Appreciation post for the telescoping fish rod I swore I'd never use

Back in March I was working a job in a old house in Lexington and the homeowner had a telescoping fish rod in his garage. I laughed it off thinking there was no way that thing could handle a real pull through a tight attic. But after fighting with my steel tape for 45 minutes and getting nothing done I grabbed it just to prove a point. To my surprise I ran the first line through three joists and a corner in under 10 minutes. The flexibility and reach saved me from having to cut drywall or crawl through insulation. I still prefer my rigid rods for straight runs but I picked one up at the supply house the next day. Anyone else have a tool they resisted that ended up making their job easier?

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2 Comments

harper_wright2mo ago

Wait, you actually ran a line through three joists and a corner in under 10 minutes with one of those things? I always figured those telescoping rods were just gimmicks you see at hardware shows. The steel tapes I use are rigid enough but they always hang up on the first turn in a tight attic space like you described. That first line is always the worst part of any pull, and if a telescoping rod can cheat around that without cutting drywall, I might have to grab one myself. They must have come a long way from the flimsy ones I always laughed at.

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mary_patel592mo ago

oh they are definitely not the old flimsy ones lol. the good ones now have a solid locking system so they don't collapse on you mid pull. I will say though, you still gotta be careful with the tip piece on the first joist, that part can still get hung up if you rush it.

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