It seems that as soon as you make something fool-proof, they come out with a better fool.
I’ve never seen a convincing explanation of the little holes in most metal boxes. Vague “Aid to manufacturing” answers seem incomplete at best.
These little holes have proven useful (on older boxes) for anchoring grounding pigtail screws. On rare occasions they’ve been useful for mounting the boxes. (Let’s not re-open the debate over screw types here!)
On their ‘minus’ side of the ledger, the holes have let in all sorts of problems. I’ve seen the boxes fill with metal shavings when mounted near metalworking tools. I’ve found spiders, wasps, and other vermin happily at home within. Many times I’ve found the boxes filled with sawdust. Once I found the holes used to tie off a grounding pigtail. Steel wires have been laced through the holes to mount the boxes in place.
Personally, I find the whole “wrap your devices” debate to be entertaining. Of all the details in mounting receptacles — pigtail length, insulation stripping, wire attachment, packing wires into the box, etc. — wrapping is the last of my concerns. Yet ours is a market that answers customer demand, and that someone sees enough market to develop a purpose-made product is proof that capitalism isn’t completely dead.
No matter. If past experience is any guide, I predict electrical and home inspection fora will see not only a revival of the “to wrap or not” debate, but that there will be ID-10-T’s who assert wrapping is mandatory, and you’re required to use the manufactured product.
