Tried using a cheap $15 fish tape from Harbor Freight on a tough attic run, and the tip snapped clean off.

2 comments

2 Comments

Oh man, that "tip snapped clean off" is so real. I bought one of those for a simple basement job and the whole thing kinked up like a slinky. Had to fight with it for an hour, it was such a waste of time. Learned the hard way that with fish tapes, you really do get what you pay for. I ended up just getting a decent one from the hardware store and it was like night and day. Those cheap ones are only good for like, straight shots with zero turns lol.

rubybarnes10d ago

Actually found the cheap ones work okay if you heat them up a bit first. Run a hair dryer along the length for a minute to take the spring out of the steel. Still won't last forever, but it keeps it from kinking on that first brutal corner.