What might this be?

[JD 4520]

Dad used them on the farm and I forget what for and how.
I know they “slide” open and then grip something.

 

[monkeyduster]

Maybe a wire puller of some sort...

 

[Smokeydog]

Cable puller. Used by telephone company mainly.

 

[workinonit]

I have several of those laying around that dad collected. That's a single use item for sure.

 

[Doorman63]

Cable puller
I have 2 in my truck
The garage door industry uses those quite a bit

 

[CADplans]

If you found it on a farm, they were pulling barbed wire with it.

Some people use them to pull woven wire fence, but, you need several of them,

I have one, it is connected to a sledge hammer handle, hook it to the fence wire, pry around a post.

 

[rgr33]

Yep, use them all the time for wire pulling and fence repair.

 

[Cobailer]

I'm pretty sure that is a cable puller. And as the names state, it is used to pull cables more efficiently. They are pretty used nowadays because I've got multiple people and companies come in the repair shop that I own and ask for them. I currently bought 200 pieced and introduced them into the software database created by Auto Repair Shop Management Software | Autoleap. When people come in and ask for it, I'll know what to give them. Meanwhile, it is funny how many people have seen this instrument in their dad collection but don't really know what they are. In conclusion, I might state that most dads are the same.

 

[ovrszd]

I've had this one for years. Don't remember where I got it. Probably a farm sale.

Fasten a come along to it and you have a fence wire stretcher.

 

[ovrszd]

Here's a more modern version that works great to tighten and shorten fence wire.

 

[PILOON]

Yep, cable puller!
Another of my yard finds and, YES, I've used it 5/6 times even once to tighten a sagging power line for a client.
Can also serve to place tin roofing B4 attaching. LOL, works better than vice grips.

Think it was another of my $1.00 or so, garage sale buys.

 

[etpm]

These cable pullers are still used today by our local utility. I have seen them being used as recently as 2019 by a local crew. They were pulling a cable attached to a power pole.
Eric

 

[Alan W.]

Ive had one for years that was my grandfathers. He used it to pull wire while he worked in the communications sector of the railroad. This was when they still used the poles and wires along the tracks. He retired about the time they phased that branch out due to using radio communications.
My son used it to put up his zip line in the woods.

I am currently cleaning out the barn of my great grandfather and great uncle. Hasn’t been touched since 1986. If you look in the lower left of the pic you’ll see about 5 of them. Different sizes and styles. This is just one of the loads Ive pulled so far.

 

[sdureault]

It’s A temporary grip to pull up utility wire using a chain hoist or rope blocks attached, most are made by Klein or Buckingham. Different sizes and jaws inside for different wire., Copper,steel, aluminum, poly covered. Us lineman use them everyday and nothing much has changed on them in the last 50 years it seems if you clean them up the should have the wire sizes stamped In them somewhere

 

[ovrszd]

Ive had one for years that was my grandfathers. He used it to pull wire while he worked in the communications sector of the railroad. This was when they still used the poles and wires along the tracks. He retired about the time they phased that branch out due to using radio communications.
My son used it to put up his zip line in the woods.

I am currently cleaning out the barn of my great grandfather and great uncle. Hasn’t been touched since 1986. If you look in the lower left of the pic you’ll see about 5 of them. Different sizes and styles. This is just one of the loads Ive pulled so far.


View attachment 731389

I'd have most of these items hanging on my shop walls for display!!! Good stuff. Does your imagination go wild when you hold these tools in your hands? Mine does!!!

 

[Alan W.]

I'd have most of these items hanging on my shop walls for display!!! Good stuff. Does your imagination go wild when you hold these tools in your hands? Mine does!!!

Lots of memories. My great grandfather passed when I was 12. I remember him well, he was a bridge foreman for the railroad. Some of them will be wall hangers. A lot will be fixed and used.
Nothing had made in China wrote on it

 

[ArlyA]

Getting on a sidetrack here,,, I have my grandfather anvil which is quite old but unmarked. I'd guess close to, or pre turn of the century age.

 

[flyerdan]

I've got one of the small ones, like in the bottom left of Alan's pic above. It has teeth in it for grabbing bare tension wire for fencing. I think the ones with the long smooth jaws would be for pulling electrical, so it won't damage the insulation or strands.

 

[PILOON]

Getting on a sidetrack here,,, I have my grandfather anvil which is quite old but unmarked. I'd guess close to, or pre turn of the century age.

Do a search on the ongoing prices of anvils.
Crazy, getting in the price ranges of rare metals and gems, never mind copper or aluminum.
The sell them by the pound.

 

[Jeepnford]

I used these once or twice working at the telephone company. Check the price. Klein Tools 1659-5AT Chicago Grip Type B Strand Puller (0.20