Electrical Industry Canada: Tools & Equipment Issue - 17

HOW GREENLEE'S REEL-X CAN MAKE
FISHING WIRE AND CABLE EASIER
BY BLAKE MARCHAND
With their new REEL-X fish tape line, Greenlee aimed to alleviate the
aggravation and wasted energy associated with jamming and binding
fish tapes when fishing wire and cable. Fish tape is a tool that oſten gets
overlooked when it comes to new product designs. It's a fairly obvious
configuration but one that is not without its shortcomings. Which is why
Greenlee wanted to solve some of the common issues that come with
manual pulling and fishing.
" REEL-X was designed to make using a fish tape easier, " said Adele
Hendrix, Product Manager for Greenlee. " Aſter talking with customers,
we learned that making it easier for them meant addressing problems
with current fish tape designs. The top issue is the tape would bind or
jam during use which would impact productivity and may damage the
fish tape. "
Hendrix explained that the development of their REEL-X fish tape
began as an ergonomics project. In consultation with electricians, they
discovered too much energy was being wasted unjamming the fish
tape before they even got started. They also identified electricians were
experiencing wrist and shoulder strain while fishing, as well as jamming
and binding during use taking time away from the job.
" A fish tape is something professionals use every day as part on the
job, and it's been around so long you don't really think about it, " she
said. " It's kind of akin to a hammer or measuring tape. "
" A lot of people just accept the way it functions. "
Unlike most fish tapes on the market, REEL-X doesn't feature a handle,
which is in part how they addressed avoiding muscle strain. " By holding
it under your arm, which was the original intent, you are keeping the
weight of the tape closer to your central mass, which eliminates a lot of
the discomfort. "
They wanted to design a product that was easier to use, so their
ELECTRICAL INDUS TRY CANADA
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3
17

https://www.greenlee.com/ca/en https://www.greenlee.com/us/en/product-overview-reel-x-fish-tapes#undefined

Electrical Industry Canada: Tools & Equipment Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electrical Industry Canada: Tools & Equipment Issue