Swapped to a fish tape reel attachment last week for a big job downtown

I was running 6 cat6 lines through a drop ceiling in an old office building on Main St. The first two pulls were a nightmare getting snagged on every joist. Then I grabbed a reel attachment for my fish tape and the next 4 runs went smooth in under 15 minutes each. Has anyone else tried those attachments for bigger jobs or are you still doing the old tape and pull method?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin4891mo ago

yeah those reel attachments are a game changer once you figure out the right tension. I had a similar job in a warehouse running 10 cables and it saved me from wanting to throw the tape through a window. just make sure you dont let the reel spin loose or you'll end up with a birds nest of tape you gotta untangle.

the_charles1mo ago

honestly those reel attachments are overrated. id rather deal with a little tape tangling than have to babysit a reel that wants to take off like a runaway lawnmower every time i pull a cable. plus the tension thing is a pain to dial in right, half the time you end up fighting it more than just hand pulling. i did a 12 cable run in an open ceiling last week and just used a buddy to feed while i pulled, zero issues. reels just add another point of failure when you could be using your hands and paying attention.