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Flex conduit bends more sharply than rigid EMT, so the fish tapes and glow rods that pull through it easiest tend to favor flexible steel, non-conductive polymer, or segmented rod designs over stiff flat steel. Below are 10 real, currently sold fish tapes and fish rods from Klein, Southwire, Greenlee, Ideal, Gardner Bender, and Milwaukee, priced from $12 to $355 and checked this session.
| # | Product | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Klein Tools 56014 Fiberglass Fish Tape, 200-Foot | $340-$355 | Amazon · eBay |
| 2 | Southwire SIMpull FTSP45-125NCT Non-Conductive Fish Tape | $60-$70 | Amazon · eBay |
| 3 | Greenlee FTFS439-100 Magnum Pro Flexible Steel Fish Tape | $310-$335 | Amazon · eBay |
| 4 | Ideal 1/8 in. x 120 ft. Stainless Steel Fish Tape | $105-$120 | Amazon · eBay |
| 5 | Gardner Bender UpperHand FTS-250R Steel Fish Tape | $40-$50 | Amazon · eBay |
| 6 | Milwaukee 48-22-4165 Polyester Fish Tape, 100-Foot | $105-$115 | Amazon · eBay |
| 7 | Milwaukee 48-22-4178 Steel Fish Tape, 240-Foot | $80-$90 | Amazon · eBay |
| 8 | Klein Tools 56430 Mid-Flex Glow Rod Set, 30-Foot | $90-$100 | Amazon · eBay |
| 9 | Klein Tools 50051 Hi-Flex Glow Fish Rod, 5-Foot | $22-$28 | Amazon · eBay |
| 10 | Southwire 1/8 in. x 25 ft. Flat Steel Fish Tape | $10-$14 | Amazon · eBay |
The picks, in detail
Klein Tools 56014 Fiberglass Fish Tape, 200-Foot
A non-conductive fiberglass fish tape stiff enough to push through crowded conduit but flexible enough to glide over existing wires.
- 200-foot length, 3/16-inch wide
- Non-conductive S-glass fiberglass
- Rated to 500 pulling pounds
- Laser-etched 1-foot markings
- Non-conductive, safe for use near live circuits
- Long 200-foot length covers long flex conduit runs without splicing
- Most expensive fish tape in this roundup
- Longer reel is bulkier to carry than shorter tapes
Southwire SIMpull FTSP45-125NCT Non-Conductive Fish Tape
A spiral extruded polymer fish tape designed for low friction, a good match for flex conduit’s tighter bends.
- 125-foot length, 4.5mm spiral extruded polymer
- Non-conductive, safe for live conduit pulls
- Low-friction SIMpull design
- Rust-resistant construction
- Spiral polymer construction handles tight bends better than flat steel
- Non-conductive rating adds a safety margin near live circuits
- Less rigid than steel tape for pushing straight through open conduit runs
- Mid-price point, not the cheapest option here
Greenlee FTFS439-100 Magnum Pro Flexible Steel Fish Tape
Greenlee’s flexible steel tape, purpose-built for the tighter radius bends flex conduit throws at a standard flat-steel tape.
- 100-foot length, 3/16-inch flexible steel
- Includes carrying case
- Magnum Pro flexible steel construction
- Built for tighter-radius conduit runs
- Flexible steel construction is specifically suited to flex conduit’s bends
- Trusted Greenlee brand with strong contractor reputation
- Priced well above the budget Southwire and Gardner Bender options
- Steel construction is conductive, use caution near live circuits
Ideal 1/8 in. x 120 ft. Stainless Steel Fish Tape
A stainless steel fish tape from Ideal, resisting the corrosion plain carbon steel tapes develop over years of use.
- 120-foot length, 1/8-inch stainless steel
- Corrosion-resistant stainless construction
- High tensile strength for pulling
- Reel-mounted for storage and payout control
- Stainless steel resists rust better than plain carbon steel tapes
- Mid-range price point between budget and premium options
- Steel is stiffer than flexible-steel or polymer tapes for flex conduit’s tight bends
- Conductive, requires caution near live circuits
Gardner Bender UpperHand FTS-250R Steel Fish Tape
A long 250-foot steel fish tape at a budget price, from a brand widely stocked at Lowe’s and Home Depot.
- 250-foot length, steel construction
- UpperHand ergonomic reel design
- Budget price point for the length
- Widely available at major home improvement retailers
- Longest tape-to-price ratio in this roundup
- Easy to find in-store for same-day purchase
- Plain steel construction, more rigid than flexible-steel options for tight bends
- Conductive, not rated for use near live circuits
Milwaukee 48-22-4165 Polyester Fish Tape, 100-Foot
A non-conductive polyester tape with a soft tip, well suited to navigating crowded or already-occupied flex conduit runs.
- 100-foot length, polyester construction
- Non-conductive tip
- Flexible enough for crowded conduit runs
- Milwaukee reel housing
- Polyester flexes more than steel, a genuine advantage in tight flex conduit bends
- Non-conductive rating adds a safety margin near live circuits
- Less pushing rigidity than steel tapes for long straight runs
- Costs more than Milwaukee’s own steel tape below
Milwaukee 48-22-4178 Steel Fish Tape, 240-Foot
A long 240-foot steel tape from Milwaukee, a solid all-purpose option when you need reach more than flexibility.
- 240-foot length, 1/8-inch steel
- Milwaukee reel housing
- High tensile strength
- Compatible with Milwaukee’s optional conduit reamer attachment
- Long reach reduces the need for mid-run splicing on big jobs
- Compatible reamer attachment is a useful add for conduit prep
- Steel is stiffer than flexible-steel or polymer tapes through tight flex conduit bends
- Conductive, requires caution near live circuits
Klein Tools 56430 Mid-Flex Glow Rod Set, 30-Foot
Segmented glow-in-the-dark fish rods that assemble to 30 feet, often easier to thread through flex conduit’s bends than a continuous tape.
- Six 5-foot medium-flexibility segments, assembles to 30 feet
- Glows bright yellow for low-light visibility
- Splinterguard coating
- Threaded connectors between segments
- Segmented rods can be fed one section at a time through tight flex conduit bends a rigid tape can’t navigate
- Glow coating helps locate the rod tip in dark attics or crawlspaces
- Assembling segments takes more time than unspooling a continuous tape
- Shorter effective reach than the 100+ foot tapes above without adding more segments
Klein Tools 50051 Hi-Flex Glow Fish Rod, 5-Foot
A single high-flexibility glow rod section, sold to extend a rod set or as a standalone tool for the tightest flex conduit bends.
- 5-foot length, high-flexibility rating
- Glows bright green for visibility
- Designed for the most difficult, tightly bent runs
- Compatible connector for joining additional segments
- Highest flexibility rating in Klein’s rod lineup, built specifically for tough flex-conduit bends
- Cheapest individual item in this roundup
- Very short on its own, meant to be combined with other segments for real reach
- Not a substitute for a full-length fish tape on long straight runs
Southwire 1/8 in. x 25 ft. Flat Steel Fish Tape
A basic, inexpensive flat steel fish tape for short runs or as a backup tape in the truck.
- 25-foot length, 1/8-inch flat steel
- Basic reel housing
- Budget price point
- Widely stocked at Home Depot
- Cheapest fish tape in this roundup
- Good backup or short-run tool without a big investment
- 25-foot length is too short for most flex conduit runs on its own
- Flat steel is stiffer through tight bends than the flexible-steel or rod options above
Buying tips
- For flex conduit specifically, flexible-steel tapes (Greenlee Magnum Pro) or segmented glow rods (Klein Mid-Flex/Hi-Flex) generally out-navigate stiff flat-steel tapes through the tighter bend radius flex conduit allows.
- Non-conductive tapes (Klein fiberglass, Southwire SIMpull, Milwaukee polyester) cost more but are the right call whenever there’s any chance the conduit run is near live circuits.
- Glow rods are sold by the segment — buy enough total length for your longest expected run, since threading a short set through a long flex conduit run means stopping to add sections mid-pull.
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.