Why are decent pullers so expensive?

[1cargarage]

The following is merely a curious question - not a bitter gripe masked as a question.

To clarify, I'm talking about basic/general purpose mechanical (screw type) pullers and puller sets that would typically be used when working on cars and/or small (ish) engines and applications.

Beyond the obvious differences between high quality pullers and POS pullers (quality of materials, heat treating, etc.), puller sets across the spectrum all seem rather crude in their form. As expected, the name brand (Snap On, Kukko, Stahlwille, Hazet) sets I have looked at are comprised of stout, "overbuilt" forgings and high quality, tight fitting threaded components, which does set them apart from the one-time-use offerings out there. Beyond these strengths though, I cannot see what the consumers' $$$ buys.

It isn't uncommon for the forged components of a puller or puller set to have burrs/seams from the forging process, relatively rough surface texture, and edges absent of a filet or chamfer. I don't think there's a lot of precision broaching or machining involved in pullers. Not as much as say precision sockets or wrenches

I am not rating pullers better or worse based on these criteria, as I know as well as anybody that a puller does its job best when it pulls - appearance be damned. I simply know that they are these details which add significant steps and cost to the manufacturing process, hence the relatively high cost of name brand hand tools that do have polished chrome, precision broaching, smooth surfaces, laser hardening, no sharp edges, etc.

So what exactly is the high price of a "good" puller set buying beyond better/stronger/tougher metal?

Admittedly, some companies' offerings are clearly well thought-out in their ability to cover a vast variety of applications with relatively few parts.

Again, not a gripe. Just a curiosity. Thanks

 

[B_Bimmer]

You want overpriced in appearance, check out step plates, but my goodness, I use those suckers all the time and boy are they worth it. I have never regretted any puller, nor thought them expensive after the first use or two. Now cheap pullers... Well do not judge the usefullness of pullers by harbor fright's offerings. I will leave it at that. One brand you did not mention in your list of good ones is proto, they make an excellent system and have for a very long time. Also posi-lock, the ones that have a system with which to tighten the jaws on the object being pulled are worth their cost.

 

[four.cycle]

"Snap On, Kukko, Stahlwille, Hazet"

Why are you looking at the four most expensive brands of pullers on the market?

Good pullers were never cheap historically - if you want a good puller it's going to cost money. The good ones were always spendy: an Indestro 289 harmonic balance puller went out the door for about $20-$25 in the mid-1970s. Their 3-arm hub puller (now considered obsolete) was about $80-$85.

You're looking in the wrong place, and there's no need to go brand new if you can find a good used one at a decent price - pullers don't get constant use like a socket or a wrench.

Search Ebay for "Owatonna puller" (aka "OTC"). Don't search "OTC" because you'll be looking at more recent production stuff, the quality of which has waned over the years. This is one of those cases where "they don't make 'em like they used to."

Basic 2-jaw and 3-jaw pullers can be had for $15-$40 - big enough for your average "puller job". Larger models (if you're working on a big diesel or something) are going to be up in the $50-$80 range (used.) (Those prices include the shipping, which is nuts because pullers are heavy.)

Also take a look at Posi-Lock. Not cheap, but well worth it. My model #104 set me back about $120 (including sales tax) and I consider it one of the best tool buys I've made in the last ten years.

Others worthy of mention: old Cal-Van, Lisle, Herbrand, Indestro, and CTA - those were all first-rate units.

Still hard to beat the original, however.



^ those two little ones, along with the small Japan-made battery terminal puller (of which only a tiny bit is visible in the image) cost me $16. including shipping a couple months ago on Ebay.
I would submit you're just not looking in the right place. I post them all the time in the "Ebay hot deal" thread.

 

[1cargarage]

Why are you looking at the four most expensive brands of pullers on the market?

You're looking in the wrong place, and there's no need to go brand new if you can find a good used one at a decent price - pullers don't get constant use like a socket or a wrench.

I would submit you're just not looking in the right place. I post them all the time in the "Ebay hot deal" thread.

Thanks four.cycle!

With regards to the brands, those were just the 4 I happened to rattle off. Probably had to do with my time spent on Chadstoolbox yesterday

To clarify, I'm not "shopping" per se right now. Pullers / puller sets just happen to be a particular tool of personal interest right now, which means I basically see what the big boys with the widest spectrum line offers (Snap On, Stahlwille, etc) and also "discover" specialized brands like Kukko and Simatec. I like learning what each company does differently and uniquely, and on and on and on.

My inquiry was more about why brand new pullers cost what they cost. They are such simple tools and generally lack the detailed appointments that can drive the price of tools up.

What is your ebay handle btw?

 

[jeeper46]

Good quality pullers are one of the things I always grab in the used tool store nearby. I may never need it, but when I do, it will be hanging there waiting.

 

[cgrutt]

I've got a bunch of pullers that I'm not even sure what they're used for. What are you looking for?

 

[1cargarage]

You want overpriced in appearance, check out step plates, but my goodness, I use those suckers all the time and boy are they worth it. I have never regretted any puller, nor thought them expensive after the first use or two. Now cheap pullers... Well do not judge the usefullness of pullers by harbor fright's offerings. I will leave it at that. One brand you did not mention in your list of good ones is proto, they make an excellent system and have for a very long time. Also posi-lock, the ones that have a system with which to tighten the jaws on the object being pulled are worth their cost.

Did some looking. Are you talking about step plate adapters for pullers?

 

[scissorman]

You basically are paying for the name. People need to remember that most pullers are just rebadged for whatever company they are being sold through.

 

[1cargarage]

I've got a bunch of pullers that I'm not even sure what they're used for. What are you looking for?

Looking at general 2+3 arm kits. I'm in no rush at the moment, just evaluating the versatility of some of the sets I've been seeing.

 

[cgrutt]

I'll see what i have tomorrow (afternoon, kid has hockey in am) and let you know.

 

[cgrutt]

BTW, like your sig. Gun owner?

 

[four.cycle]

"...most pullers are just rebadged for whatever company they are being sold through...."

^ I would tend to agree with you on that to an extent. The physical resemblance between different brands of the more common types leads me to believe that most of them were coming out of two or three different plants, and I've had that feeling since the early 1970s when I first started selling them. Many Indestro models look exactly like their OTC equivalents. The same applied to some of the CTA models we sold, as well as some of the Cal-Van and Lisle models. But, at that time, each of those companies had their own forging facilities, so it's entirely possible they really were making some of their own. I would imagine they're down to one or two primary manufacturers currently, but that's just a wild guess.

My inquiry was more about why brand new pullers cost what they cost.

The retail price of an item doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the cost of the materials or the processes involved in making it. Unit sales volume is usually a greater factor: greater unit sales = lower retail price. Lower unit sales = higher unit price. It was always that way with parts, I don't know why tools would be any different.
For example, a hand-welded exhaust pipe assembly - the "Y" pipe - for a 1969 Cadillac was four to five times the price of the same kind of pipe that fit 1958-1964 Chevrolet full-size cars with V8 engine (3Y-804 Goerlich/AP). (Yes, I still remember the goddam part numbers.) I toured the Oldberg manufacturing plant in Toledo in 1971 and watched those pipes being made. Same amount of materials, same amount of labor involved. Difference in price is determined not by the model of the car or cost of materials or labor (the difference in the example I cited would be negligible), but by how many are going to be sold.

The "Ebay hot deal" thread is here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6308574#post6308574

 

[ADSR]

You ever see the price of a mo clamp?

 

[gdocktor3]

I do think its wise to spend the money on a decent set of pullers. I've had jaws literally come apart in the middle on cheaper versions. Buy older quality names as mentioned above, or the current OEM manufacturers.

 

[disston]

Step plates are very strong and used in many puller operations. When you need one you need the right one.

I have some of these but not this whole set. At $115 on Amazon that is a steal.

Heat treating is important but I think a lot of the cost is forging. Bigger pullers cost more. I'm a fan of OTC. Currant stuff may not be quit as good as the older Owatonna but it is good.

This is a good general purpose kit and a good place to start but don't expect to stop here. As special operations come up you will need more pullers.

That is the OTC 10 way set (7948)

If you start off with OTC you will not regret it. They are very high quality in today's market. They make all varieties of pullers you may need and staying with one brand means that more of the parts will interchange from set to set.

Snap On stuff is better but you pay for the name. You are also paying for a bigger and stronger tool but it's not really needed most times except by pros.

Once you have the 10 way kit when you need the axle bearing pullers you won't have to buy another sliding bar. There's just the puller ends sold. Doesn't always work this way tho. When I needed a 10 lb weight for my bar I couldn't buy just the weight, I had to get another bar. If you start off by getting different brands their parts won't interchange.

BTW, for old pullers I like Old Forge. They are still around I think but don't make as many things anymore.

 

[stercorarius]

Step plates are very strong and used in many puller operations. When you need one you need the right one.

I have some of these but not this whole set. At $115 on Amazon that is a steal.

Heat treating is important but I think a lot of the cost is forging. Bigger pullers cost more. I'm a fan of OTC. Currant stuff may not be quit as good as the older Owatonna but it is good.

This is a good general purpose kit and a good place to start but don't expect to stop here. As special operations come up you will need more pullers.

That is the OTC 10 way set (7948)

If you start off with OTC you will not regret it. They are very high quality in today's market. They make all varieties of pullers you may need and staying with one brand means that more of the parts will interchange from set to set.

Snap On stuff is better but you pay for the name. You are also paying for a bigger and stronger tool but it's not really needed most times except by pros.

Once you have the 10 way kit when you need the axle bearing pullers you won't have to buy another sliding bar. There's just the puller ends sold. Doesn't always work this way tho. When I needed a 10 lb weight for my bar I couldn't buy just the weight, I had to get another bar. If you start off by getting different brands their parts won't interchange.

BTW, for old pullers I like Old Forge. They are still around I think but don't make as many things anymore.

So I purchased the proto slide hammer and made the mistake of just getting the hammer with the three jaw puller on it as they didn't have the full kit in stock. Proto and OTC have different thread on the end, correct? So my only option to get more attachments is to buy a second slide hammer, correct? Love the proto hammer though.

Sent from my S60 using Tapatalk

 

[B_Bimmer]

I believe long ago an adapter was sold. I wish it still was because I would be a buyer. Some day I will have to get motivated and make one.

 

[Cope]

Why are you looking at the four most expensive brands of pullers on the market?

Good pullers were never cheap historically - if you want a good puller it's going to cost money. The good ones were always spendy: an Indestro 289 harmonic balance puller went out the door for about $20-$25 in the mid-1970s. Their 3-arm hub puller (now considered obsolete) was about $80-$85.

You're looking in the wrong place, and there's no need to go brand new if you can find a good used one at a decent price - pullers don't get constant use like a socket or a wrench.

Search Ebay for "Owatonna puller" (aka "OTC"). Don't search "OTC" because you'll be looking at more recent production stuff, the quality of which has waned over the years. This is one of those cases where "they don't make 'em like they used to."

Basic 2-jaw and 3-jaw pullers can be had for $15-$40 - big enough for your average "puller job". Larger models (if you're working on a big diesel or something) are going to be up in the $50-$80 range (used.) (Those prices include the shipping, which is nuts because pullers are heavy.)

Also take a look at Posi-Lock. Not cheap, but well worth it. My model #104 set me back about $120 (including sales tax) and I consider it one of the best tool buys I've made in the last ten years.

Others worthy of mention: old Cal-Van, Lisle, Herbrand, Indestro, and CTA - those were all first-rate units.

Still hard to beat the original, however.



^ those two little ones, along with the small Japan-made battery terminal puller (of which only a tiny bit is visible in the image) cost me $16. including shipping a couple months ago on Ebay.
I would submit you're just not looking in the right place. I post them all the time in the "Ebay hot deal" thread.

Vintage Blackhawk and Williams were good also.

 

[Bogdan M.]

The main reason is that good quality pullers are needed in any professional shop.
A high quality one lasts for a long time, so it means that's like an investment for a shop.
It's the same reason why professional tools are more expensive than hobby tools.

 

[kctyphoon]

I have that otc puller set - I'll admit, I've only used it once to remove the hub and bearings on my own car, but the price was cheap enough to justify the purchase instead of going to a shop where its a roll of the dice what I'd get charged, depending on what the guy's mood was that day. In my limited use, it did work well for me..

 

[johninct]

Better pullers have smaller jaws so they can get into a tight space. Snap-On's have interchangeable parts so you can build 1,000's of different combinations to fit your needs.

 

[LXCam]

Four cycle hit the nail on the head. It's really more about volume of sales. Most of the time a shop will have one master set of multi function puller sets verses a dozen mechanics who would each have individual offerings from a manufacturer. I'd only add that until you've had a cheap puller give up the ghost on you in the middle of a project and possibly cause some damage you will never see the value of a quality piece. I've acquired a **** load of pullers over the years and about ten years ago I traded some labor to a company that was relocating as well as dropping their internal maintenance program for a snappy master set. Holy cow after using that stuff over the last decade I kick myself in the *** for suffering through some **** version of the same thing thru the years.

 

[mbshop]

It's really simple. Work with a $$$$$$$$ set and then with a $$ set and you will understand. Don't care about the why, just care that it does. My job and safety relied on the good stuff. So that is were I spent my money.

 

[Dagny]

In 1978 I ordered a 2 jaw and a bearing splitter from hardware hank store in town we found it in their S-K catalog. I always wondered why they had a OTC stamped on them. Unbelievable quality. think I paid 150 for both 3 days wages at the time.

 

[four.cycle]

1972 Indestro Tool Catalog No. 55 pp 60-61 - pullers

Indestro Tool Catalog 55 1972 pp 60-61 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Going back to the OP's original question of "Why are pullers so expensive?":
To try to put things into perspective, the model 280 Indestro "Master Puller Set" shown at the top of page 61 above had a suggested retail price of about $125.00 in the mid-1970s.
The rent on my two-bedroom apartment in a duplex over on South Brayton Street was $150.00 a month then.
I clearly remember the cost of that puller, because my old man flipped out when he saw the invoice on the order - I ordered six of those puller sets - one for each store - plus the display boards for the stores to hang them on.
(To be fair, I believe it was the total invoice on that order exceeding $9000.00 that caused him to blow a gasket - it wasn't just the pullers.)
Bear in mind that puller was a US-made unit, forged either in Chicago by Indestro or possibly Owatonna Tool Company in Owatonna, Minnesota. (Both at that time were virtually indistinguishable.) Note also that the model 280 "Master puller set" did not contain the 278-6 hub puller yoke shown on page 60, which is included in the OTC puller set.

I just did a Google search for "OTC slide hammer puller", and I can order that full kit shown above for about $86.00 from ToolTopia.com with free shipping.
Their website doesn't specify country of origin, but my best wild guess would be that it's outsourced from Asia.

So... are they really "so expensive"? Or is it just perception?

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I have bought new SnapOn, ProTo, New Britain, OTC , Kent Moore, and other quality pullers over the years.. They may have been "expensive", but definitely not overpriced...

I also have tried some of the dime store grade specialty "puller" sets.
These are the ones I usually call a waste of money.. I likened My purchase of a " Model 40749 Pulley Remover & Installer Set" to a lottery ticket.. It broke on the first attempted use. The warranty replacement collar looks crappier than the original. It is nothing I would depend on to change a pulley. This group makes the perfect loaner tools. .

 

[metaldad]

fwiw, i have a pair of otc pullers on my 'more overflow' thread in the 'for sale' section.
open to reasonable offers.

 

[B_Bimmer]

This group makes the perfect loaner tools. .

I bet that makes borrowing a one time deal.

 

[four.cycle]

I also have tried some of the dime store grade specialty "puller" sets.

^ I think one only needs to do that once to figure it out.
In a big hurry one day, I ran up to ACE Hardware and bought the only 2-jaw puller they stocked - a little cheapie - for about $8 bucks.
Brought it home and put a wrench on it and watched the hooks on the ends of the jaws bend like they were made out of putty.
Took it back up to Ace, told them to tell their buyer that they were giving Ace Hardware a bad name by stocking such garbage, and left it there. They were puzzled that I didn't want my money back. I told them that I was grateful for the cheap lesson.
That was the same day I drove across town to Sears and picked up the #104 Posi-Lock for about $125.
Works every time without fail.

 

[tcianci]

So your son in law can borrow it and strip the forcing screw, it was only an $80 Proto.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

^ I think one only needs to do that once to figure it out.
In a big hurry one day, I ran up to ACE Hardware and bought the only 2-jaw puller they stocked - a little cheapie - for about $8 bucks.
Brought it home and put a wrench on it and watched the hooks on the ends of the jaws bend like they were made out of putty.
Took it back up to Ace, told them to tell their buyer that they were giving Ace Hardware a bad name by stocking such garbage, and left it there. They were puzzled that I didn't want my money back. I told them that I was grateful for the cheap lesson.
That was the same day I drove across town to Sears and picked up the #104 Posi-Lock for about $125.
Works every time without fail.

That $8 puller reminds Me of the puller I bought in a Coast to Coast back in the 60'S. I believe it sold for around $3.95 and was made in the USA.. I had to straighten the jaws more than once.. Loaned it out and never got it back That was the first and last cheap jaw puller I bought.. Some of the cheapo special purpose sets would hopefully last for a single moderate use..If it fails, I am not out much. As long as I don't expect too much or depend on the ****, I'm only out a few bucks for the admission charge.