Thomas & Betts ERG50 Ergonomic Hand Tool for Nylon Cable Ties 18 to 50 Pounds

I use one of these (ERG 50) almost every day at work extensively. That being said, the one I ordered for my home use came broken! (What the butt....) But, when I say use every day, I mean, I have used the same erg50 for over 12 months (and at my last job for 18 months we had 3 of these) to tension and clip at least 50,000 zip ties while doing large bundle wiring of wires from 22awg to 0000 awg, and it has absolutely never disappointed in function (that is, other than the one I bought for myself, which again, came with a broken tensioning rod.) The 360 degree rotating head is an absolute life saver and can get into *almost* any spot, and I've used it to get zip ties into some very tight spaces because of that. The trigger is very easy to pull and the blade cuts with absolutely no protruding nub. I've dropped these, I've thrown these, I've sat on it, I've gotten mad and pulled mil spec zip ties to snapping point with these, they work like maniacs. But mine came broken :[ (didnt order replacement will again some other day because I absolutely want one of these for my home and automobile use. Its just too great, I've been addicted to this zip tie gun since the first time I used one. I've used high end panduits and other similar zip tie guns and none have compared to the erg 50, although the panduit is definitely a close second. (I have only used an erg120 a few times, it's exactly the same but I dont have any major use for large form zip ties.) 10/10 would recommend for the professional who uses their own tools and does a lot of wire running/routing. (A/V, Electricians, Cabinet assemblers, Panel assemblers, etc.) And if you're a project engineer with a budget tooling out a department, dont buy cheap zip tie guns- Buy these, they last longer and produce a much higher quality, more controlled product. (I assemble and wire heavy duty VFD's, load centers, and conversion cabinets for a living. I deal with engineers and tool techs every day, the erg50 in my toolbox is as important as my snap-on torque wrenches, and I view as on an equal level of quality- I make sure they know and understand that. However, I had to downgrade since the one I bought for myself came broken... in packaging. Also is a very expensive zip tie tensioner. But 360 degree head and fire tension specs.)

One of my favourite tools, worth the money no sharp edges.

The original make the difference!

Love this tool. It speeds up the wire tie process for me and makes them uniformly tight.

I have gone through several of the cheap ones that work great for awhile and then work not so well. I decided after reading lots of reviews to try this one out, despite the much higher price. I must say I was skeptical but now am sold. Yes, it is mostly plastic but the weight is good and it feels much better than the old ones. It is quiet and efficient and I actually look forward to using it now. I make repro wire harnesses for classic pinball machines and may have upwards of 200 zip ties per piece. My least favorite task is installing and trimming the ties. The swiveling head on this product has saved me a lot of wrist ache and fatigue from not having to manipulate the zip tie gun in several directions. Also, it will grab from either side so I don't have to worry if I install a tie "backwards." I have only had it for a bit now so the jury is out on how long it will last. But so far, I would highly recommend this product to anyone who has a lot of zip ties to trim. The majority of the ties I do are 4" around a 1" or less bundle. The adjustable tension works well also. I can securely bundle two 22awg wires.