Ace Brutus Pacific Pro Line Hauler vs Scotty 2500 Line Puller.

Currently, I have an Ace Pacific Pro on one of my boats, and a Scotty Pot Puller on the other. I have used both products for many years, and generally, both have served the purpose well.

Here are the similarities and differences I’ve found, and the pros and cons to either product.

As a start, both of these pullers are quality pieces of gear which are reliable, durable, and last several years even with heavy use. Both Ace and Scotty are well reviewed and respected companies, and replacement parts are available easily attainable for both. Ace provides a one year warranty for defective workmanship and materials while Scotty offers a two year warranty for the same. Also, both products use Scotty mounts and plugs, both are relatively compact, weigh about 20 pounds and stow easily onboard.

Actually operating these two pieces of gear is where the big difference between the two lies. The Scotty has a slightly shorter boom, which sticks out parallel to the water’s surface, basically right from the top of the puller, whereas the Ace sits much taller and higher off the water, has a longer overhanging boom. This extra height and slight longer boom on the Ace hauler in my experience makes it much easier to retrieve traps when they come to the surface, and it keeps them further away from bashing the sides of your boat if there are any waves to deal with. The Ace hauler is also slightly but noticeably faster than the Scotty, and according to company specs, the Ace pulls at 140 ft /min vs the Scotty at 120 ft/min (according to company specs, Scotty is rated to pull about 100 pounds, and Ace is rated at 110 pounds). My typical setup for when I use pullers is 400’ of rope with 2 prawn traps (either circular 30” stackable, and/or square 18”x18” bauer style) with 5 lbs of weight in each trap and one 8oz line weight.

The main game changer between these two systems comes however when you add the Bulldog Hands Free accessory to the Ace Hauler. At that point, its apples and oranges between the Ace and Scotty as they become two difference machines. The hands free accessory is exactly that, and the key point to it in my experience is it basically enables you to pull pots and drive your boat all on your own. Being able to pull your gear and keep your boat in position all by yourself is difficult if not impossible with the Scotty puller, as you still need to physically pull on the rope yourself.

Ace line hauler with hands free accessory in action.

With the Ace hands free attachment, once you grab your float, string your rope through the pulleys, and put it under the attachment, it firmly holds it in place. Then, just flip the switch, stand back and watch as your rope is retrieved and automatically coiled neatly on your deck or into whatever container you use to hold your lines. It works extremely well, and its not just about being too lazy to manually pull on your ropes.

More often than not, when pulling pots, there is some kind of wind, current, or both to deal with, and it doesn’t have to be all that strong to cause you to drift and “drag” your pots as they are coming up. This additional drag can be significant especially when dealing with deep prawns sets and/or heavy, full traps, and can actually cause your fuses to blow due to the additional strain it puts on the puller motor. So in my experience the ability to keep the boat in position and my lines straight up and down while pulling traps at the same time solo has been invaluable - even if you do have others onboard.

On that point, pulling traps in anytime with any equipment can cause your fuses to blow once in awhile as loads and conditions change. It is a good idea therefore, to keep additional fuses on board, and some folks will even replace the standard 30 Amp fuse with a 40 Amp just to address this issue while using pullers. Once you’ve had to pull a 400 ft prawn line up by hand I’m sure you’ll keep yourself well stocked up on fuses, but hopefully this little tip will save you from having that experience!

Bottom line: As mentioned at the outset, both the Scotty and Ace line haulers are quality gear that will do the job well, so you can’t go too far wrong with either. The Ace system is a bit more expensive, especially if the hands free attachment is added but this attachment in my opinion would be one of the key reasons to go this route in the first place. If you know you will always have one of two extra hands onboard to help pull your traps, the Scotty puller works just fine - and will save you a few bucks to boot. If however, you want the option to be able to it all solo, the Ace system would definitely be the way to go.

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Brutus Line Hauler - https://amzn.to/4bOGNgg

Scotty 2500 Pot Puller - https://amzn.to/4ra4eF9