The 9 Best Tools For Pulling Wire Solo
Pulling wire solo doesn’t have to be a daily battle. If you’ve ever wrestled fish tape through a wall or cursed at a stubborn conduit, you know the struggle. But good news—there are tools out there that actually make this part of the job easier (and less rage-inducing). Whether you’re working through studs, T-bars, walls, or cable trays, these tools are built to save you time and frustration. Rack-A-Tiers has put together some seriously smart solutions, and we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch. Here are 6 game-changing tools that make solo wire pulls way smoother.
The Ferret
If you’ve ever tried fishing a wire through a wall solo and ended up swearing at a stud, The Ferret might save you the headache. It has a guide wheel on the front, which helps it glide around inside walls without catching on every little thing. There’s also a hook you can attach, which makes grabbing or pulling wire way easier—especially in tight spots where your arm won’t fit. It’s available in a couple of different lengths, so whether you’re working in a small patch of wall or going the distance, you’ve got options. It doesn’t take up much space in the van, and it’s pretty much a no-brainer tool to have on hand if you’re pulling wire solo and don’t want to lose your mind (or your cable) behind the drywall.
Check out The Ferret Wire Fishing Tool
Ropematic Pro
Rope burns are nobody’s idea of fun, and if you’ve been pulling wire by hand, you know the struggle. The Ropematic Pro is an ergonomic hand grip for pulling rope or fish tape. It grips tight so you don’t have to, and it’s got this smart little latch that locks automatically as you pull—no fiddling, no slipping. You can use it vertically or horizontally, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever pulled wire without it. It seriously speeds things up, especially on longer pulls. It’s not some flashy gadget, but it takes the grunt work down a notch and makes those solo jobs a lot less painful—on your hands and your time.
LB Wire Guide
If you’ve ever wrestled wire through a 2-inch PVC LB fitting, you know it’s a tight squeeze—and a two-person job on a good day. The LB Wire Guide changes that. It’s a wire “shoehorn” that helps guide your cables through the LB without mangling the insulation or scraping up your knuckles. It fits right into the fitting and keeps the wire lined up and sliding smooth, even when you’re flying solo. It’s got a double-ended design, so it works for either side of the conduit body, and it doesn’t take up much room in your kit. It’s one of those tools you don’t think you need until you’re halfway through a pull and wondering why you didn’t bring a helper. With this thing, you don’t need one.
Pull Smooth with the LB Wire Guide
Clinck-N-Fish Fish Sticks
These are an electrician’s best friends for sure. These rods work great for almost any job you might come across. Working a commercial building job? Use these rather than having to lift every single ceiling tile from the T-bar to make a path, leaving dirty fingerprints on each as you go, slowly feeding your floppy wire from tile space to tile space, and finally replacing every single tile you just took out once your wire is pulled. Instead, attach your wire onto these rigid Fish Sticks, skip 2,3,4 or even 5 tiles and feed from opening to opening in less than half the time it would take otherwise!
The Click-N-Fish Fish Sticks are perfect for fishing wire through walls, ceilings, or other tight spots solo. They’re made of strong fiberglass, so they’ve got the right balance of flex and rigidity to handle turns without flopping or snapping. What makes them stand out is the super simple click-lock system—just snap the sticks together, and you’re good to go. No screwing, twisting, or guessing if they’re secure. They come with a few handy tips, including a bullet nose and a hook. Plus, they glow in the dark, which is very useful when you’re in a dark crawlspace or wall cavity. Not flashy, not complicated—just solid, get-the-job-done fish sticks.
Get the Click-N-Fish Fish Sticks
All American Pull Buddy
The All-American Pull Buddy enables you to pull wire between two pipes through a conduit box seamlessly. Simply insert the Pull Buddy into the conduit, pull your wire through, and remove the Pull Buddy after use. Pull Buddies are small, light, and durable, making them the perfect choice for electricians on the job. Pull Buddies come in a variety of colors, allowing you to easily spot them no matter the environment. The All-American Pull Buddy will not only save your wire and time, but also allow you to get the job done on your own.
Pullee (Not Available in Canada)
The Pullee sits inside a standard 4×4 steel box and helps your wire glide in nice and smooth. No dragging, no catching, no “why is this taking forever?” moments. It’s made from stainless steel, so it’s built tough, and it stays put thanks to spring-loaded tips that grip the inside of the box. Just pop it in, pull your wire, and move on. It’s not flashy, but it’s one of those tools that takes a frustrating part of the job and makes it a whole lot easier. One heads-up: if you’re up in Canada, it’s not compatible with the boxes used there, so it’s a U.S.-only kind of deal – you’ll want to try the Wire Vortex Plus instead.
Wire Vortex Plus
Pulling wire into a box shouldn’t feel like feeding spaghetti through a keyhole, but sometimes it does—especially if you’re working alone. The Wire Vortex Plus is a guide funnel that sits inside 4″ or 4-11/16″ boxes and gives your cables a smoother way in. Instead of scraping against sharp edges or catching on everything, the wire gets directed right where it needs to go. It’s made from tough plastic that won’t crack under pressure and lets you pull from any direction—top, bottom, left, right, whatever. It’s simple and makes the process way less frustrating. If you’re tired of your wire bunching up or getting chewed up at the box, this little guy makes a big difference.
Check out the Wire Vortex Plus
The Jimbo – Wire Pull Bracket
The Jimbo looks like a little bracket, but don’t let the size fool you—it’s a solid time-saver. It hooks onto ceiling grids or framing and helps keep your wire run clean and out of the way while you pull. No more trying to do weird yoga moves to keep your wire from catching on sharp edges or getting tangled up overhead. You can set up a few of these at once, and they act like temporary raceways, keeping your cable right where you want it. It’s great for solo work because it lets you focus on pulling instead of babysitting the wire every two feet. Also, they’re reusable, so once you’ve got a couple, you’re set for future jobs.
Ferret Inspection Camera
The Ferret Pro is an award-winning wireless inspection camera that makes seeing into tight, dark, or awkward spaces way easier—whether you’re fishing wire or just trying to figure out what’s going on behind a wall. It creates a WiFi hotspot so you can stream the feed right to your phone, and it comes with attachments like a hook, a flexible gooseneck, and a threaded base to screw onto fish rods. Super handy when fish sticks aren’t cutting it. It’s not just for work either—use it to check gutters, peek under your car, or investigate weird attic noises without crawling around or grabbing a ladder.
Working solo doesn’t mean struggling through every wire pull. With the right tools, you can save time, spare your hands, and keep your sanity intact. Whether you’re fishing cable in tight spots or managing ceiling runs, these tools make solo work feel a lot less solo—and way more efficient.
