little kicker...

[ultramegabob]

in another thread that was locked, a couple of posters were not sure what a little kicker was, I just thought I would start a new thread to let them know what it is here.... Greenlee makes a Little Kicker, it is a device for making box offsets in EMT, Model 1810 is for 1/2" and 1811 is for 3/4"

 

[ptonsparky]

Bought one for $5 from my BIL. He got it in a box of junk at an auction for $1. We were both more than happy. Real time saver.

 

[ultramegabob]

Bought one for $5 from my BIL. He got it in a box of junk at an auction for $1. We were both more than happy. Real time saver.

I thought I got a deal on both mine when I both them for $25 each, the cost a couple hundred dollars each new...:wink:

 

[norcal]

Think I paid 180.00 for mine a # years ago & it's mounted to a 3' chunk of 6" aluminum channel.

 

[ITO]

I have about 20 of them sitting in my warehouse collecting dust...

Don't know why but the guys wont use them, and the new thing that I REALLY don't like seeing is no offset at all and a stand off strap.

 

[aja21]

I have about 20 of them sitting in my warehouse collecting dust...

Don't know why but the guys wont use them, and the new thing that I REALLY don't like seeing is no offset at all and a stand off strap.

Hey ITO I'll knock the dust off them for ya. Those things are handy but pretty pricey and I agree can't stand guys these days not bending an offset.

 

[peter d]

I own a 1/2" one, and it paid for itself the first time I had a bit of EMT to run.

 

[76nemo]

I own a 1/2" one, and it paid for itself the first time I had a bit of EMT to run.

How, what did you do, prefab a bunch of it The only thing I ever thought those things were good for were saving on the underarms if you hand alot to bend

 

[Besoeker]

I own a 1/2" one, and it paid for itself the first time I had a bit of EMT to run.

EMT is what?
Bear in mind that I'm from planet UK.

 

[ultramegabob]

EMT is what?
Bear in mind that I'm from planet UK.

EMT is a tubing that you pull wire through much like pipe, but thin walled and uses set screw or compression fittings.

 

[ultramegabob]

How, what did you do, prefab a bunch of it The only thing I ever thought those things were good for were saving on the underarms if you hand alot to bend

they can speed up a job where you are surface mounting alot of boxes on a block wall, and you are using one hole straps, an added bonus is how uniform everthing will look if you have more than one guy running the pipe in an area.

 

[iwire]

EMT is what?
Bear in mind that I'm from planet UK.

To add to what the other Bob said it is about the same wall thickness as the pipe used on automotive exhaust systems. It is also known as 'Thinwall'

It is available in sizes 1/2" through 4" (16 through 103 mm), can be bent easily in the field, is much lighter then threaded conduit. Another plus is that the thinwall provides a larger ID which can allow more or larger conductors then an equivalent sized threaded raceway.

 

[peter d]

How, what did you do, prefab a bunch of it

No, I just had a lot of wall mounted boxes.

 

[Karl H]

So that's a "Little Kicker"! I'm old school I just use a bender.

I can bend a box offset in seconds. I bet those would benefit

a helper on a conduit only job, wall stub-ups,etc. Then again you'd have

to have two "Little Kickers" 1/2" and 3/4". I'll just stick with the old fashioned

bender.

 

[celtic]

So that's a "Little Kicker"! I'm old school I just use a bender.

I can bend a box offset in seconds. I bet those would benefit

a helper on a conduit only job, wall stub-ups,etc. Then again you'd have

to have two "Little Kickers" 1/2" and 3/4". I'll just stick with the old fashioned

bender.

That's what I said!

LOL

 

[220/221]

I have couple of them from garage sales.

Never, ever use them. If I get a job with a bunch of surface conduit that has to look perfect, I'd use them. I generally don't offset to boxes. I think it looks just as good.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

I generally don't offset to boxes. I think it looks just as good.

I think most others might disagree. (I do).

You probably make more money than I do though.

 

[Karl H]

That's what I said!

LOL

You started this mess!!!! But, I am happy that I know what

a "Little Kicker" is now. I have never used one so I never had

a name for them. Now if someone asks me what a "little Kicker"

is I'll just say it's a box offset bender that has a sticker that says,

"Little Kicker."

 

[B4T]

I did a commercial building that had over 200 (1900) boxes on the walls for sewing machines and pattern cutters. Every offset was the same.. both 3/4 and 1/2 thanks to that handy bender. Even "old school" benders would be hard pressed to be THAT exact.

 

[growler]

I think most others might disagree. (I do).

Not really, if you are running conduit in ceiling or walls there is no need for box offsets. There are plenty of straps made that will allow the conduit to go straight into the connector. I use the drive on caddy straps for ceiling work to mount to the bar joist so there is no need for offsets. No need to put one unnecessary degree of bend in the conduit. Keeps the wire easier to push or pull.

The only time you need worry about offsets is for exposed work and how much of that do you really do? You may do a lot, and I like to do exposed work ( get to show off ) but just don't get that many jobs where exposed conduit is called for.