# Klein fish tape with foot markings on it.



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I've already decided that's going to be my next fish tape, but it'll probably be years until I need another one. Pretty good idea.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> I've already decided that's going to be my next fish tape, but it'll probably be years until I need another one. Pretty good idea.


 
Same here. I've got 10 or 12 of 'em to trash first. And I've had some for the better part of 20 years.


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## sparkyboys (May 3, 2009)

i am ordering two of em tonight. just because.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

480sparky said:


> Same here. I've got 10 or 12 of 'em to trash first. And I've had some for the better part of 20 years.


Hire a few new apprentices, they will destroy your old fish tapes in no time at all.:jester:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

drsparky said:


> Hire a few new apprentices, they will destroy your old fish tapes in no time at all.:jester:


now, this man speaks the truth. :laughing:

~Matt


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

drsparky said:


> Hire a few new apprentices, they will destroy your old fish tapes in no time at all.:jester:


No thanks. I'd rather do them in myself.


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## amptech (Sep 21, 2007)

I had a Greenlee 200' fish tape for years and liked it fine. Then a friend borrowed it and said he ruined it. Didn't say how and I never saw it again. He replaced it with a stainless steel Greenlee fish tape because he reasoned that it would be better since it wouldn't ever rust. Sounds good. I hate that fish tape! There is something about stainless that doesn't like aluminum conduit. I have tried, with no luck, to push it through 75' of 3/4 alum with 2 90º and it will not go. It binds up at about 40' and stops. This has happened several times. It works fine with EMT and PVC and galv rigid but not with aluminum rigid. Anybody else experience this?


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

My girlfriend bought me the 25' one.

It is pretty sweet to have those measurements on 'em.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

amptech said:


> I had a Greenlee 200' fish tape for years and liked it fine. Then a friend borrowed it and said he ruined it. Didn't say how and I never saw it again. He replaced it with a stainless steel Greenlee fish tape because he reasoned that it would be better since it wouldn't ever rust. Sounds good. I hate that fish tape! There is something about stainless that doesn't like aluminum conduit. I have tried, with no luck, to push it through 75' of 3/4 alum with 2 90º and it will not go. It binds up at about 40' and stops. This has happened several times. It works fine with EMT and PVC and galv rigid but not with aluminum rigid. Anybody else experience this?


Your old one was "broken in" its going to be a while before the edges of the stainless fish tape are "smoothed off"
I actually like my stainless, no more rust or oil to deal with. Its always clean.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

Well i got something better !http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVd1HU3WoJA&feature=channel_page:thumbsup:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

nick said:


> Well i got something better !http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVd1HU3WoJA&feature=channel_page:thumbsup:


Ha - no thanks.

~Matt


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> Ha - no thanks.
> 
> ~Matt




Well why did you say no thanks ? Dont hold anything back iam interested in your comment Matt .


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

drsparky said:


> Hire a few new apprentices, they will destroy your old fish tapes in no time at all.:jester:


 You got that right.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

nick said:


> Well why did you say no thanks ? Dont hold anything back iam interested in your comment Matt .


I seem to remember the price for that rig is outrageous. Its probably pretty decent for someone that does 300+ ft pulls daily, but Id say that does not apply to the majority of us here.

~Matt


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

nick said:


> Well why did you say no thanks ? Dont hold anything back iam interested in your comment Matt .


What is the advantage over a true tape? The true tape remains in the pipe until it is time to pull the wire, long after the paper that the "String King" result were recorded on were lost. It is like the self parking Lexus, kind of neat but you will probable not use it after the first few times. I can see it sitting on the shelf gathering dust.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> I seem to remember the price for that rig is outrageous. Its probably pretty decent for someone that does 300+ ft pulls daily, but Id say that does not apply to the majority of us here.
> 
> ~Matt


Well yes i see your point Matt i take it you dont do a lot of commercial work good point our company also does residential work here in orlando and they use it on condo projects .

After they get all there 2 inch feeders in them 400 apts they use it to measure there service runs to the meter banks . It cuts the time in half labor wise and is more accurate then measure tape. It adds the slack in the 90 deg elbows and no math mistakes .

And cost think of greenlees $75.00 a roll measuring tape . 
Our guys go though about 3 rolls per project thats money wasted we do lots of jobs every year lots of mule tape and measuring waste in time and labor . 

So i see your point money is a bigg factor thanks for your comments its nice to know what we do in different parts of our trade .Take care

Matt ill lower the price just for you .


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

amptech said:


> I had a Greenlee 200' fish tape for years and liked it fine. Then a friend borrowed it and said he ruined it. Didn't say how and I never saw it again. He replaced it with a stainless steel Greenlee fish tape because he reasoned that it would be better since it wouldn't ever rust. Sounds good. I hate that fish tape! There is something about stainless that doesn't like aluminum conduit. I have tried, with no luck, to push it through 75' of 3/4 alum with 2 90º and it will not go. It binds up at about 40' and stops. This has happened several times. It works fine with EMT and PVC and galv rigid but not with aluminum rigid. Anybody else experience this?


 
Yes and only with aluminum, it does seem that they bind together. I have had little clumps of aluminum come back on the snake from dragging.


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

dunk the end of the fish tape in some wire lube. seems to help push it thru AL.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

drsparky said:


> What is the advantage over a true tape? The true tape remains in the pipe until it is time to pull the wire, long after the paper that the "String King" result were recorded on were lost. It is like the self parking Lexus, kind of neat but you will probable not use it after the first few times. I can see it sitting on the shelf gathering dust.



Well the advantage is money labor time and material saved .

Iam just a old electrician but as a hobbie i invent stuff and use it at work It was a hobbie .

This was one of the many tools thur the years ive made we have one now that has a 150 count memory ,ya just come in plug it into your USB port and download the days measured conduit runs with a Excell sheet its fairly easy to install . 

We just wanted to see what you guys thought and needed to make your work easy faster and cheaper i sell these by word of mouth too EC all over the US mostly the top 100 that youll find listed in ECM magazine . 

Ive got a advantage my company is the 23 largest so my guys talk to them guys kinda and it sells . Take care good points made keep them coming comments .http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt195/stringking/P1010103_01.jpg


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Frasbee said:


> My girlfriend bought me the 25' one.
> 
> It is pretty sweet to have those measurements on 'em.


What good is a 25-footer? Less than 25 feet, you should be able to just *see* how much wire you need.


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I've seen the fish tapes with the markings on it, and liked the idea. But for a different reason than you all. 

Since I ran all the conduit, I know how much was installed, therefor I know how much wire to order, without any measuring. 

I usually have to pull all my wire by myself. Sometimes when the pull gets a little tough, it would be nice to know that I only have 4 more feet to pull.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> I've seen the fish tapes with the markings on it, and liked the idea. But for a different reason than you all.
> 
> Since I ran all the conduit, I know how much was installed, therefor I know how much wire to order, without any measuring.
> 
> I usually have to pull all my wire by myself. Sometimes when the pull gets a little tough, it would be nice to know that I only have 4 more feet to pull.


 
I can generally tell where in the run the fishtape is, both pushing and pulling.

As I push the tape in, I can tell when it hits the first 90, then the next 90, then that offset, then the last 90.

Same thing when pulling. "There's the first 90, there's the offset....... I just went through the second 90..........."


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

The String King has one huge fatal flaw. Overrunning. Notice the man babysitting the pull line in the video, as if it wasn't obvious what he was doing? 

Mule tape has the measurements printed on it already. No String King necessary.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> The String King has one huge fatal flaw. Overrunning. Notice the man babysitting the pull line in the video, as if it wasn't obvious what he was doing?
> 
> Mule tape has the measurements printed on it already. No String King necessary.



Well MD you are mistaken that guy in the picture is me the tool never over runs ever when the string is running in the conduit you hold tension on the polyline or string as you call it between your fingers . 
Thats what makes it spin tension 100 % until it hits the end of a run .

It gives you the same footage as true tape exactly .

This keeps tension on the polyline you can never let the line run free thats why iam holding on as soon as the line stops then you tighten down so you dont over count it keeps the sheave from moving the tool works up to 1000 feet to get it to spin with a string the sheave must turn and must be very lite weight but strong its fiber nylon it will not burn ever .

MD it is not a scam or a ripe off but thats good you really think that the video is bad its just a instructional video . MD i cant believe you think iam a babysitter! Take care


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

nick said:


> ............This keeps tension on the polyline you can never let the line run free thats why iam holding on as soon as the line stops *then you tighten down so you dont over count* it keeps the sheave from moving ........


Isn't that _exactly_ what Marc is referring to? You need to keep hold of the line to keep the wheel from continue turning once the mouse (not a rat) reaches the other end?


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

480sparky said:


> Isn't that _exactly_ what Marc is referring to? You need to keep hold of the line to keep the wheel from continue turning once the mouse (not a rat) reaches the other end?



Well thats correct Ken when one vacuums in a long run we usually keep tension on a stringline normally to keep pressure up on the rat just installing a string or polyline without my tool we do that .


The sheave spins by you keeping your tension on the polyline running between your fingers just a touch between your fingers . As soon as the mouse stops the sheave stops no error ever . 
Theres more to it than your fingers there is two rollers that tension the line and the weight of the line 
actually stops it at the end when it pops out your finger tension is just a touch nothing at all kinda like a fine hair trigger . 
The sheave is super lite in weight like a feather you can stop it by just a touch of you finger .

Ken send me your adriss ill send up a Stringking tool to you as your the one that i would like to test out my tool and let everyone online know what it can do and not think iam a scam . It works great lots of electricians have used it and i know iam not greenlee but use it Ken then will know . This is what i need to know how people see what that video is projecting to the public it really looks bad ? comments more please Take care SEND ME YOU ADRIS KEN PM ME .


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## Jeff000 (Jun 18, 2008)

Hell having the markings would be nice so when you have ten 300' fish tapes and a 290' run you can grab the fish tape that actually has 300' on it. 

I'll order a 125' one here one of these days.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Nick have you thought about an interface with your USB to a label printer? It would be neat to put a sticker on the conduit for length. It could be more useful than a spreadsheet. 
Chuck


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

drsparky said:


> Nick have you thought about an interface with your USB to a label printer? It would be neat to put a sticker on the conduit for length. It could be more useful than a spreadsheet.
> Chuck


Well heres what we do at work we have from 250 to 350 feeders on most projects labels are not used we have a numbering system .

To read each label on a pipe would take days or weeks .

We measure by pipe number you have to have a spread sheet as all the feeder data is a record of each length footage one way distance ,wire size , type insulation , voltage , the fed from and feed to names of gear , the phase type , underground and overhead , we use this to order wire and also fault study records . Shipping & ordering 

Our records are filed and never lost on our job site ever .It takes us months to measure so a loss of recorded measurements is not good .

All gear and switchboards have a pipe floor or overhead pipe layout that matches the bottom or top of that equipment per a numbering system .

When the wire hits the job its pull by number of reel its ordered in bulk meaning multi runs of same size wire on common spools .

Thats why we use a spread sheet we have hundreds of feeders to track and pulling is a cordinated nite mare . 
Getting that spool to the correct electrical room and the correct phase and ground for that feeder of that piece of gear . 

Thanks for you suggestions on what can be added to make the tool better. 

Iam just a electrician kinda like you and it takes lots of finance to design new changes were not Greenlee or Klien meaning iam on my own a independent inventor and my own backing so to design a new circuit or change is not realistic . 

We have a small company were just starting out we have other tools but were just waiting to see how we do with what we have now .

Take care


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## acmax (Apr 20, 2009)

drsparky said:


> Hire a few new apprentices, they will destroy your old fish tapes in no time at all.:jester:


 
:laughing::laughing:


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