Just changed my mind about using flex bits after 12 years in the trade

Last week I was running cable through a finished basement in Denver and swore I'd never use a flex bit again after getting one stuck in a stud. But yesterday I watched a guy from Comcast pop through a triple top plate in under 3 minutes with a 6 foot Milwaukee bit and a cordless drill. He showed me how to use a magnet on the tip to find the exit hole. Now I'm thinking about giving them another shot. Anyone else had a bad first experience with flex bits that turned around later?

3 comments

3 Comments

violag808d ago

That Comcast guy must have been doing it for years. I've been in the trade about eight years and tried a flex bit once on a job in an old house. Got it stuck in some insulation and spent an hour trying to yank it back out. The magnet trick sounds clever but I wonder if it works on every wall or just certain types. I'm not convinced one good experience makes up for a dozen bad ones. Maybe I need to watch a few more videos before I trust those things again.

the_miles8d ago

Reminds me of a guy I worked with back in the day who swore by using a garden hose to fish wires... he'd tape the wire to a hose and push it through the wall. Worked great till he hit a water line and soaked half a living room. Haven't seen a flex bit do that yet, so maybe that's something. But yeah, the magnet trick I saw on a YouTube channel where they used a super strong rare earth magnet on a string... apparently it works on double drywall too if you got a metal stud.

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nathankim8d ago

Yeah, I feel you on the insulation thing... that happened to me once too. But honestly, once I slowed down and stopped yanking on it like a gorilla, the flex bit became my go-to for finished ceilings. That magnet trick is legit though, works on drywall with metal studs just as good.