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Pro tip: a cheap fish tape reel can ruin your whole afternoon if you don't check the rivets first
I was running coax through a tight attic crawl space in a split level over in Oakdale last week. Pulled out my old steel fish tape that I've had for maybe 6 years and halfway through the third run the reel just locked up. Turns out a rivet on the side had worked itself loose and jammed the spool. Had to cut the tape, re-terminate both ends, and crawl back out to grab a backup. Cost me an extra 45 minutes on a job that was supposed to be done by noon. Checked the other reels in my van and two more had loose rivets. Now I give every reel a quick spin and a wiggle before I start the day. Anyone else had a tool fail at the worst possible moment like this?
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margaret_kim1329d ago
You know what nobody's talking about is how cheap fish tapes can actually make you lazy about maintenance. I had a Klein tape fail on me two summers ago because the rivets were loose from the factory. Now I take 30 seconds every Monday to wipe down the tape with a rag and check each rivet with a flathead screwdriver. It's not about the brand even, it's about treating the tool like a piece of safety gear instead of just a spool of wire. I also started keeping a spare tape in a different bag so I'm not reaching for a backup that sat in the same van for a year. That Oakdale attic sounds miserable by the way, had a similar crawl in Maplewood and swore I'd never work that neighborhood again.
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amy_murphy8529d agoMost Upvoted
The "treating the tool like a piece of safety gear" part REALLY got me. That's EXACTLY what changed for me after I had a tape snap mid-pull and whiplash nearly took my eye out. Now I do the same thing but with my gloves on because I'm paranoid about getting cut again. Your spare tape in a different bag idea is smart too, I got a cheap one from a hardware store just to have as a backup but it bent on the second job. Also I feel you on that Maplewood crawl, I did one in South St. Paul where the homeowner had stored Christmas decorations in the attic and I spent more time moving boxes than pulling wire.
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