Not all Zip-Ties are created equal

About six months ago on an whim at the cash register I bought an assortment box of 500 zip-ties for $10”. Why not, they’re extremely handy, quick to install, last forever, and 500 for only 10 bucks, what a bargain! After 6 months of using them I have come to understand something about these assortment boxes that never occurred to me.

My assortment basically came with three different sizes: small, medium, large. The small zip-ties will not fit around a single hose on my boat. To use a zip-tie on any plumbing issue requires a medium or large. (yea, you could daisy chain a few small ties together to get around a large diameter widget. For me, I’m not always sure of their holding strength in those situations)

Armed with this new information I have split my assortment into two groups: small for electrical wires & such, medium and large are for structural and plumbing uses.

If you look at the photo of my ties after I organized them you’ll notice the majority of them are of the small variety. That’s okay, but beware if you see these assortment boxes look closely at the count distribution in regards to the sizes.

If you’re thinking you’ll be needing them for plumbing and/or structural tasks aboard you’re boat you’ll be wanting the medium to large ties not-so-much the small ones. At which point the bargain of 500 for $10 may not be the bargain you’re expecting.

If you’re anticipating using the ties for a lot of wiring/electrical and other small stuff then you’ll probably be fine.

In hindsight it seems obvious to me, but at the time I thought 500 ties would allow me to tidy up a lot of things on-board. However I find myself using far more of the medium and large ties and not so many of the small ones. Once again deflating the bargain I thought I was getting.

Cheers,
Island Rambler