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[-] ytsedude@lemmy.world 52 points 1 month ago

What? Just put em in a bag, dude...

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago

They came in a bag, I just find it easier and neater to deal with them this way when they get tossed off in a toolbox or the random kitchen junk/fastener drawer.

[-] ace_garp@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

If you cut a small hole in the bag 1/5 of the way down, it keeps them together and you can bend a tie to get a single one out.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

Still doesn't make it any easier to pull out a specific color in a mixed variety color pack..

[-] ace_garp@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

Good point, I have single-colour bags only.

[-] socsa@piefed.social 6 points 1 month ago

Ok, now imagine you have like 4000 of them, which normally just fit in a normal sized ziplock bag. Bro is going to sit there for literally hours threading them onto another zip tie.

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[-] axexrx@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Zip tie one around them all, with the heads up, and stick a caribiner around the loop one. Then you can stick it on your belt, with the heads facing up. Just make sure to ratchet it tighter a notch every couple you use.

Eventually I moved on to these

[-] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago
[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Nice. But I ain't about to buy 4 separate ones at $8.86 each to separate a 100 pack of 4 colors that came out of a mix pack that cost like $3.36 total...

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[-] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago
[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

Or, now hear me out, you could just wrap the zip ties with..

A zip tie! Genius I know, who woulda guessed?

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[-] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 25 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)
[-] TargaryenTKE@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

It amazes me that we still don't really know how they "translate" but still know they were used for so many different things

[-] badlotus@discuss.online 18 points 1 month ago

You can also just slide the zip ties backwards onto an intact zip tie. The lock will not engage backwards. That way when you’ve used the stored ties you still have one to use.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

Yeah you're right. I actually ended up thinking about exactly that after I finished arranging this.

Oh well, whatever. Good tip though. 👍

[-] badlotus@discuss.online 4 points 1 month ago

Back at ya 😎

[-] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago
[-] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

I applaud your use of your free time. Ignore the haters.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

Haha! It probably only took me about 20 minutes or so, and felt somewhat relaxing, similar to playing with a fidget toy. But unlike a fidget toy, I actually sort of accomplished a thing at the same time 👍

[-] RaoulDook@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

Another zip tie tip - they are reusable if you cut the right end off when removing one. Might be obvious to others, but took me years to figure out somehow.

Just don't cut the end attached to the head of the zip tie. Cut the tail right before it enters the zip-tie-hole, release it, and you just made a new but shorter zip tie

[-] Cort@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago

You can also take a precision screen driver or knife tip, and use it to pull back the locking tab and release the entire length.

[-] axexrx@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

I do this all the time, at work, but with a utility knife, or my pocket knife

[-] LowKeyLooker@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

You can also squeeze the locking head with pliers to disengage the mechanism

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[-] N0t_5ure@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

They also make zip ties with a press release for the locking tabs, which are useful in temporary hold situations but don't impair their function as normal zip ties (they don't accidentally release).

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[-] Mpatch@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago

Task avoidance at its finest.

[-] fizzle@quokk.au 12 points 1 month ago

I think every man goes through a zip-tie everything phase. They're great.

I've dramatically reduced my zip-tie reliance with a few other cable management thingies which are also great.

Firstly this type of silicone cable tie:

image

They can be used just like a zip tie, just wrapped around a some cable strands to make a bunch. You can also use them on things like charging cords which are regularly folded up and taken out. You use the end with the loop and knob to wrap around a single cable strand, and just leave it there so it's always in place. Then you fold up the cable and wrap the longer loop around a couple of times and then hook it on the knob.

Secondly this spiral wrap stuff:

image

I've found this to be much more versatile for things like PCs with monitors and lots of cables. You can just re-wrap if you need to add or remove a cable which you can't really do with zip ties.

I know zip ties can be used for more than mere cable management. I also know they're still the best thing for the job in many cases.

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[-] itsathursday@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

This is amazing, you can easily count them too which you can’t do in a bag.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

You make an awesome point that flew right over my head when I arranged that. I know there are 22 zip ties of each color left. Was originally 25 of each color, but I took 2 of each color for our vehicle, and took 1 of each color to zip the rest onto.

I don't often need zip ties, so usually I don't think much on counting zip ties, but that can be very useful if your day job is running Ethernet cables or whatnot..

Countability for the win! 👍

[-] JerkyChew@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

Grab a handful of zip ties.

Take one zip tie, wrap it around the bundle and tighten, but don't overtighten.

The end. Exponentially faster than whatever the hell this post is.

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[-] slothrop@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

lol, I love lemmy.
OP comes up with something half-assed clever that piques interest (at the very least), and they get dragged....

[-] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

Dragged with love ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[-] socsa@piefed.social 3 points 1 month ago

Because this only makes sense if you have like 8 zip ties.

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[-] billwashere@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Well this is brilliant.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 month ago

I cut the corner of the bag they came in so I can shake one loose at a time.

I didn't know how you'd have so many loose.

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[-] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 month ago

Thank you for the tip and also the beautiful picture.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

You're quite welcome.

If you think for like 3 extra seconds, I could also use this arrangement to weave color patterned zip tie 'fabric' of sorts, but that isn't quite my thing. Still it would work though..

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[-] JizzmasterD@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago

... and then turn that strip of zip ties into an Ultimate Warrior costume!…

/s but also don’t…or your dad may need to cut you out of it using tin snips because you pulled them to tight…hypothetically

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[-] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

If they're in a fine bag, I learned to snip the bag halfway down. Just an inch or less. You then grab one from the middle and pull it out like a tissue while there's very little chance of them falling out. They'd have to be yanked by some tool to escape. To clarify, cut the folded edge of the bag, like |_-| where the minus is

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[-] Isolde@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

…Why do you need and/or go through so many zip ties?

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)
[-] Xenny@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

(please don't use zip ties)

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[-] adb@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

And here I am thinking that it’s not such a useful tip because you can’t fit enough zip ties.

Should I be worried?

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

It makes things a lot easier when you're under the hood on a vehicle, hands dirty with engine oil and crud, and you need a specific color to tag wire harnesses so you know what plugs where when reassembling.

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[-] BaroqueInMind@piefed.social 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

This is not a pro tip, wtf bags exist, its like posting "too much poop coming out your butt and splashing back up into your ass? Just shit through the cardboard tube of the toilet paper so it funnels directly into the toilet water" it is an objectively bad solution to a nonexistent problem.

[-] over_clox@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Bro, its a variety color pack, and the bag they came in wasn't a ziploc bag. Once the bag is opened and tossed off in my toolbox, they'll end up shaking loose all over the place.

Another commenter suggested just cutting a hole in the side of the bag, which makes sense, but doesn't make it in any way easy to pick out a specific color. I bought them to color code wire harness connectors.

Yeah yeah I could have just tossed them into a ziploc bag, but I find this neater and easier to deal with, especially when under the hood of a vehicle and my hands are covered in cruddy grease and oil.

[-] BaroqueInMind@piefed.social 3 points 1 month ago

I'm just dumb, that sounds like a great idea to separate specific colors.

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I agree, but not nearly as strongly. upvoted for the colorful analogy.

[-] adb@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago

I’m jealous of those colors

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this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2025
296 points (95.7% liked)

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