TIL a $25 fish tape puller is worth every penny

I mean, I always just used my hands and a lot of swearing to pull cable through tight spaces. Bought one on a whim after a tough job in a San Antonio apartment complex, and it cut my pull time in half on the very next install. Anyone else have a cheap tool that turned out to be a lifesaver?

4 comments

4 Comments

oliverhernandez2mo ago

Wait, you pulled cable by HAND in those old San Antonio walls? That sounds like a special kind of pain. The fish tape puller is a total game changer for sure.

holly_reed552mo ago

Oh man @oliverhernandez, I think my back still hurts from that job.

tessa_murray2mo ago

My old boss in Dallas swore by a $12 wire coat hanger he kept in his van. Honestly, for most residential pulls, I still find that and some electrical tape gets the job done faster than setting up a puller. The fancy tool just collects dust for me.

jakejones6d agoTop Commenter

Tbh that wire coat hanger trick is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how we all overthink stuff in our daily lives. Like people spend a hundred bucks on a specialized tool when a bent piece of metal does the same job. I see it everywhere now. My neighbor bought a $300 pressure washer to clean his driveway but a broom and a hose would have worked just as well. We get sold on this idea that newer and more expensive means better but half the time the simple fix is sitting right there in your closet. Honestly the real skill is knowing when to grab the fancy tool and when to just wrap some tape around a coat hanger and get on with your day.