A Smoother Fishtape

I stopped by the Southwire Tools booth at the STAFDA show last November where I had a chance to try out a new line of fishtapes called the SIMpul. The tapes, which are designed to be pushed or pulled through EMT and PVC conduit, are composed of a spiral extruded polymer meant to reduce the amount of force required in these situations. I haven’t pulled a lot of wire through conduit in my career, but I was impressed with how easily the fishtape moved through the series of bends and turns that were set up at the STAFDA booth. Southwire says that the new fish tapes are “virtually unbreakable” and that they are kink resistant. The new line of tapes is available in 75’, 100’, 125’, and 240’ lengths and two leader styles: one with a swiveling metal leader, and the other with a glow-in-the-dark non-conductive leader. The fishtape lines themselves are said to provide the strength of steel tape with the non-conductive properties of fiberglass. A 75’ non-conductive fishtape retails for about $80 online. There’s a $3 upcharge for the metal-leader version. www.southwiretools.com -C.E.