Zip Ties ?

[roachie]

Just wondering if anyone has found some good places to get ties for a decent price and quality. The variety can at HF was good for the money but I'd like to buy a larger quantity.

Ideas?

 

[Todd.Brock]

Don't buy the harbor freight set if you want them to hold. I have the big jar for 10 bucks, but they don't really seem to be good for anything other than really light weight stuff.

 

[roachie]

I only use them for wires and bundling things for later use, nuts and such.

 

[Mike007]

I buy Thomas and Betts on Amazon in bags of 1000. I usually by 3 bags at a time.

 

[stage20]

i dont know the brand, but my local wholesale supplier stocks more sizes than i knew existed and they are great pieces. they even sell the big wide ones from 6" to 6ft. national standard parts is the name of the business. they have a pretty big factory for this area, im not sure if they sell/ship to retail customers. they supply all the local houses and most body shops. if you go to a box store look for GB, i always have good luck with them. the ones at HF have that glossy finish to them and i steer clear of those types. they are cheaper plastic and usually dont like to pull tight and stay tight.

 

[dittle fart around]

Go to any electrical supply house and buy in bags of 1000. Buy the black ones, white will deteriorate in the sunlight. Trust me I used to work for the government.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I bought that big jug of the HF several years ago. The only thing I use them for is looming wires. I have good one to use when the need arises.

 

[nicksnothereman]

Just wondering if anyone has found some good places to get ties for a decent price and quality. The variety can at HF was good for the money but I'd like to buy a larger quantity.

Ideas?

I usually buy "GE" (that GE) brand zip ties. I get the small ones (4-5"?) for a buck a package of a hundred at big lots (penny a piece). They're great zip ties (even though they're probably licensed). I have a big thing of wilmar (performance tool) zip ties I got for free...also good but somewhat more of a buy in with those.

I don't use that much. Brake jobs (which is probably the best auto example to make; to hang the calipers from the springs while you're replacing the pads) I just use bungee cords; dollar store bungee cords. Work fine. Kind of a waste to use a zip tie for that. I've got a lot of extraneous **** though; so if I can do it with something reusable I will. Paracord is also a good option for "fitting" parts if you can rig it (say...to position a header near the firewall).

 

[Fastbird]

Trust me I used to work for the government.

 

[2oolhound]

Brake jobs (which is probably the best auto example to make; to hang the calipers from the springs while you're replacing the pads) I just use bungee cords; dollar store bungee cords. Work fine. Kind of a waste to use a zip tie for that. I've got a lot of extraneous **** though; so if I can do it with something reusable I will. Paracord is also a good option for "fitting" parts if you can rig it (say...to position a header near the firewall).

I'm with you on this one. I keep tie wire around and use and re-use it for temp. holding jobs as well as tape, bungee's etc. I can't believe how often some guys use zip ties. I always think "they must be gettin them from work, they can't be payin for them themselves" Maybe it's just the conservationist in me.

 

[9C1]

Thomas & Bets or BG are good. Look for a metal latch. those are the best. If you want/need odd sizes the Internet is full of sources, but look for the metal holding latch. Those with a plastic holding latch will not last.

 

[Exceller8]

The ones from HF ****! I used them for signs around the property and after about 3 months they all failed. I'd be willing to pay more $$$ to find some decent quality ones.

 

[cheechi]

monoprice.com

I don't use them as much in automotive as I do in industrial equip, electronics, and home theater applications, but they are good especially for the price.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I'm with you on this one. I keep tie wire around and use and re-use it for temp. holding jobs as well as tape, bungee's etc. I can't believe how often some guys use zip ties. I always think "they must be gettin them from work, they can't be payin for them themselves" Maybe it's just the conservationist in me.

Our offroad race cars literally have hundreds of zip ties holding everything from wires to window nets to plumbing..........you name it, we have it zip tied! We also use tie wire, but zip ties are far faster and we tear our cars down after every race. Quality zip ties hold up very well. When you buy them in bulk they are pretty cheap.

 

[Bryanthegreat]

I buy all of our electrical supplies for my shop from Waytek. www.waytekwire.com I feel they have a great selection and pricing.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I also used to work for the government (civilian military contractor). Can you imagine that?

It's cool because now I know aliens; I don't think they're related. I've had a bewildering life.

 

[ex-x-fire]

I've had good luck with the walmart ties.

 

[Scout Driver]

I've had good luck with Gardner Bender ties. The Harbor Freight ties are not worth buying. They break easily and at times won't "lock" at all.

Scott

 

[Brownsfan]

The commercial electric ones at Home Depot are actually pretty good. I usually get them from the local terminal supply shop. I think the site is terminalsupplyco.com. They have locations in Ohio and Michigan in various cities. The Home Depot ones are MUCH better than the HF ones. Pull the HF too tight and they just open up and fail.

 

[jdcompman]

monoprice.com

I don't use them as much in automotive as I do in industrial equip, electronics, and home theater applications, but they are good especially for the price.

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BUY THESE! They are the worst I've ever seen. I did a huge wiring project at work. We bought 10's of thousands of these and after the first day, when 90% of them were breaking during installation, we sent them all back for a refund and got GB 1000 packs at Menards.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Don't buy the harbor freight set if you want them to hold. I have the big jar for 10 bucks, but they don't really seem to be good for anything other than really light weight stuff.

Thomas & Bets or BG are good. Look for a metal latch. those are the best. If you want/need odd sizes the Internet is full of sources, but look for the metal holding latch. Those with a plastic holding latch will not last.

+2 !

Panduit is also a good brand. The latch is a tiny piece of metal, barely noticeable, but very important.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I buy mine from the electrical supply houses or online through telecom distribution. Ideal, Hellerman Tyton, Panduit, T&B (the original and my favorite, but also the most expensive)
I keep them in stock in various sizes and colors, along with different kinds of mounts.
I would truly be lost without them.

 

[dirtydogintex]

Thomas & Betts Ty-Rap black nylon w/ss finger if you want them to last.
Most others are pretenders.

Ty-Rap bulk packs are usually available thru at least one local electrical distributor in a region.

 

[Lil Toe]

Made in the USA ones from Roark Supply, figure I'll never run out:

http://www.roarksupply.com/Elec-Cable-Ties-Made-In-USA-p/2400cableties.htm

 

[theoldwizard1]

... We also use tie wire, ...

In some applications, a tie wire (a.k.a. bread bag/garbage bag tie) is preferred, especially if it is something that that you repeated put on and take off.

I take stainless steel safety wire (I use 0.041) cut to length and put some heat shrink on it. Need stiffer ? Double of triple it.

 

[Jason280]

I've used some of the HF zip ties, and have never had any issues...they've worked fine for my needs (and haven't had any breaking).

I did just buy several packs (20+) from Tractor Supply that were on clearance, and was able to get various colors and sizes for much cheaper than what they cost at HF. Not sure if they are doing these at every store, but it might be worth it to check your local store.

 

[GTO]

I usually wait for the swap meet and stock up then.
Buy in bulk

 

[James_B]

In some applications, a tie wire (a.k.a. bread bag/garbage bag tie) is preferred, especially if it is something that that you repeated put on and take off.

I take stainless steel safety wire (I use 0.041) cut to length and put some heat shrink on it. Need stiffer ? Double of triple it.

Of course, removable cable ties work well for that purpose.

We used them a lot for assembling wiring looms. When everything's neat and tidy, put on the good ties and take off the removables.

 

[erty67]

Thomas and Betts. Cable companies use and they take years of outdoor abuse.

 

[cheechi]

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BUY THESE! They are the worst I've ever seen. I did a huge wiring project at work. We bought 10's of thousands of these and after the first day, when 90% of them were breaking during installation, we sent them all back for a refund and got GB 1000 packs at Menards.

Which ones did you get, and when? I've been getting ties from them for maybe 5+ years and not every one is perfect but I'd say they have (usually far lower) maybe a 5% fail rate for the worst ones, which is acceptable for the price.

And they aren't any better or worse than others I've tried; you do have to use the right size for the job but compared to the ones at HF/Lowes/HD I would still order these every time. Like I said may not be best for every environment.

90% of what I have used them for has been cat4/5/6, coax, s-video, and low voltage power.

 

[trxrx7]

all the ones from local stores sucked, then i tried some from ebay i figured they would **** but it was 1000 for 5 bucks, they are the strongest ones i have had, bought them probabaly over 2 years ago and i still haven't ran out lol

 

[Danglerb]

I buy all of our electrical supplies for my shop from Waytek. www.waytekwire.com I feel they have a great selection and pricing.

Nice stuff, shipping and handling are very high.

 

[PCO6]

Our offroad race cars literally have hundreds of zip ties holding everything from wires to window nets to plumbing..........you name it, we have it zip tied! We also use tie wire, but zip ties are far faster and we tear our cars down after every race. Quality zip ties hold up very well. When you buy them in bulk they are pretty cheap.

I used to use a lot of zip ties on my off-road cars too. On a few of them I used Velcro (only) to hold the aluminum hood on. A few people thought I was nuts but it never flew off.

 

[bonneyman]

I buy this brand for tying up wires on A/C condenser fans. Can't ask for better UV protection than that!
This source lists a small quantity, but I can easily get them in bags of 100.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UZWAZQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[scaron]

i too typically use the "commercial electric" zip ties from home depot; they work great and aren't too expensive. i also second checking on UV resistance if you intend to use them outdoors.

 

[bwringer]

Thomas & Betts Ty-Rap black nylon w/ss finger if you want them to last.
Most others are pretenders.

Ty-Rap bulk packs are usually available thru at least one local electrical distributor in a region.

Here in Indy, I head down to one of the race shops, Earl's Performance Plumbing, to stock up on gen-you-wine Ty-Raps cheap. I never know exactly what I'll be using them for, so I make sure I always have the good ones on hand.

If I were doing some massive project where I didn't need the highest strength (like building wiring) then I'd just get a big bundle of something that's all plastic but decent, like the Gardner-Bender mentioned.

The Harbor Freight zip-ties just aren't much good, period.

I've seen Ty-Raps in Home Despot, but they want nearly 10X the price.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

I've always used Install Bay zip ties...probably for the past 10 years now. Never had issues with them. Never had them break and never had them not work.

There is nothing more annoying that using a zip tie and the f'ing thing snaps because it's cheap and you pull it tight. It's almost as frustrating as a gum band breaking when you go to put it around something.


-Nigel

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I used to use a lot of zip ties on my off-road cars too. On a few of them I used Velcro (only) to hold the aluminum hood on. A few people thought I was nuts but it never flew off.

That's crazy! We have lost roofs held on by dzus buttons before! We do use velcro to hold down other random stuff though.

 

[jdcompman]

Which ones did you get, and when? I've been getting ties from them for maybe 5+ years and not every one is perfect but I'd say they have (usually far lower) maybe a 5% fail rate for the worst ones, which is acceptable for the price.

And they aren't any better or worse than others I've tried; you do have to use the right size for the job but compared to the ones at HF/Lowes/HD I would still order these every time. Like I said may not be best for every environment.

90% of what I have used them for has been cat4/5/6, coax, s-video, and low voltage power.

I don't remember specifically now but they weren't anything special. Just 8", I believe, black zip ties. Most broke before we were even cinching them down. i.e. before they even got to the shape they show in the picture on their website. Maybe they were a bad batch or something but they were complete garbage. I'm glad you've had better experiences.

 

[SantaAna12]

Anyone know where to get TnB at a good price?