The largest zip tie is nearly 4 feet long and $75

(thedrive.com)

95 points | by PaulHoule 6 days ago ago

37 comments

  • cyode 6 hours ago

    The supersized option in a line of products is always funny for some reason.

    Last week I chuckled upon seeing this online store's inventory of coffee makers: ...10 cups, 12 cups, 18 cups, 50(!) cups: https://www.bialetti.com/it_en/shop/coffee-makers.html?cups=...

    (The 50 cups option turned out to be a decorative piece.)

    • gkhartman 3 hours ago

      It's a shame they didn't add a photo with another object for reference. Without looking at the price and dimensions, it looks pretty unassuming.

    • buildbot 16 minutes ago

      The 18 cup is good for car camping!

    • rob74 an hour ago

      Yeah, it's funny that they list how many cups this coffee maker could theoretically make if it were functional (and if you had a stove big enough, and were willing to risk damaging the no doubt hand painted artwork on your $3000 coffee maker).

    • aaronbrethorst 5 hours ago

      "Product designed solely for display purposes."

      Sad. Although I am deeply amused that it's 'made' by Dolce and Gabbana.

    • lostlogin 2 hours ago

      > The supersized option in a line of products is always funny for some reason.

      Takeaway drinks, particularly coffee, have got so ludicrously large that it has me do a double take at times.

      A litre of warm milk…

    • zamadatix 3 hours ago

      I managed to pick up a 22 lb Allen wrench/hex key for a good price a few months vack. Made for a great gag gift wrapped as a giant candy cane.

  • dotwaffle 6 hours ago

    They're 47 inches long. Amazon (UK) has 48 inch long zip ties for $14.45 (pack of 12), 60 inch long for $18. Not quite as thick or wide, sure... But that's not what was in the headline :P

  • PostOnce 6 hours ago
    • encom 5 hours ago

      Electrician here. When I went to school around 2006 or so, we actually learned how to do this. Except more like a historical curiosity. It certainly looks beautiful when done right. Sadly, nobody has time or budget for beauty any more, and that goes for all the trades. And so, I carry around bunch of cableties in my toolbag every day.

      If only people would learn to cut the ends off correctly, so the next guy doesn't tear his arms to shreds.

      • userbinator 4 hours ago

        Sadly, nobody has time or budget for beauty any more

        It's amazing how ornately decorated early equipment was --- especially 19th century and earlier.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cooke_and_Wheatstone_elec...

        • blackoil 3 hours ago

          Or the utilitarian cost has gone down much faster than cost of decorative. If your bulb cost $10, spending $5 to make beautiful lamp post makes sense. But if bulb cost has fallen to 10 cents now to justify $2 is difficult.

      • linker3000 2 hours ago

        I learned how to do lacing during an electronics engineering apprenticeship in the 1980s.

        After the fact, when I moved more in to systems and networking, I found that flat, nylon, waxed lacing cord, with a small nut tied to the end, was lightweight and perfect for throwing through ducting and ceiling spaces very long distances, so you could backhaul cables through the void. It was a real time saver.

      • kqr 3 hours ago

        As one of the people who don't know how to cut the ends off correctly, how do I do that?

        • cl3misch 3 hours ago

          Not OP, but I think they meaning cutting it as flush with the cable tie "head" as possible.

          • einpoklum 2 hours ago

            That is still relatively easy to cut your finger on.

            I don't know that there's a correct way, really. You would probably have to take the time to file or sand the edges. Which kind of levels the playing field with the cable lacing option really in terms of time spent.

            • gnfargbl 2 hours ago

              Trimming the excess flush with the head is the correct way. It's not perfect, but it is much safer than leaving a sharp stub sticking out.

              The absolute worst thing is to trim at any angle other than 90 degrees -- doing that creates a small knife.

  • ohadron 4 hours ago

    The maximum theoretical size for a zip archive is 16 exabytes (2^64 bytes). It's free if you have where to store it.

    • pugworthy 3 hours ago

      The problem is once you zip them to full compression, you really can't use them ever again. That is unless you get the good ones that let you technically unzip without requiring destruction.

  • jalla 3 hours ago

    So, it's a overpriced plastic strap.

    Can get 10 m polypropylene strap or ratchet straps for $10 that does the same job and holds more.

    Alternately, just loop many zip ties together when you need more length.

    Doh.

  • qq66 3 hours ago

    I used 250lb zip ties to hold down my convertible top in the open position, as an alternative to paying $2000 to replace the motors. When I'd need to put up the top I'd cut the zip ties and when I'd want to put it down I'd put on a new set.

    With California weather and an indoor parking spot I only ended up using about one pack (10? 12?) a year.

    • arethuza an hour ago

      I can't help thinking that people here in Scotland with convertibles (of which there are a surprising number) would probably use less than you per year ;-)

    • h33t-l4x0r an hour ago

      That's a really heavy zip tie.

  • rhplus 6 hours ago

    This would need quite a lot of force to overcome friction and cinch tight, no? Aside from some fun marketing, the problem is already solved by items like ratchet tie downs, Velcro straps or even just cord/rope with the right bundling knots.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tie_down_strap

    • ok_dad 6 hours ago

      There is a pin you can put in it to lock it (there is a video) but it seems like mostly just a fun item with a bit of utility on the side.

  • beerandt 6 hours ago

    Most HVAC contractor counters carry packs of longer ones for insulating ductwork (though not as heavy duty as what's pictured).

  • readme 7 hours ago

    I'm going to have nightmares about waking up restrained in this thing.

  • bandrami 6 hours ago

    I could put all of my cables in one giant bundle...

  • dheera 3 hours ago

    Here are some longer 5 foot zip ties on Amazon

    https://www.amazon.com/EzySup-Inch-Pounds-Tensile-Strength/d...

    • tiagod an hour ago

      "To be clear, we’re not just talking about length, although at 47 inches long it’s certainly substantial. But extremely long zip ties already exist for things like wrapping large bundles of cable. This one is also cartoonishly thick, and features a similarly upscaled locking mechanism that allows it to hold up to 2,000 pounds, according to the company."