Greenlee 06186 Cablecaster Wire Pulling Tool With Three Darts

A few weeks ago I found myself needing to run cables through my attic to carry 24-vdc to my security cameras. My attic has a rather low roof and very little flooring to step on which could lead to a foot through a ceiling if care is not taken; but worse yet my furnace/ac unit is right in the middle of the attic and it is impossible for any normal sized human being to crawl over, under or around it. I tried using fiberglass 'fish' sticks to feed the cable across the attic, but they were too flexible and when I screwed four of them together it produced a very rainbow-like stick that just wouldn't cooperate. So, having used a CableCaster back in 2001 on a job I was involved with I began searching to see if they were still in production. The price is not a great deal higher than it was back then and so I ordered it as soon as I saw it on Amazon. I have read some of the other reviews and can understand how some folks have had problems with this device, but my own personal experience was that it worked great for shooting cables through a ceiling in a government building on an Army post where I installed a DDC control system. The dart shot pretty straight and I was able to shoot it through a dropped ceiling tile across a sheet-rock ceiling and to another dropped ceiling tile on the other side, a distance of fifteen to twenty feet, with zero problems. My good experiences continued to my attic where I was able to shoot the dart from the furnace over to and through an outside wall vent twenty feet away and then a repeat performance to the opposite end of my attic. Cables pulled and terminations made in short order thanks to the CableCaster. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with it and practice shooting the dart a few times before you actually start, you will learn how to aim it to get the dart where you need it to be. The fishing line is rather thin, but is sturdy enough to do the job if you shoot the dart and then tie a pull string to it instead of the cable itself. I didn't follow that advice and still had no problem; but I will use a pull string the next time since it is way lighter than cable is. You could probably pull hundreds of feet of pull string without fazing that skinny fishing line in the least as long as the dart doesn't get hung up on something. Well, I can't really think of anything bad to say about the CableCaster. It does the job for short to intermediate distances and is fairly sturdy. I suppose they could sell it for less, but there probably aren't a blue million of them being bought, and Greenlee is entitled to make a profit on them. I give it a thumbs up.

If you need to hang something from a place, say rafters in a church, and there’s no ladder around, this is exactly what you need. The darts are a little more fragile than I’d like and the fishing line could be heavier, but I rely on this in a lot of situations. It’s saved me from pulling mic cables up ladders many times.

First, I have never written a review nor have I ever returned a purchase from Amazon. Ordered this product to run cables for security system through attic. CableCaster arrived ahead of scheduled delivery date, which was good. However, the fishing line SNAPPED on FIRST USE. I completely read and followed provided instructions, but this product is not soundly made. I would suggest Amazon "Quality Control" this sellers products before being allowed to advertise on this platform. I, like others wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. There's a reason this product has only received a 3.5 rating. As others have stated this product is overpriced. RECOMMEND Amazon challenge this seller's price point. If you're considering a CableCaster, PLEASE don't waste your money on this product as it is currently manufactured.

This was purchased used, so there was a learning curve because it didn't come with an instruction manual. I watched a couple of youtube videos, and those really helped. Attach the line to the small hole at the bottom of the dart, not in the large loop as one video posted.The fish line was all tangled up in the reel, and after fighting with that, it seemed easier to spool new line. I bought 10 lb test for a few dollars. There are several good videos for spooling a reel, check the ones for Zebco because that is what it on the CableCaster. Once that was done, it worked as advertised. There is a safety on this, so if you can't pull the trigger, try releasing the safety. Also, be sure to press the large black button on the back cover of the reel before firing.A small flash light fits in the holder and does help in an attic. Cable was run in a residential attic using the CableCaster, and the CableCaster was helpful. It is important to look at possible obstacles before shooting the dart because there are many things that can impede the dart when you go to retrieve it such as the duct work. The dart shoots level which is a huge help because an arc would limit its usefulness in close spaces.The body of the gun does seem cheap, like a dime store water pistol, but the firing mechanism and fishing reel are solid.

Nice product. Worked better than standard push rods for going across suspended ceiling, unfortunately the end of the cut spool line ended up retracted in spool after my first use and the darts are only good for firing the light duty nylon line that it comes. I was able to re-use the portion of line that was released to continue my run but disappointed as I now will have to find a way to safely open up the attached spool to see if I can retrieve the end.One thing I have to admit was nice about the product is that the nylon line that it comes with is very sturdy and can withstand quite a bit of tugging as I was pulling single pair speaker wire across a suspended ceiling tile for an audio installation and it kept getting hung up on bits of loose planks/ fiber boards that were coming down from the old roof.This is my first experience with the GREENLINE and hope that I will be able to continue to make good use of the one I bought but for the money spent I would consider buying a crossbow as you may obtain better results. LOL