should hard drives be packed in anti static bags?

spaceboy

I just sold 2 on ebay and now need to pack them. Is is strictly necessary? I just recieved a graphics card a few days ago that wasnt, it was just in a jiffy bag and it works fine.

Spank

Should be anti static, but can be plastic (samsung drives come in plastic cases)

spaceboy

so jiffy bag is ok? Or bubble wrap?

fwor

spaceboy wrote: »

so jiffy bag is ok?

No. If they are 3.5" drives they are way too heavy and sharp-edged for a jiffy alone. When shipping items like that, I always box them with bubble-wrap or foam.

mr_fishbulb

Haha, sorry a bit OT but I was just reminded of this:

pyrorus

spaceboy wrote: »

I just sold 2 on ebay and now need to pack them. Is is strictly necessary? I just recieved a graphics card a few days ago that wasnt, it was just in a jiffy bag and it works fine.

Strictly you should put them in an anti static bag inside bubble wrap, inside a box labled fragile.

But if you haven't grounded yourself then as soon as you touch the anti static bag you cover it in static and make it pointless anyway. Also did you ground yourself when you have touched the hard drives previously, if not you would have covered them in static.

The only reason I would put one in a static bag is so the buyer will feel you have looked after it and less likely to complain.

Spank

Your only going to have a problem of you touch the PCB, but to be on the safe side touch the PC case as your putting them in the plastic bag (when the PC is plugged in)

bluesnake

since there is no battery, and you leave it good a good few mins for the caps to discharge, you can always rap them in aluminium foil.

Really is as Spank said.

Nilrem

Spank wrote: »

Should be anti static, but can be plastic (samsung drives come in plastic cases)

IIRC the plastic boxes are actually anti-static
I believe you can make many types of plastic "anti static" as it's basically a case of an additive during the production process.
You can get anti-static bubblewrap bags* for example - I know a guy who makes bubblewrap and from memory he hates it when they get an order for the AS stuff as it's a real pain in the neck to make).

I always ship hard drives in an AS bag, or box, then at least an inch of stiff foam or bubblewrap (I tend to hang onto boxes that I've received drives in).
Never ship a drive in just a jiffy bag, it offers almost no protection against knocks, indeed I'm often a little wary of shipping a drive in 2-3" of bubblewrap + box (hence my normal proper drive box).


*Abit used to use them, as I think did Asus for their motherboards (asus seem to use a thin sheet of foam an a large AS bag now).