Goat Tool Day 19
11Do you need a cable tie gun?
Yes, you can get by tightening them by hand, and cutting the end off with some flush cutters. (Please tell me you’re not one of those monsters that leaves a jagged, flesh-eating stub when you cut them off!)
But there is a better way.
There’s three basic routes here: I deserve the best, and cost is no object. A decent tool for a reasonable price. And a serviceable tool that’s cheap.
In reverse order, the cheapie:
This pulls the cable tie tight, but you have to twist the tool to cut off the excess. Better than doing it by hand. About $10.
The decent tool:
Something like this one sold by Eastwood, nice solid metal. It pulls the tie tight and automatically cuts it. You can adjust the tension with the dial on the handle, but no presets. $20-40 and up. The same tool is sold under many names.
“I deserve the best”, or “I do this every day”:
The pro level tool like the Panduit GTS.
Tightens and cuts the tie, adjustable tension with three tension presets, and comfortable handles. $150 and up - way, way up. Especially if you get into calibrated or powered tools.
Practically speaking, just get the Eastwood tool. The cheapie tool isn’t enough cheaper to make it worthwhile. And it’s hard to justify the price of the pro tool unless you use it every day. Or you’re spending the company’s money. Having said that, every time I use my Eastwood at home, I’m wishing I had my Panduit from work.
https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-professional-cable-tie-gun.html
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Management-Tool-Ergonomic-Design/dp/B01DBEOZTS
- 7 comments, 8 replies
- Comment
A little cable tie history: They were invented in 1958 by Maurus C. Logan, working for Thomas & Betts. He saw worker’s hands chewed up by cable lacing, and figured there had to be a better way. He retired as VP of R&D.
Things I knew: There are metal cable ties, and handcuff cable ties.
There are at least three ways to escape cable ties.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/3-ways-to-escape-zip-ties-an-illustrated-guide/
There are reusable cable ties with a release tab on the latch. You probably don’t want to cut these flush.
Things I didn’t know: There are surgical cable ties! (I’m not going to post photos of that, you can go gross yourself out.) Food service cable ties have metal added to the plastic so they can be found with a metal detector. There are radiation rated cable ties.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_tie
Things I didn’t know that I didn’t know:
https://www.google.com/search?q=cable+tie+lamp+shade
https://www.google.com/search?q=cable+tie+fashion
@blaineg This is not a fashion trend, it’s a death wish.
@callow I agree completely. And I think it has dawned on her as well.
/youtube tire out of zip ties
@narfcake I’m glad there are creative loons with cameras!
@blaineg Yep. Homemade inline-12 engine, anyone?
/youtube Garage 54 inline-12
Also:
/youtube Garage 54 concrete filled tires
And here I thought you were to use them to keep your fender liners attached to your car until you could afford to get that fixed. I have some in my car because I had to re-attach the front right one in 3 spots yesterday. They do break, and unlike another post that links to them, the weak point was not the locking mechanism. Since to replace all 4 is 800+ bucks I can buy a lot of these things for that kind of money.
@Kidsandliz It’s a time honored repair method.
I kinda question this one though.
@Kidsandliz Two thoughts on your fender liners.
Use UV rated zip ties if you aren’t. They’ll last a lot longer in sunlight.
Rock Auto for car parts. https://www.rockauto.com/
For stuff like fender liners they often have several levels of quality and price ranging from OEM or near-OEM down to “cheap, but it will get you by.” (My terms, not theirs.)
Some testing:
Project Farm is a great channel, he does all sorts of hands on testing.
I use cable ties to hold my mailbox onto its post. They are easy to replace, so I used wimpy enough ones that they break first on impact.
The mailbox was originally held together with somewhat stronger fasteners. One of the original fasteners didn’t break on impact and a piece of the post stayed on the mailbox after an accident.
I have lived here for 18 years. Lots of cars have ended up in my front yard over the years. I live at the top of a small hill on a two lane road. The hill blocks drivers view of the road ahead until they are close to the crest of the hill. They get there and see that there is something else in their lane, usually deer, sometimes a car in the wrong place.
The last person to land a car in my yard was a sixteen year old driver. She missed the mailbox, and more importantly, the car in her lane that was going around a truck in the other lane. No injuries and almost no damage to her car.
The last person to hit the mailbox was an ob-gyn on his way to the hospital to perform surgery. There was ice on the top of the hill, but not in the valley. Micro climates are strange things. There are woods in the valley that block the wind. The wind is unimpeded at the top of the hill. The wind was fast that day. The doctor’s car hit the ice at the same time that the wind hit his car. He knocked down my mailbox, but came to a stop on the far side of the road.
Etc…
Anyway, cable ties can be used as mechanical fuses. For an outdoor application, use ones that won’t get damaged by UV light.
@hamjudo “Mechanical fuses” I like that. I’m stealing it.
And, around here anyway, cut-offs can go in the recycle bin.