>From: James Thompson


>I have used a lot of come-alongs. I have always hated the ones with a cable.
Never tired one >with  rope, but it sounds reasonable.
> I own a couple of chain models, Chisolm-Moore, and they are excellent.

I agree Jim the cable pullers especially the inexpensive hardware store kind are
less than useful. I do have to mention that most of the cable pullers that I
struggled with were garage sale pieces. 40 years ago I used Yale chain model
come alongs at the Midwest Foundry. They were excellent. I don't recall ever
breaking one.
If I were flush I would own a couple of Yale come alongs now. 
I probably won’t own a More Power Puller either for similar reasons. The rope
instead of chain or cable is interesting because of the weight reduction
compared to chain, no fish hooks like in the cable, and being able to have 30
feet of pull.
In a real world comparison those old Yale units were in the dirt, sparks, and
heat every day. You couldn’t pull hard enough to break the chain because the
clutch would slip. That was in the days before straps were common and nearly
every sling was chain. Having to lug around two come alongs, four lengths of
three eighths log chain, and a 20 foot ladder would kill me now. Even if I
didn’t have a cigarette hanging out of the corner of my mouth while doing it.

Christopher Swingley wrote: 
>One of the things I really like about the rope winch I used is that the rope
only loops through it >so you can pull the full length of whatever length rope
you're using.

I’ve never used one of those but the extra length letting you pull without re-
rigging would be a big advantage for jobs like your bridge placement.

Dave N. 

aka Old Sneelock