Over at Amazon, they have listings for two identical-looking Knipex Lineman’s pliers. One is model number 09 02 240, and the other is 09 02 240 SBA.
What does SBA mean?
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In my experience, SBA simply means the pliers are shipped with retail packaging, with a card and plastic clamshell cover.
I wanted to order Knipex 9.5″ lineman’s pliers for a comparison, and went with the non-SBA model. I did the same for long-nose pliers. The lineman’s pliers arrived with a simply open plastic sleeve, and the long nose pliers arrived wrapped in ultra-sticky and deflated bubble wrap. I’m guessing the oil decomposed things a little?
Some Knipex tools ship in a simple cardstock box.
For certain tools, retail packaging might be a way to avoid shipping damages.
Sometimes, you don’t have a choice. Other times, the model with retail packaging is a little less expensive. It’s not a great example, but the SBA version of Knipex’s electrician’s pliers are around 20 cents less expensive than what I’d describe as the “bulk packaging” version.
For the lineman’s pliers, the bulk packaging version is a couple of dollars less expensive than the pliers packaged for retail. I chose to save a couple of bucks and get the bulk-packaging version. It arrived today and seems to be intact.
Maybe you already knew all this, but if not, maybe it’ll save you a couple of dollars someday.
Stacey says
Never knew that but I always get the cheapest, if they look the same, unless the cheaper one is sold by a badly rated seller. I hate dealing with returns and knuckleheads…
Tom says
That type of bulk packaging is common in a lot of industrial channels where hand tools aren’t commonly stocked on a wall or shelf. If it saves me money and reduces the overall environmental impact then I’m all for it.
fred says
Bulk packaging was once more the norm rather than the exception. But hey – until they invented cardboard boxes lot of goods were shipped packed in barrels with sawdust. It is too bad (for the bulk buyer) that Amazon’s pricing model does not provide volume discounts. So if you want to buy 25 of these pliers – you get stuck with Amazon’s built in (free) shipping costs based on a single unit purchase.
Toolfreak says
I’ve ordered the SBA versions, even from retail sites where the product listing specifically stated “in retail packaging” and still received bulk packaged pliers in nothing more than a thin baggie. Sometimes drop shipped directly from the Knipex warehouse.
I’ve received them in the bags, in the cardboard boxes, on the plastic hangers, and sometimes even just wrapped in the same brown paper they use to fill the rest of the cardboard shipping box with.
Thankfully I’ve always received the correct pliers that I ordered, going by the part number, but it’s a luck of the draw as to what packaging you get when you order online from anywhere, whether it’s marked SBA or “in retail packaging”.
Not that I really care that much what packaging I get, though the box or bag is fine and less waste and hassle than the plastic hangers. What I really care about is that the pliers are new and undamaged, that the jaws are aligned correctly, and the handles are installed correctly.
Fazal Majid says
Doesn’t SBA men “Sold By Amazon”?
Stuart says
No?
Home Depot (here’s a link) and other retailers also have “SBA” versions.
Big Richard says
There is a product designation SB that is short hand for a very long German word that translates to “self packaged”, or something similar. They are sold in Europe and abroad. The SBA is the same, but the A is to designate that it is meant for North America and has English, Spanish, French languages on it.
At least that’s what I recall from years ago.
Edwin says
Selbstbedienungsverpackung which is german for self service packaging
Stuart says
Thank you! I played with Google translate for a couple of minutes unsuccessfully trying to reverse-translate the proper expression.