Opinions on Ace Line Hauler vs Scotty Prawn Puller

It was the guys at Harbour Chandler who told me to use 8 gauge wire. If the run is fairly short then I guess 10 or 12 gauge would work. The big thing is they draw a lot of power so you need good clean connections.
 
Sir Reel said:
I had this exact dilemma when I went to the Vancouver boat show. I went there with a friend to buy a Scotty puller (among other things). I really like Scotty products and thought it was a well built compact unit. I had used the Ace before and found it a bit cumbersome to setup on the Scotty Mount. However my friend has a Ace and he pointed out numerous advantages for the ACE.
Both units pull about the same amount of weight and at the same speed
Biggest thing is the rope handling. On the Ace the line comes straight down towards your feet and with the new Bulldog it is hands free and you can concentrate on coiling rope.
The Scotty will push rope towards you horizontally right at crotch level.
The scotty requires 3 wraps on a very small diameter winch and when using leaded line it could tend to give it an extra curl you don't want.
Ace has a larger boom and keeps the trap away from the boat.
The Ace has a 360 swivel head so as waves and current rock the boat the line will adjust. The Scotty only swivels side to side.
Some guys say the line will pop out of the pulley on the Scotty too.
With the Ace you can pull the Bulldog handle and the motor still runs but the rope will slip if you have to pause for a minute.
With the Scotty you have to hit the power switch to stop pulling.

So based on all these facts I got talked out of the Scotty and bought an Ace with the Bulldog. Came with a carrying bag and a pair of shorts for $499 at the boat show.
Haven't tried it out yet but looking forward to it.

Hope this helps!
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Seems like a pretty good price. Was the Scotty more or less money? Or was it the same price? I've seen them online in the $600 range. I built my own but she's slow. Plenty powerful enough but I think I'd like something a little faster on the retrieve. Just double checked and they can be had for about $450 us..
 
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At the boat show the Scotty was $439 and the Ace special was $499. I think Harbour Chandler is still advertising $439 for the Scotty.
 
Thanks again for all the replies. It sounds like the Ace Line Hauler is the preferred one out there. Now to see what kind of deal I can make!
 
I have an ace and I use it a fair amount.....the only negative I will say is the on/off switch is a COMPLETE POS. Ace sent me spares but it's not a change out on the water. You have to take apart the motor and reseal it up. Pain in the butt while prawning. I was told it was a supplier problem so maybe they have rectified that. I had an apprentice who worked for them before starting his apprenticeship who told me it was a pretty common issue.
 
does anyone have a review for the big kahuna? did a search couldn't find any actual reviews. sounds like they've been around for a while now. want to get my parents a new puller this year. The reason im curious about these and not just going with ace is I found a set of prawn traps in 900 feet of water off the fingers last year and returned to the owner who ended up being the guy that makes big kahunas so I might be able to get a bit of a bargain if I go that route.
 
I ran #10 wire, but is only about 5' from the battery panel. Ran that to a 40 amp push to reset circuit breaker. Attached that to a panel below the puller with a short length to the plug. Also ran the downrigger receptacle off the same breaker and the same panel. Will post picture later.
 
Bought a scotty puller last year on the sfbc derby wrap up weekend. HC had them on for $389 + tax. I don't prawn a lot and when I do I'm not in a hurry so this machine works well for me. No issues pulling a line with two bauer traps with weight Yes, you have to stop and lift traps over and into boat but it sure beats pulling by hand. Know a few people who have ace pullers and they are happy with them as well. For me it came down to cost vs use and the scotty cost me 100-150 less than the ace and so far I'm quite pleased with how it performs.
 
Sir Reel had this comment on one of his posts On the Ace the line comes straight down towards your feet and with the new Bulldog it is hands free and you can concentrate on coiling rope. I got an Ace from FA a while ago. loved the self coil, but the line kept spilling put of the square line crate. "Humm"-- ses me Started looking around and this is what I found.....light weight soft plastic flower pots from Home Depot-- about $5.50 each. The line coils with no help at all. I just stand and watch, and infrequently I might bat a loop down in the pot. And they stack compactly in one corner of the boat too. One other small tip-- put one pot on the bottom to raise up the one getting the line. Thats how you govern how big a loop is going into the bucket.


I know I am not the first to think of this-- but its worthwhile putting out there
 
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I just use a trash can with holes in the bottom and coil all my lines into it. Works great, just need the next size up so I can put more line into it. Currently using a 20 gal. It holds 1800ft no problem, just need one to hold 2400ft of line
 
Fish Assassin said:
I just use a trash can with holes in the bottom and coil all my lines into it. Works great, just need the next size up so I can put more line into it. Currently using a 20 gal. It holds 1800ft no problem, just need one to hold 2400ft of line
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Ya-- forgot to mention to drill the bottoms of the pots. I prefer the separate pots as I use different lengths of line and it saves me digging through a bunch of line that I wont be using-- but as long as it work-- no problem
 
I use a large horse feed bucket with two rope handles,
drilled some holes in the bottom of it so its seld draining
its about the size of 1/2 trash can, I can get three 450' shots in it no problem
 
The Scotty Puller is handy for a lot of things besides pulling traps. I use it to retrieve my 600 feet of anchor rope that is hanging below my scotchman. I used to reverse with the kicker and hand pull, now I just drift and use the Scotty puller until the float hits the boat. I am sure lots of other people are doing the same. I also have one that Scotty rigged without a boom that pulls a lot of Tuna cord. Only for checking the gear of course..
I would love hear of any other uses that I may be missing out on.
 
Great idea Cuba Libre. I saw those plastic buckets at Home Depot the other day and was thinking the same thing.
Look like they would fit in an overturned round prawn trap too.
 
for me the hands free and the higher gin pole pulley is the reason i went with the brutus

i also use it to pull in the anchor rode while hali fishing. motor past it using an anchor ring, then when the claw anchor hit the ring i do a 180, then the prawn puller coils the rope in a rubbermaid bin
 
Fish Assassin said:
Funny that you'd think you need to run 8awg to your puller when Scotty only recommends 12/2 and a 30a fuse for the down rigger. From my battry to my puller/rigger it's about 4-5ft on one side and about 12ft to the other side. I ran 10/2 with a 30a fuse inline. I opened up my Scotty receptacle and soldered the connections and loaded with dielectric grease. I have no issues with power to either unit. Believe me I've put them to the test :)

I want to see photos of any attempts to attach 8awg to your receptacle. I had drill mine out just to attach the 10/2. Good Luck

I have used both pullers. Ace is the only way to go. Not sure I'd go prawning with a guy using a Scotty, well unless he allowed me to bring my Ace.
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I was just setting up my new Ace Brutus +40 and here are what the instructions say for wiring and fuses:

A 40 amp fuse or breaker is recommended
10 gauge wiring is recommended for runs less than 15 feet
8 gauge wiring is recommended for runs over 15 feet

So I guess most guys can use 10 gauge wire
 
Never looked at a set of instructions for a Ace. That's interesting. I've always just pluged the into any old Scotty plug. Most boats Scotty's are only 12/2 with a 30amp inline and I've never had an issue pluging an Ace in.
 
I wonder if maybe the Brutus +40 has a higher amperage motor?
The Ace website says •Draws only 14 to 35 amps of power depending on load. So is that way it is called +40 and needs a 40 amp fuse?
 
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