Klein Tools has recently come out with some sort of partnership with SuperRod, a European maker of wire pulling tools, and one of the new tools that caught my eye was their new magnetic wire pulling system (SRS56037).
This isn’t the first magnetic wire pulling system on the market, there are already other ones like MagnePull and Wire Python.
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Rather than using a fishtape to blindly probe behind a wall or ceiling cavity, the idea behind magnetic wire pullers is that you can drop some sort of leader with a magnetic head into the cavity. You guide the head with a magnet from outside of the drywall, to where you need the wire to go. Then, you simply attach the wire to the leader on the other end and pull it through.
The part of the Klein’s system that goes into the wall cavity is a flat circular puck that’s attached to 20 feet of heavy duty nylon rope. The other end of the rope has a swivel leader with an eyelet for attaching the wire to be pulled. It’s not clear whether the magnet is in the puck, in the paddle you use on the outside of the wall, or both, but I infer from the above photo that the magnet is in the paddle.
Plus, if the magnet was in the puck, there would be the potential for it to become magnetically attracted or even attached to steel components inside a wall.
The new Klein magnetic wire pulling system is now available at Home Depot, online only.
Price: ~$36
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Buy Now (Home Depot page)
Here’s a short promo video by Klein, showing the new magnetic wire pulling system in action:
First Thoughts
It’s interesting that Klein choose a larger puck style for the head of the leader. This means that you’ll have to drill a larger hole (or cut a wide slot?) to get the puck into a wall cavity. Other magnetic wire pulling systems use more of a small conic or rounded head, so you don’t have to drill a hole much bigger than you need to for the wire. In the above video you can see the large hole you need to drill to get the puck into the wall.
I also find it strange that they are promoting this with their low voltage wire pulling gear. You’d think that something like this would be great for pulling Romex wire in finished houses. Maybe it is, but Klein feels there’s a larger market for a product like this in low voltage wiring applications.
On the Home Depot page, it says: Perfect for routing cable between drywall and insulation or fixture installations. Great for low voltage applications. How would you interpret this?
Tom
This seems like such a great idea, but very odd that the part that fits inside the wall is smaller than the part outside of the wall.
fred
We sometimes used a similar concept tool set from Magnepull:
http://www.amazon.com/Magnepull-XP1000-LC-Wire-Pulling-System/dp/B000YJB5WO
We bought ours in 2007
fred
Ben
I see that you already cited the MagnePull system – I aslo see that it seems to have gotten way more expensive – as we paid something like $30 for it back in 2007
mike aka Fazzman
Seems to me this would be so easy to just make your own,it would be way less expensive since you arent paying for a name. Not that hard to get good magnets or rope.
Michael Quinlan
I have the MagnePull, and you’re right – the magnetic leader can become attached to metal components inside the wall; it’s happened to me. It looks like the head on the Klein tool requires a 1-1/2″ hole (estimated from the video), whereas the MagnePull leaders can (barely) fit through a 1/2″ or 3/4″ hole.
I don’t do line voltage work, but I think Romex I’d much to stiff to quirk with something like this, except that the built-in cord should be long enough to pull completely down (or up, I guess) a wall without having the resistance of the Romex behind it.
Despite the hole size requires by the Klein tool, the overall tool looks a little “wimpy”, but the price is much more appealing than that of the MagnePull. I’d be very interested in seeing this work first hand.
fred
You are right – the magnet can get hung-up on the odd molly, toggle bolt etc. within the bay – and was nearly useless on insulated walls.
Our old Magnepull “bullet” had a round nose – the we one is pointed – so maybe it works better with insulation. Back in 2007 – we bought the magnet and leader for about $15 and the roller-finder for about $18 – no case etc. – but today’s prices seem much higher.
Dennis
I think that since this is Klein, it’s primary use is for electricians. Therefor perhaps thought was they would be starting from a hole cut for at least a 1 gang box.
I have a set of aquarium cleaning magnets I bought years ago for doing the exact same thing http://www.amazon.com/Gulfstream-Tropical-AGU00035A-Mag-Float-Aquarium/dp/B003SN8BJI/
But the truth is most of the time trying to wire stuff post construction you run into a fire block or cripple stud and magnets aren’t much help.
fred
Your aquarium cleaner looks a bit like it uses the same concept. So does the Goldblatt Blade runner:
http://www.amazon.com/Goldblatt-G15850-Runner-Drywall-Cutting/dp/B001O457EU
One of my guys bought one of the Blade Runners at Lowes in 2009 – it never caught on with us – probably its still sitting in a dusty corner of the tool room.
Andrew
Romex would probably be way too stiff and heavy to count on a magnet to snake it through walls.
BillMed
you clearly dont know how the device works
Tomas
As a homeowner who’s owned a couple newly constructed houses this wouldn’t work well at all for the stuff I’d primarily be doing, which is snaking HDMI cables and such thru existing conduit for mounting my flat screen.
Fede
If u have conduit put a bag tied to a pulling rope and use a vacuum on the other end. Works great. And if it’s a long run use a air compressor I have made runs of 30ft with a a pair of 90 turns with this method.
Fede
I ment to say 300 ft.
kraton
A metal snake with a 6″ leader with it knotted 4x’s at the end has never failed inside a studded wall no matter how much insulation was installed plus you only need a 3/8″ hole to start
BillMed
how about pipes and wood blocking and stuff like that?
Jacob
Interesting. Based on the curved and pointed shape, I assumed that the flat face would certainly go against the back side of the drywall, where that shape would help it to not get hung up on insulation or wiring. after watching the video it is obviously intentional that it goes the other way, so that is can inversely slide over joint compound and other obstruction on the backside of the drywall.
This makes sense, although I have to think it would still cause it to get hung up on other things inside of the wall still. Also, how do you account for fire stops? I’m not sure I understand the application where this works more than a few feet between studs or fire stops before you have to open up the wall again anyway.
Definitely would be a problem in metal stud walls.
Wayne Ruffner
Does anyone else see that loosely braided rope as something that’d hang up on all sorts of stuff inside walls?
Nate 818
What about fire blocks and insulation?
BillMed
this will slide right in front of it
Bruce
I work mostly in commercial construction so are most common need is to get a thermostat down a wall cavity from a suspended ceiling. Super easy way is a chain with a nice smooth profile. Simply cut a hole (it can be darn small, quarter inch) dangle the chain down the hole, leaving enough outside to create a plumb line so you know where to drill the exit hole. Then the end inside the wall, fishing around with a small magnet usually only take a couple seconds, then attach your wire to the chain and pull it through.
Life is harder when there is insulation. I prefer a steel fish tape and use the magnet to get it close to the exit hole, then grab it with some needlenose pliers.
We tried the fancy magnet toys. They worked less well than a chain in empty walls and were useless in insulation. A nice idea that just didn’t work.
Chris Fyfe
The polymer fish rods look handy . No exposed metal , no ferrules to become unglued . They used to be marketed under the name ” Millipede ” , I’ll for sure get a couple of sets , That will give me 112″ , enuff to do an average wall . Not too sure bout the Magnetic gadget , but I’m a sucker for gadgets .
Chris
fred
Fish rods are great for ceilings – if you like gadgets – here’s a company that makes some fro electrical work:
http://www.rack-a-tiers.com/
Chris Fyfe
I have a few of their cable spools , and assorted other stuff .
Chris
fred
LSDI (Labor Saving Devices), Southwire-Maxis, SmartBoxCanada and Seatek (Seatekco.com) are also worth a look for gadgets – but you’re probably also familiar with them.
Fede
I do cctv , low voltage and network wiring and have tried the magna pull but you have to keep the roller clean the tool I end up using the most is a really thin fishing rod made of epoxy from labor saving devices http://www.lsdinc.com/installation/7309/YFT
And a simple but effective 20 ft chain like the ones on the fans made of little metal beads. They are made by the same company and its called wet noodle
The last works great on walls with no insulation so you can run the cable by you’re self.
John Blair
The size of the hole basically means you can’t use it to pull from an attic into a wall cavity. You would severely compromise the integrity of the header cutting a hole that large.
I’ve had better luck than most running the MagnaPull through insulation. Of course, I attach mine to the end of a fish rod and push down through most of the way.
For those who are interested in what you do when you hit a fire block, here is what I do. You locate the fire block by using the roller and running the magnet into it until you are sure of its location. I cut a 4″ x 4″ hole in the drywall, centered over the fire block. Drill out the fire block to create a notch that reaches to the center (Two holes, over and under with a spade bit and clean up with an oscillating tool). Continue fishing until you have it out the box. Once you are done, put a nail plate over the notch to protect future you (or homeowner) from killing themselves and use the same piece of drywall for the patch. I find 4 to 6 inches is big enough you can fit a pice of 1x for backing of drywall screws.
Shane
Does it work with double layer 5/8″ drywall?
Benjamen
I can’t find any information about how how far apart the magnet and the puck can get and still be effective.
I started to look up how magnetism falls off with distance and it is a complicated subject that depends on the shape and design of the magnets among other things including whether magnetic monopoles exist.
Lets just say that the strength of the field falls off somewhere between 1/r^2 and 1/r^3. So my gut thought is that for the magnet to have enough strength to be effective at 1-1/4″, it is going to be too strong to use at 1/2″.
That’s just a guess though.