# home depot



## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

home depot near me stopped selling greenlee snakes and ideal benders and picked up all klein stuff. i seen a lot more klein products there. the orange color looks better than blue and green  plus the benders look to be higher quality


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## electro916 (Jan 16, 2009)

electricalperson said:


> home depot near me stopped selling greenlee snakes and ideal benders and picked up all klein stuff. i seen a lot more klein products there. the orange color looks better than blue and green  plus the benders look to be higher quality



Wow I was just in mine the other day for a few things, they still had all the Greenlee snakes and Ideal benders. I want to go find out if they switched to Klein now and get a new fiberglass fishtape, the Greenlee ones suck.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

electro916 said:


> Wow I was just in mine the other day for a few things, they still had all the Greenlee snakes and Ideal benders. I want to go find out if they switched to Klein now and get a new fiberglass fishtape, the Greenlee ones suck.


they sell those there. i picked up the fish sticks. i noticed they are also carrying klein data com things and wands.


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## electro916 (Jan 16, 2009)

electricalperson said:


> they sell those there. i picked up the fish sticks. i noticed they are also carrying klein data com things and wands.



Are the klein fish sticks noticably better in quality than the greenlees?


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

electro916 said:


> Are the klein fish sticks noticably better in quality than the greenlees?


well there glow sticks look the same but the fish sticks are better. the greenlee ones would splinter after a while


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

fiberglass splinters... ouch had way too many o those injuries.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> well there glow sticks look the same but the fish sticks are better. the greenlee ones would splinter after a while


I've had mine for 4 or 5 years, and use them often, without splinters.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

The trick about the fish stick splinters is to swab over them with PVC glue when they start to appear. Your hands will thank you.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

mdshunk, i will give that a try. I have been buying a new set of greenlee glowrods almost every 2 months as they break. I've been wrapping the glowrods with tape.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

slowforthecones said:


> mdshunk, i will give that a try. I have been buying a new set of greenlee glowrods almost every 2 months as they break. I've been wrapping the glowrods with tape.


I have the thicker (3/8"?) non-glow rods, and, as I said, they have lasted well.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

FWIW, I've made up a PVC holder for my sticks. That tube that they come in lasted about a week, I think.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

slowforthecones said:


> mdshunk, i will give that a try. I have been buying a new set of greenlee glowrods almost every 2 months as they break. I've been wrapping the glowrods with tape.


 
You sure your helpers aren't chewing on them at lunch? I have had three sets on my truck for several years and there isn't a splinter on any of them.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

randomkiller said:


> You sure your helpers aren't chewing on them at lunch? I have had three sets on my truck for several years and there isn't a splinter on any of them.


I bust up about 2 sticks out of the kit per year. Normally the one with the bullet tip, since I tend to often only need one stick. That one stick gets pretty rough after a while, and once in a blue moon I purposely 'sacrifice' one to get a certain difficult fish accomplished (normally the worst one in the pack). I guess it all depends on what you do in a day's time. I have an aquaintenance, who owns an alarm company, why buys them by the 100 pack for his guys to get as replacements as they break them. I imagine that alarm guys are hard on fish sticks, as you might expect. His are only the 4-footers, but I much prefer the 6-footers. Much less screwing around, in two senses of that expression.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

JohnJ0906 said:


> FWIW, I've made up a PVC holder for my sticks. That tube that they come in lasted about a week, I think.


nice pvc tube holder with cleanout. I also made one just like yours. what size is your pvc tube? mine is 2". Yup I know the container they come in don't last for **** and the end cap is a pain in the ass to takeoff/put back.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

randomkiller said:


> You sure your helpers aren't chewing on them at lunch? I have had three sets on my truck for several years and there isn't a splinter on any of them.


I do a lot of fire alarm / life safety systems install so that would explain why I am seeing such heavy usage of them sticks. drop tile ceilings, cable trays and going down wall cavities. My helpers are not good at fishing so they beat the hell outta them..your close..they don't chew on them though.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

If you use them on any regular basis they splinter, just pushing them straight won't do it, it's pulling them in and out of small openings and around to sharp of corners. I personally have mainly switched to short pieces of fish tape. I have opened up the cap on my tubular ladder rack and keep different lengths pieces of fish tape in there from 5 to 30 foot. If I am cutting in multiple boxes and feeding from an attic, like when I am adding ceiling fans or recess light switches its very handy having several in use at once.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> I bust up about 2 sticks out of the kit per year. Normally the one with the bullet tip, since I tend to often only need one stick. That one stick gets pretty rough after a while, and once in a blue moon I purposely 'sacrifice' one to get a certain difficult fish accomplished. I guess it all depends on what you do in a day's time. I have an aquaintenance, who owns an alarm company, why buys them by the 100 pack for his guys to get as replacements as they break them. I imagine that alarm guys are hard on fish sticks, as you might expect. His are only the 4-footers, but I much prefer the 6-footers. Much less screwing around, in two senses of that expression.


100pack.. where??? I'd like to know. you guys are close.. I am a industrial and commercial ec. Fire Alarms and my bucket truck is my bread and butter. No burg alarm though.. that is a joke.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> If you use them on any regular basis they splinter, just pushing them straight won't do it, it's pulling them in and out of small openings and around to sharp of corners.


That's what does it for me. Pushing them through, or pulling them out of, a box knockout is what tends to start the splintering process. A fish stick is really the only good tool of choice for that if the wall cavity is insulated. Also, when you drill the top plate of a wall from the attic, and the roof sheathing is practically on top of the wall, you need a pretty tight curve in the fish stick to get down the wall. Plus, a million other reasons why you sometimes need a sharp curve. Sooner or later, they'll have carbon fiber fish sticks.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

Bkessler said:


> If you use them on any regular basis they splinter, just pushing them straight won't do it, it's pulling them in and out of small openings and around to sharp of corners. I personally have mainly switched to short pieces of fish tape. I have opened up the cap on my tubular ladder rack and keep different lengths pieces of fish tape in there from 5 to 30 foot. If I am cutting in multiple boxes and feeding from an attic, like when I am adding ceiling fans or recess light switches its very handy having several in use at once.


i usually use pieces of fish tape. i use my fish sticks when fishing into insulated walls they go in a little easier


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

slowforthecones said:


> 100pack.. where??? I'd like to know. you guys are close.. I am a industrial and commercial ec. Fire Alarms and my bucket truck is my bread and butter. No burg alarm though.. that is a joke.


I'm not sure, but his are red in color, if that gives you a tip about what brand they might be. I know I've seen fliers for the 100 packs, in various diameters.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

slowforthecones said:


> nice pvc tube holder with cleanout. I also made one just like yours. what size is your pvc tube? mine is 2". Yup I know the container they come in don't last for **** and the end cap is a pain in the ass to takeoff/put back.


1-1/2". I only have 2 sets (6 sticks total)


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> That's what does it for me. Pushing them through, or pulling them out of, a box knockout is what tends to start the splintering process. A fish stick is really the only good tool of choice for that if the wall cavity is insulated. Also, when you drill the top plate of a wall from the attic, and the roof sheathing is practically on top of the wall, you need a pretty tight curve in the fish stick to get down the wall. Plus, a million other reasons why you sometimes need a sharp curve. Sooner or later, they'll have carbon fiber fish sticks.


Going thru insulated cavities, I usually use a long dversa bit as the pull or a fish stick. The ball, chain and magnet kit is pretty cool for cavities too.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

JohnJ0906 said:


> 1-1/2". I only have 2 sets (6 sticks total)


 by the way nice knock out kit? hydraulic or manual crank"?


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> I'm not sure, but his are red in color, if that gives you a tip about what brand they might be. I know I've seen fliers for the 100 packs, in various diameters.


mdshunk. if you see a flyer again, maybe you can post it on the forums. I'm interested in 100 pack fish sticks.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

slowforthecones said:


> mdshunk. if you see a flyer again, maybe you can post it on the forums. I'm interested in 100 pack fish sticks.


I'm guessing ADI would carry them in that quantity.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> I bust up about 2 sticks out of the kit per year. Normally the one with the bullet tip, since I tend to often only need one stick. That one stick gets pretty rough after a while, and once in a blue moon I purposely 'sacrifice' one to get a certain difficult fish accomplished (normally the worst one in the pack). I guess it all depends on what you do in a day's time. I have an aquaintenance, who owns an alarm company, why buys them by the 100 pack for his guys to get as replacements as they break them. I imagine that alarm guys are hard on fish sticks, as you might expect. His are only the 4-footers, but I much prefer the 6-footers. Much less screwing around, in two senses of that expression.


I have 4' and 5' lengths but I choose by the thickness, I have a set that is 3/8" at the ferrule and I try to use them for just straight jobs, I also have some that are just over 1/8" that will just about twist into a pretzel and not splinter. The only abuse mine get are from dragging on metal studs. I also have a non fiberglass rod/snake @ 10' that came from the shop, it's extremely flexible, I see they have more of the same in metal cage reels but I haven't used them yet.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

slowforthecones said:


> by the way nice knock out kit? hydraulic or manual crank"?


Manual. Couldn't afford the hydraulic at the time.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

JohnJ0906 said:


> Manual. Couldn't afford the hydraulic at the time.


I have the greenlee manual knockout and a harbor freight hydraulic. seems find for $150 vs. greenelee's hydraulic $500+.


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

Peter D said:


> I'm guessing ADI would carry them in that quantity.


already checked ADI. They tried to source them for me but were unable to at a price I wanted, $5 or less per stick. Home depot sells the stinks for $12-15 a piece last I checked.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

i love the greenlee sticks. a trick for the fiberglass splintering. spray them with polyurethane. it works amazing then. i have seen the bulk packs of the sticks from time to time on ebay. never bought them, as i primarly do only data and voice cabling. ive yet to break a rod either


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

i found a few 10 packs for you, ill see if i can find the 100 packs

https://www.kleinconnection.com/web...1_-1_15151_19779_56114_10-Pack-Bulk-Glow-Rods

https://www.kleinconnection.com/web...1_15151_19777_56112_10-Pack-Bulk-6'-Fish-Rods

https://www.kleinconnection.com/web...1_15151_19777_56112_10-Pack-Bulk-6'-Fish-Rods


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## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

JohnJ0906 said:


> Manual. Couldn't afford the hydraulic at the time.


Wow you had to buy your own knockout set?? The company wouldn't provide them???


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

good old hd saved my a$$ today. i came up a couple thousand feet short on some #14 and a few sealtite connectors, amazingly enough they had everything i needed to finish pulling wire.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

mattsilkwood said:


> good old hd saved my a$$ today. i came up a couple thousand feet short on some #14 and a few sealtite connectors, amazingly enough they had everything i needed to finish pulling wire.


working on a sunday? you must be dedicated :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> working on a sunday? you must be dedicated :thumbsup:


Ya make hay when the sun shines!


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

electricalperson said:


> working on a sunday? you must be dedicated :thumbsup:


yea im a thousand miles from home. finish terminating tommorrow, meeting with the ee on tuesday and go home on wednesday, so it was a big deal for me to get all my wire pulled today:thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

mattsilkwood said:


> yea im a thousand miles from home. finish terminating tommorrow, meeting with the ee on tuesday and go home on wednesday, so it was a big deal for me to get all my wire pulled today:thumbsup:


I you're a thousand miles from home, I'd guess the air smells like sea salt. :yes:


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

mattsilkwood said:


> good old hd saved my a$$ today. i came up a couple thousand feet short on some #14 and a few sealtite connectors, amazingly enough they had everything i needed to finish pulling wire.


well home depot does have a excellent return policy from my experiences. supply houses sometimes are not that return friendly.. home depot does take everything back usually unless its mixed paint or cut lumber.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

480sparky said:


> I you're a thousand miles from home, I'd guess the air smells like sea salt. :yes:


you would be guessing correctally. im down here in houston, i really cant complain too much, the wheather has been awesome down here.


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