Pulling Tools for Heavy Objects

By Steve Maxwell
Published on June 1, 2004
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This picture depicts rigging pulleys of a block and tackle.
This picture depicts rigging pulleys of a block and tackle.
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A ratcheting winch, or
A ratcheting winch, or "come-along," offers serious force multiplication with only a hand lever and cable drum.
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A block and tackle includes a series of pulley wheels called
A block and tackle includes a series of pulley wheels called "sheaves" ganged together in one wooden or metal housing called the "block."

If you haul timber, move boulders, drag or hoist heavy objects or salvage stuck vehicles, then you will want to own some pulling tools. Thanks to the magical mechanical advantages provided by clever combinations of wheels, levers and gears, three small-scale tools — the block and tackle, ratcheting winch and chain saw-powered winch — allow you to move very heavy objects all by yourself. An inexpensive and easy-to-use block and tackle can multiply your personal pulling power by as much as 900 percent!

Here are my three pulling favorites, which I use regularly working my 90-acre property, along with tips for finding and using them yourself.

Block and Tackle

If you only have the budget to add one pulling tool to your collection, you should buy a good block and tackle. It’s one of those things that has many more uses than you originally imagined, and it can cost as little as $100.

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