To stave off water damage and rusting when shipping to humid areas.
One dock strike or lost piece of paperwork and it could sit in an unair-conditioned container long enough for the cardboard to disintegrate.
It is an awful waste of plastic, but I expect the return rate for rusted tools 'damaging' fasteners is high enough that financially it makes sense for the company
This reminds me, I just bought a new clipper and it came fully wrapped in cardboard and paper. Not a single sliver of plastic. The brand was "babyliss" (reversed "name and shame" or you might call it free advertising)
Not really. It's mystery metal. I have my suspicions it's the Chinese equivalent to 303 stainless at beast or possibly worse. It's very gummy to machine. I once tried to machine some little machine screws out of one of those wrenches for a model steam engine I was building. I could barely make usable threads from it despite trying HSS tooling and carbide tooling. It was so gummy that the threads would tear as I tried cutting them. Even a brand new $30 #4-40 Greenlee die struggled forming useable but still nor clean threads.
I’ve got a small bin going of all the small tools that come with things I buy. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it when it’s full, maybe make a little free library of them?
16 Comments
Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2d
And yet somehow, I save every one of those things and STILL can't find a single one when I need it!
PlantJam@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2d
A nice set is worth having. And so is an electric driver that also has hex bits to make assembling stuff easier.
Almacca@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 2d
Why, pray tell, does an Allen key need to be plastic wrapped? For freshness?
med@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 2d
To stave off water damage and rusting when shipping to humid areas.
One dock strike or lost piece of paperwork and it could sit in an unair-conditioned container long enough for the cardboard to disintegrate.
It is an awful waste of plastic, but I expect the return rate for rusted tools 'damaging' fasteners is high enough that financially it makes sense for the company
Almacca@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 1d
Fair point. So it is for freshness! :)
XeroxCool@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2d
Because the bag adds bulk to the tool, helping avoid being lost in the box, and stapling it directly to the instructions didn't work
abbadon420@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2d
This reminds me, I just bought a new clipper and it came fully wrapped in cardboard and paper. Not a single sliver of plastic. The brand was "babyliss" (reversed "name and shame" or you might call it free advertising)
FuyuhikoDate@feddit.org · 3 pts · 1d
Someday I learn to melt and work with metal and then all those hex are going to be used for good.
Bluewing@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Nope. That steel isn't even good for scrap Ford pickup bumpers. It's made with whatever the Chinese foundry sweeps up at the end of the day.
FuyuhikoDate@feddit.org · 1 pts · 1d
Sounds like winwin for somebody who does now how to use a foundry / smelt :D
Bluewing@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
Not really. It's mystery metal. I have my suspicions it's the Chinese equivalent to 303 stainless at beast or possibly worse. It's very gummy to machine. I once tried to machine some little machine screws out of one of those wrenches for a model steam engine I was building. I could barely make usable threads from it despite trying HSS tooling and carbide tooling. It was so gummy that the threads would tear as I tried cutting them. Even a brand new $30 #4-40 Greenlee die struggled forming useable but still nor clean threads.
FuyuhikoDate@feddit.org · 1 pts · 1d
Wow learned something new, thanks for all thr info.
Well... Maybe I start gluing them together to a mega hex or something... But at least now I dont feel bad anymore for throwing that stuff out :)
BartyDeCanter@piefed.social · 2 pts · 2d
I’ve got a small bin going of all the small tools that come with things I buy. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it when it’s full, maybe make a little free library of them?
stretch2m@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 1d
Hey you never know.
umbrella@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 2d
i literally assembled a free hex set from this. i actually use them every once in a while.
Quazatron@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2d
Guilty.