What Kind of Strapping Should You Use?

Steel Strap:

Other than the obvious shortcomings of steel (rust, sharp corners and ends, weight of a full-sized coil) there is one big advantage of steel over some plastics - the lack of elongation.  This is a good thing, in that it will make one product in a bundle bear against its neighbors quite strongly.  The most common type of plastic strapping, polypropylene stretches too much to accomplish this. The best way to understand this concept is to read about the types of plastic strapping.

Polypropylene Strap:

Commonly called PPY strapping, it is the least expensive and most common type of strapping on the market.  It also requires a smaller investment in tools for the lighter sizes as compared to polyester.  PPY normally has an embossed texture on its surface, which improves its holding ability in the seal or buckle.  This seal can be done with wire buckles, plastic buckles, metal seals, or a heat seal.  The heat seal requires a machine or tool, and you will invest a $1000 of more.  The other three seal methods are much more reasonable.  The wire and plastic buckles require no tools at all but can be used with a tensioner for increased tension if required.  The metal seals require the use of a tensioner and the use of a separate sealer. 

The most important characteristic of PPY is its elongation.  It will elongate up to 25 percent of its length (4 feet can stretch to 5 feet) before breaking.  This is good if you have a load that may settle or shrink because the band will remain tight.  Wood and corrugated especially can shrink in size.  Stretch can conversely be bad in some applications because it will not cause two objects banded together to press tightly against one another.  Visualize a dozen 1" x 1" x 48" items bundled together with PPY with the strap quite tightly tensioned.  You could still push one piece or more right out of the bundle by pushing on the end.  A

Polyester Strap:

Commonly called PET strapping, polyester strapping has stretch characteristics similar to steel...very little -  About 3 to 4 percent for PET.  Unlike steel, it will return somewhat from a stretched state, but very little.  Not like PPY, however.  The big advantage of polyester, is it will do loads that PPY is not able to do.  But not settling loads.  There is a lot more initial cost involved to get started in PET. The joint can also be made with a heat seal or a metal seal only.  Buckles do not hold polyester well.  Again, heat sealing (friction) will cost $2400 to $2800 upwards just for the tool.  A metal seal must be a special one with 'teeth' or serrations on the inside.  This, in turn, requires the right kind of sealer.  The polyester is not yet available in kit form so you have to get a full-sized industrial coil which requires a dispenser cart.  See our B Tool special

Polyester Cord Strap:

Polyester cord strapping is sometimes called 'Home Depot Strapping,' I suppose because every Home Depot I have ever been in uses it for their outbound loads, most, if not all of them, with the 3/4" size. 

The advantage of PET cord strapping are the characteristics of PET strapping, which is the low elongation necessary for such jobs as bundling lumber.  The way cord is wound on a coil eliminates the need for a full-sized dispenser cart, as each layer is lightly tacked to the layer underneath, so it will not become spaghetti without a box or a dispenser. A broomstick through a milk crate will become a dispenser, or a broomstick and a grocery cart like Home Depot does. Normally, PET cord is used with wire buckles eliminating the need for a sealer.  All in all, a very inexpensive startup cost, although more expensive per foot than the other plastics. 

So What Should You Use?

I suggest determining which will work for you using the characteristics above.  Then toss out those which will not work. Consider your usage per month of the strapping, and weigh that against the initial cost to get into the method. The following will help with your determination. I used 1/2" strap in all cases, so the comparison will be equal. You may need heavier than 1/2", but the comparison will still be valid between widths. Here is the cost per hundred feet of strapping and the initial cost:

Steel in Mini coils:  $6.00 per 100 foot and $119 initial cost

PET Cord $3.26 per 100 feet and  $65 or $115 with tensioner

Steel in 100# coils $2.40 per 100 feet and $269 initial cost

PPY in Mini Coils of 3000 feet:  $.89 per 100 feet and $32 initial cost

PET  $.88 per 100 feet and $445 initial cost

PPY industrial coils $.68 per 100 feet and $319 initial cost

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