Three years ago I would've told you zip ties last forever, no question. Then I found a pack from 2017 in my garage and used them to strap some PVC pipes to a shed wall. Same thing as you, every one snapped like a cracker the second I put any real pull on it. UV and temp swings in that drawer probably did them in, even though they seemed fine. Now I check the package date before I even buy them, and I only trust the heavy duty ones for anything that matters. Velcro is a pain sometimes but at least it doesn't turn to dust on you.

Ugh, four months? That’s brutal, honestly. I did the same thing for like two weeks and thought my grinder was possessed. One tiny spray of water and it’s like magic, right? It’s almost annoying how simple the fix is, like why do we all suffer for months before someone says “hey, try this one dumb thing”? Tbh, I’m just glad I didn’t end up throwing my grinder out the window over some static. Ngl, that water trick should come printed on the box with a big warning sticker.