TEKTON USA Made Bungees!

TEKTON is a regular fixture here at TIA. We’ve reviewed a lot of their stuff and found it to be a solid line for those on a budget. In todays market you can usually have either affordability or American made, but it’s sometimes hard to find both. Tekton appears to be doing something about that, one item at a time.  Check them out on Amazon.

Back in the summer they released their new line of USA made pliers and while the Wilde sourced pliers aren’t new to the market or exclusive to the Tekton line, they are the most affordable, meaning TEKTON puts American made pliers in your box for a lower price than any other company I can find.

Bungee Cords aren’t something we pay much mind to. They’re cheap, usually made in China, and in the grand scheme of things they aren’t anything we think too hard about. They get left laying on a trailer, in the bed of a truck, or on a boat or ATV where the elements start breaking them down and they eventually fail. But what if they didn’t? TEKTON thinks they’ve solved the problem.

TEKTON’s new polyurethane based bungees are resistant to sun, cold, fuels, chemicals, and saltwater. Available in various lengths from 12″ to 36″ in both cord and strap formats, the cords feature scratch resistant nylon hooks which are permanently integrated and cannot pull apart, while the straps feature traditional metal hooks. There are also adjustable versions in both formats. For whatever reason, the adjustable strap features the nylon hooks like the cords.

TEKTON also claims these things can stretch to twice their original size consistently without breaking, even in the cold. I suppose it’s my job to find out.

Stretch Testing 

To test the elasticity claims I selected the 18″ cord. I got a pre-test measurement of just over 18-1/2″ and stuck it in my freezer overnight.

Hooking one end of the cord to my vice handle and using a 36″ ruler as my guide, I stretched the cord to exactly twice it’s original size 100 times.

I then hooked it to my cabinets at the full 36″ stretched length and went to bed. The next morning I went to work and when I came home, I unhooked it and took a post test measurement. After all that, the cord grew to a shade over 19″ for a total increase of about 1/2″. A very respectable performance in my opinion.

Chemical Testing

For our chemical resistance testing I soaked the center portion of the same 18″ cord in a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone that I use to eat the crud out of ratchet mechanisms. It’s a fairly harsh chemical and should provide a good idea of true chemical resistance.

Again, I dropped the cord in before going to bed, and removed it when I got home from work. Again, I hooked it to my vise handle and stretched it to twice it’s original length 100 times. There really wasn’t any noticeable effect in terms of looks or texture following my chemical test. The post test measurement this time came in at 19-1/4″, meaning after 200 stretch cycles to 100% of it’s rated stretched length and a night soaking in chemicals, the cord grew a total of 3/4″. Not to shabby.

Conclusions

TEKTON’s new bungees appear to live up to their claims. Sure, bungee cords aren’t something we’re going to rave too much about, but isn’t improving the items you never thought to improve the true spirit of innovation? TEKTON may not have built a better mouse trap, but they did build a better bungee cord. They’ve made yet another improvement to their line and it’s MADE IN THE USA to boot!

Check out the full lineup @ Tektontools.com