Several months back, I visited Klein Tools and after a tour of the factory was shown some products that would be coming out later in the year, including the company’s new Foam Wire Pulling Lubricant. When electrician’s pull wire, they must lubricate it to get it to go through the conduit.
I couldn’t figure out why the folks from Klein were so stoked about their foam lubricant until I witnessed a demonstration of wax lubricant versus foam. The wax was terribly messy; the foam was not. I’m not an electrician, but if I was, switching to foam would be a no-brainer.
If the manufacturer’s photo of wax versus foam does not convince you, then watch a portion of the first video below, which shows conventional lubricant being used on a commercial/industrial jobsite where cable is being pulled with an electric winch. As you can see, someone’s going to be doing a lot of cleanup.
According to Klein, Foam Wire Pulling Lubricant dissolves on your hands and is a no mess, no hassle alternative to traditional gel or wax. Instead of spreading it on the wire, it is sprayed into the conduit so it coats the wires as they are pulled through. Foam won’t drip out of vertical conduit or leave stains on hands, clothing or carpet. It has four times greater yield than gels and waxes (one can of foam equals four quarts of wax lubricant).
The second video below was produced by the manufacturer, so it’s basically and ad. I’m posting it here because it makes an interesting comparison between wax lubricant and foam.
Packaging: 19-ounce spray can
Price: about $20
COO: USA
