Preformed Line Products Tree Cabling Lag Spinner

The Preformed Line Products lag spinner lets you drive lag-type cabling hardware with a drill instead of cranking it in with a bar. It speeds up installs and helps set hardware to depth evenly.

What it does

Lag eyes and similar hardware are threaded into a pilot hole drilled into the leader. Turned by hand with a bar through the eye, it is slow and easy to wobble off line. A lag spinner fits the eye and is driven by a drill, so the hardware goes in steadily and straight.

Use a drill with a clutch or controlled speed so you can stop when the hardware reaches depth. Over-driving can strip the threads in the wood and weaken the hold.

A lag spinner is most useful on jobs with several anchors, such as multi-leader systems. Setting each lag at the same speed and depth helps keep the system consistent. Keep the spinner clean and check it for wear where it bears on the eye, since a worn spinner can slip and mark the hardware.

Installation basics

Drill the pilot hole to the size the hardware maker specifies for lags, keep the hardware in line with the cable direction, and stop when the eye is set. Drilling and driving aloft takes a solid position, so keep your climbing system clear of the drill and work with two points of attachment where required. Cabling and bracing is structural work on a living tree. It should be specified and installed by a trained arborist following ANSI A300 Part 3, ANSI Z133 and the hardware maker's instructions, and inspected on a regular schedule after install. See more in our cabling and bracing section.