Pulling 50 feet of cat6 through a 90 degree sweep in an old church in Hoboken last Tuesday made me rethink everything about my pulling lube technique

I was stuck for 45 minutes with a bundle that wouldn't budge until a roofer walked by and told me to use dish soap instead of the expensive stuff, and it slid right through, has anyone else found a weird trick that worked better than the standard gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakotacraig1mo ago

The expensive lube is a scam once you realize soap works just as good. I've seen this pattern in a lot of trades where the fancy branded stuff is no better than what you already have in the house. WD40 for squeaky hinges, vinegar for cleaning concrete, same idea. People get sold on a product when the simple solution is sitting right there in the kitchen. Dish soap has been the answer for sticky cable pulls for decades, but nobody talks about it because the lube companies would lose money.

riley_price1mo ago

Funny you mention that, but the real hidden cost is what the fancy stuff does to your pipes and fittings over time. Soap dries out and leaves a film that actually makes things worse later, especially in tight spots where you can't flush it out. The expensive stuff might be worse for your wallet up front, but it's usually a lot better for the hardware in the long run, especially if you're dealing with PVC or rubber seals. I've seen guys strip out threads because they used dish soap and it gummed up after a few years, turning a simple lube job into a full replacement. Have you ever had that happen with soap on anything besides cable pulls?