Tried an old school fish tape on a tough run yesterday and it saved my bacon

I've been using those fancy fiberglass rods for the last few years on almost every job. But yesterday I had this really tricky run in an old house over in Springfield with tight 90 degree bends in the conduit. My rods kept binding up and I was ready to pull my hair out after 20 minutes. So I grabbed my dads old steel fish tape from the truck, the one he used back in the 80s. It slid right through the first try and I had the cable pulled in under 5 minutes. Learned that sometimes the old tools still beat the new stuff when you're dealing with tight spaces and older buildings. Has anyone else had a job where the old school gear just worked better?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_foster561d ago

Fiberglass rods" aren't exactly new, those have been around for a while actually.

skylercooper1d ago

Remember back in 2008 when everyone was trying to make collapsible fishing poles out of those things and they kept snapping in half on the first big catch? My uncle lost a really expensive lure that way, still brings it up every time we go to the lake. I guess the point is just because something's been around for a while doesn't mean people figured out how to use it right until way later. But yeah, you're right that fiberglass rods aren't breaking any new ground here.