mechanism. F*** that ,check YT. Yours was the first video, excellent explanation, thanks.
Thank you for everything
My winch was broken. It has a flat wide spring that, I guess keeps the cables organized. Mine has a very tiny rivet to attach that spring to the half cover. The cable was pinched under that spring. Maybe if you're here trying to unwind your winch you are looking for such an answer. I pushed out the old rivet and will replace it with a nail that I mushroom out by hammering. Hope that helps someone. Oh yeah and I didn't know hand winches had that feature build in so thanks.
Similar HR-8000 Although different spring with red plastic tab . No luck yet getting it too release but I've only begun...
Great video
gracias me sirvió bastante, me gusto su gorra de SUSE
Very informative thank you sir. This was nicely done
Fast forward about a year. I bought a more expensive come-along, not from HF. The better quality is very obvious and it operates so simply, the instructions are optional!
You do get what you pay for.
Perfect, thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH MAN
I just got the same one last night and saw people complaining about it and was hoping for a video explanation like this. Thanks! Would you think it’s a good idea or a bad idea to lubricate the pivoting parts of the come along?
I'm not planning on it, unless I see that rust might become an issue. My come-along isn't likely to be used enough or for long enough for the friction to make any notable differences in the metal -- heat or wear.
When are you going to do an update on your Home Theater?! I enjoyed the last one and was looking forward to seeing the changes you've made lol
Haha! Oh man, I hear you. Unfortunately, it likely won't be for at least another year. I'm building a house right now and anything not related to that is necessarily pushed to "later".
Thank you ! Might sound picky but to improve the video . . . . . have at least SOME sound at inception as I had no clue that you were silent on purpose and thought the video sound was FUBR. Hope that helps.
I just need to know where to get a release pawl spring. Mine broke somehow and I have no idea where to get a replacement. Harbor Freight clerk was no help.
It looks like a standard extension/tension spring with dual hooks. I got out my calipers and measured it:
Length: 2.5in / 65mm
Diameter: 0.44in / 11.6mm
Wire: 0.06in / 1.5mm
Coils: 23
Your best bet is to get an assortment of springs and choose the one that's the closest for find a hardware store with a good selection of springs.
Effing thank you. Best video on this.
Thank you 🙏🏼 very much
Love harbor freight but those manuals can be a bit shoddy. Thanks for this video!
Thank you!!
Mine has a red tab instead of the spring adjustment.
Thank you!
Thank you. Out in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania. Straightened a deck post. It came along fine... but how do I release. Thanks
Thank you for the video it helped me out 👍