Watch This Before Buying Drywall Anchors

[@miket2120]

The Claw was designed for wire suspended frames, like big paintings and especially mirrors. Considering for what they are designed for, it's the best amongst the anchors for pictures, especially when it's reduced wall damage is taken into consideration. The screw in anchors have a love/hate relationship with me: easy to put in and just as easy to strip out the hole.

[@aserta]

You need to have a hanger on the screw, when it's not fully in, it's not doing its job and you're giving the force a lever arm over whatever it could do. The test in indeed inconclusive. Also, on the "pull" test, you could've done it flat on the table with a see-saw type implement hanging over the table. At a known ratio on the arm, you'd balance the weights until it would pull out. Mostly because if you stop during the test (IE if you don't pull uniformly) it's not gonna give you right results either. But it was fun watching you drop stuff on the ground!

[@boots7859]

Jerking on it also is giving a lot more force than that crappy or even most scales are going to be able to react fast enough to see. I'll stick to Project Farm for data like this.

[@ifell3]

Heres a tip, once you get 5mm from hammering in your plug, out a screw in it and hammer it in flush without marring up your plaster. Also when removing undo the screw until it just holds and use some pliers to pull it out 👊🏼

[@marchuvfulz]

The failure modes in most cases suggest the drywall fails before the anchor does in almost all cases.

[@erljohns29]

Most of the packaging has directions to put the screw fully driven then back out to where you need it.

[@Scott-J]

Apartment dweller, here. The 3M claws and wire nails minimize damage and get me my deposit back. 👍

[@legionofanon]

Toothpaste to fill holes when you leave, when it dries you can't see it unless you know where they were

[@sociopathmercenary]

But you can smell it

[@legionofanon]

@@sociopathmercenary if you can after a few days, well it was never mentioned in my move out walk through. I had filled them about a week before and it was never brought up

[@dakotareid1566]

@@legionofanonaggressively poor much?

[@JCParagliding]

I like your video, it was super useful for me, a guy who has never hung anything super heavy on drywall. Its definitely as strong as I need it. That said, what a lot of other people have said is that your pulling is causing things to fail prematurely. When you pull and jerk with your pull, you're creating a dynamic force and the anchors or drywall will fail much earlier with dynamic loads.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

Project Farm did a massive test for wall anchors

[@ProGamerLeague]

Only guy I trust

[@sonorangaming449]

I was gonna say. He's not very scientific either, but he does a good enough job that we trust it.

[@andrewfelsinger8332]

Thank you for commenting this. Why is this guy just pulling. Guess I would watch this if I was trying to hang something from the ceiling?

[@DanielFolsom]

@@andrewfelsinger8332 He's not? Did you watch the video or stop halfway through? Well, saying "Guess I would watch this if ...." kinda gives it away.

[@bobt2522]

This is a great video! Early in the video, I put my engineering mind on hold and watched it for entertainment (with some useful information thrown in). Then I read the comments for even more laughs. You said your tests were not scientific, but the comments are full of suggestions/criticism of your techniques.

[@BiggMo]

Those anchors have different engineering objectives. Im glad you mentioned Some are designed to hold in sheer, some in tension. Once you introduce an angle it’s no longer “as rated” And I’m confident the marketing exaggeration dependent found the strongest drywall for testing

[@broncoramfan]

There is absolutely no debate on norm being the goat

[@GardenreetLighting]

Your thorough testing provides valuable insights into the performance and reliability of each type of anchor, helping viewers make informed decisions for their own projects.

[@demontekdigital1704]

My biggest complaint towards any of these is the marketing. Unless you're in a stud, the anchors will only ever be as strong as the drywall they're in, (just like it was mentioned in the video. Wall anchors do too much damage, and require more work to repair because of the much larger holes they require so I tend not to use them. I use small finishing nails, or picture hangers because they put the nails at an upward angle which ads a bit more strength to them. It's the same principal behind driving fasteners in wood. It gives the fastener more material to sink into.

[@LiqdPT]

If you're in a stud, there's no need for a drywall anchor.

[@lisat9707]

This is actually not for simple pictures. Any parent should know this to properly secure Dressers shelves and anything that could tip over when a child climbs on it.

[@arnoldmarcus3634]

I like finishing nails for picture frames myself, even for some pretty large ones like mirrors that have two hanging points, they do great. My wife hangs smaller picture frames (up to 8x11 photo frames) on thumbtacks which is by far the easiest and least damaging option of any.

[@acupoflego]

Interesting. I'm thinking maybe should used a piece of Allstrap, would've worked nice for shear factor and allow the screws to get tight

[@sarinhighwind]

Zip toggles for everything. hahaha And if I do the big screw ins, always metal.

[@rolandgdean]

The hook shaped ones found on Amazon as a "Super Hooks Picture Hanger"...best for renters...NO TOOLS, totally reusable, and they leave a VERY small hole when removed. They also hold a LOT of weight for their size. Would have loved to have seen them compared to these others.

[@rolandgdean]

The name brand is "Monkey Hooks"...rated up to 50 pounds on the "gorilla" grade ones.

[@arnoldmarcus3634]

I have great success with the yellow 20lb anchors. They’re my go to for anything that isn’t picture frames. They leave small holes compared to most others and they hold firm if installed correctly (pre drill hole, don’t over tighten the screw). For picture frames I use finishing nails at an angle. My wife often just uses thumbtacks and they work great for small pictures. People way over think hanging things.

[@timmeyer9642]

The Velcro strips work awesome are super quick to install and remove with zero damage

[@rashkavar]

One type I didn't see here that is possibly the most impressive I've seen is a toggle bolt. This is, functionally, a bolt with a spring loaded clamp on the other end. You need to make a much bigger hole to fit this spring mechanism, but once you get it in, it spreads wide and makes a sizable platform against the interior surface of the drywall (or anything else hollow that you want to mount to securely. Once you get that spring mechanism engaged, it stays put and you can just screw in the bolt like a normal screw. I used one of these to put up a coat rack and it's stood up to all sorts of abuse over the years. The downside is, I'm not sure if I'm ever getting that coat rack down again. (Which is honestly fine, anything wall mounted with preset holes that aren't 16 inch spaced is not a thing I need to bring with me when I move.) Much like what you said, there's a limit of strength at which you're just looking at the failure of the drywall and your only solution is to involve more drywall - this is the solution that involves the most drywall.

[@liamdraper447]

The metal anchor fittings are goated

[@thecaptainFR]

I'm surprised to not see met Molly expanding Wall Anchors. You don't have it in USA ? (we use that a lot in France) From what I know it's really strong.

[@adamgrove9198]

We have them Also should have used metal zipits

[@mattheworoark1459]

It was nice meeting you at Lowe’s today. Thanks for being a celebrity for a minute.

[@nickbrutanna9973]

OK, I am going to say, for attaching to a wall, EZ Anchors rock. I had a shelf with angle-supports (underneath, attached with EZAs) which had a lot of magazines on it, attached to the wall. *The SHEET ROCK separated from the wall, not the EZAs.* Seriously -- I went into the closet where the shelving was, and the sheet rock was bowed out like 4-6 inches from the wall. The EZAs were holding on just fine. I re-nailed the sheet rock to the wall, added another set of several angle supports to spread the weight better, and the problem was fixed.

[@danielwilliams9000]

First off I love this video, thanks for testing these. I don't know if this has been mentioned but I've used the screw in types, I don't know which ones you used but the ones I used have two different ratings depending on how thick the drywall is.

[@psychorabbitt]

I mean, as a renter I don't put holes in my walls. If it can't be held up with some soft velcro adhesive or command hooks - it doesn't go on my walls.

[@dfoster7001]

I use the winged anchors and you have to actually tighten the screw to fully deploy the wings. They do get very strong if tightened fully but very weak if not tight.

[@geraldf.1222]

To hold up a 25 pound cabinet plus contents, I use QTY:4 @ 50 pound-rated fixtments. seems to work well. (Based on your test, 308 pounds of vertical load would fail. that's a very comfortable "cushion".)

[@billj5645]

I've watched a number of these informal tests but they are always interesting to see. You didn't seem to have many problems with installation but I have had lots of problems with the plastic anchors.. They seem to require holes exactly the right diameter or they just squash as you try to drive them in. Also some anchors with wings require exact wall thickness, if you have skim coated some drywall and it became thicker they might not work. So reliability of installation becomes a factor and I've ruled out some anchor types because of that. If you are installing something like a towel bar that requires the holes in exact locations, and an anchor can't be installed properly, you may not be able to move over and install another one. There are a lot more anchor types on the market. For mounting flat things like pictures there are various anchors with nails that have high load ratings. Then there are the old metal "moly bolts" and the old style toggle bolts. The moly bolts work but are tricky to install. I've never liked toggle bolts because they require a large hole for installation. There are some new anchors including a plastic anchor similar to a toggle bolt where you put the plastic part in first then pull its strings out to set it. There is a metal form of toggle bolt that as you put the screw in it flips out a toggle wing behind the wall. These are relatively easy to install and should have high capacity because of the big metal wing behind the wall, but they are expensive. So a more comprehensive test would require at least 9 or 10 different products.

[@ScytheNoire]

I think the end result is: use whatever you have on hand, or is easiest to install. I've usually used the screw in ones as they are just easy to install.

[@trevcdeal]

Screw Anchor is all I use and will ever use. You are correct that the provided screw is short. I never use them. I always use a long wood screw. It also opens the back more. I have tested many and these are the only ones I never have to worry about. They always work and are easy to install. I just need a drill and that's it. Takes a couple seconds to install. Others will sometimes wallow out the hole, tear up the back and all sorts of stuff. I never like them. I refuse to use a basic anchor. They are just trash. So many bend and or will push through the hole even with the correct drill bit size.

[@ausdeanhardman]

Loved it when the scales went to KG - It then made more sense :D . Any chance to could provide metric numbers as well? So the rest of the world can understand the measures? //I'm saying this with a jest 😆 - but some mm, cm, m, g and kg would be great!

[@terryt2910]

Enjoyed the video. For light to medium duty, I've liked the ones that look like a dime size disk with a finish nail driven at a slight angle through the center. Easy to push in, leave only a brad size hole when removed, hold a good amount of weight, and are very cheap. Also they come in a variety of sizes and strengths.

[@iamjogun]

My favorite are the Toggler Hollow Wall Anchors

[@peterconnolly2724]

If I'm not going into a stud, these are the only ones I use. Advertised at 265lbs in drywall, and I'm pretty confident that that's accurate.

[@rjt135]

This style is my go-to for thick plaster walls.

[@b.evenson8339]

I used The Claw for a wall with a pocket door inside. Only negative is that the top of The Claw extends above the picture.

[@The_Bearded_Jay]

Man if he had a signed picture from Richard Karn, then that would have been a great comedy bit. But Norm Abram is an awesome flex too.

[@Liaantjuh]

For a test like this you could use a ratchet strap (or some other kind of winch, ideally with a ratchet) where you can apply an increasing load, much easier and much less risk of damaging you, your floor, or your weights. Though if you had to use weights, put them in a container (there's an excuse for some quick woodworking), and you can add a safety line so things get caught before hitting the floor.

[@tiffanysandmeier4753]

My house has some weird things, but 1 nice thing is that the wall in the living room has 3/4" plywood behind the drywall so it doesn't need anchors to mount a TV, etc.

[@aprildegele1510]

This was a great video, but mayhap you also try a French cleat system that also uses drywall anchors to secure? How much weight a single anchor will take is irrelevant. It comes down to how many anchors you need to hang whatever through it's length, width, and weight. One anchor that is rated to 5 lbs may be sufficient if you're going to put them along an 8ft length every 5-6 inches. That's plenty of holding power. I placed a 2.5ft x 7ft art piece that I made on my sister's wall. Required drywall anchors because it was only made of 1/4 ply, so as light as it was, it didn't require stud attachment. We centered the piece on the wall and the two main hangers didn't hit studs. Could we have moved them? No. To hit studs that weren't required would have made the piece off-center. The hanging mechanism with the French cleats required 2 hangers and having measured center, this meant that neither hanger would have met a stud. And didn't need to. We were able to use the most basic drywall anchors to set the French cleats on the wall. It's all about weight distribution (which requires load and area distribution of weight ... and it came out that the cheapest winged drywall anchors would work perfectly well). The 3x7 ft. art piece has been on the wall for 5 years without issue. So, using drywall anchors is about using them in the right place for the right application. This 3x7 ft art piece was very light, so it only had to be balanced by two French cleat hangers. A heavier piece would have to be calculated differently, but always by weight distribution. What hangers do you need to make the whole thing stable along it's length? That's the hard part to calculate, especially if you're not a math person. Didn't think you'd ever use the math you learned in school? For the most part, no, but if you want to know what will keep an art piece on the wall without tearing out the wall ... then, that's where you didn't think you'd ever use the math you learned. I love that you gave a demo of different anchors, but different anchors of lesser weight can be used to hang large pieces. It's all about geometry and physics, which most folks don't understand. What I will offer is that if you're using drywall anchors to hang something, use something that takes more weight than you need. We all remove and replace things, so plan for that. if you consistently use an anchor that will accommodate much more weight than you'll think you'd ever need, then that means you can hang something heavier in that space later and it's not going to be a problem. Clear as mud? Yeah, home improvement, decor, remodeling ... all requires the basics of algebra, geometry and mechanical physics that we all slept through and failed. Only to have to learn it later.

[@MrMatznick]

The second pull test that felt lighter, most likely came out with less force because it was closer to the center of the drywall which means that drywall itself, flexed a little more than it did in the rigid area of the board. As such, it caused the anchor wing to slip through the hole prematurely and thus, caused the whole thing to fail more quickly than. It should have. Had all holes been placed in, say, a 1'X1' square and the anchor centered and then each one tested, I bet it would have lasted longer than the first

[@sociopathmercenary]

I love the edge claws for pictures. The day glow yellow hammer in anchors for medium loads. Anything serious gets the zip tie type... Although I try to never hang anything with any weight without at least one or two studs

[@Icantball67]

I like that you realize the carabineros causing issues. I think using some of that steel plumbers strapping with a bunch of holes would been better. You could’ve put the screws in all the way and gotten better results in my opinion.

[@Echo3_]

the screw in ones work best for mounting shelves. put one in a shelf bracket and then put the weight on them trust me that will get you some good numbers. they are made for mounting no hanging.

[@rickqin8624]

extensive and convincing experiment.

[@Millasoaps]

I love the basic anchors. I just learned a lot from reading the comments. I absolutely hate the screw in anchors. They never work for me.

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic testing, Brad! Really interesting results! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@urmastertech]

I've had great luck with the ez anchors. I've used probably 50+ hanging things throughout my house.

[@designstyletherapy1832]

For accurate testing, you need to pull the anchors downward, not toward yourself. Pulling them toward you yanks them out instead of allowing the anchors to transfer the weight down to the wall. The direction of the applied force is also important because of gravity.

[@Drewski720]

Did you even watch the video?

[@bluej511]

Great video. I would try not to drop that scale, eventually it'll prob screw up the calibration.

[@ambsquared]

Personally, I like using the screw in anchors, but the ones that are made of metal, not plastic. Some of them have a tip that can go into a stud if you didn’t detect it and just use a screw into stud. I always use at least 2x the rating for what I want to hang. So if it is a 10lb. framed picture, I’d use at least a 20lb. or higher. Even better if it has two anchors, would have potentially 40lb. rating for a 10lb. hang. Obviously the best is drive a decent shear rated screw into a stud, but not always an option depending on where you want to hang something.

[@TheRealJonahWicky]

The "tension', or pull out strength, is dependent on the drywall and is not the way these anchors are intended to be used. For a tension load you'd need to have a backer board behind the drywall to spread out the force.

[@erichelm4339]

I am an electrician. I use the zipits a lot. They don't fail when holding control panels to the wall. I don't think use used them correctly.

[@Pikero24]

When you don't use them correctly, it doesn't perform as specified. Who knew

[@williamellis8993]

Interesting experiment, Brad. I've been (and still am) partial to the screw in type. They've served me well. Bill

[@jb510]

Another greaet video. Personally I really like the screw in kind. I find them easier to remove and just as easy as any of the others to patch. I find the "standard" drill and hammer kind anonying because I never seem to get the hole drilled the right size, often harder to remove, and of course generating way more dust in the process. With the screw in you could of course use a longer screw with the screw in kind if you knew you were going to screw it in all that way to get the wings fully out.

[@manofwill2468]

Zip toggles are the best to use. Simple, quick, and reliable. Everything else is pretty awful, with the exception of the metal anchors you "screw" into the wall, but only for light loads.

[@manofwill2468]

Additionally, hitting a stud is best, zip toggles are also great for metal studs.

[@johnmack537]

Since drywall flexes as you pull it outwards, and that flex will weaken the anchor’s hold, the anchors closer to a stud will have a slight advantage.

[@paulpardee]

Yeah, I wish the claws weren't so expensive, but for me, the big benefit is they require zero tools. They are about the same effort as putting push pins in the wall (which is the way my wife does every picture) but are much more secure. Drywall anchors are a no-go because she rearranges pictures multiple times per year... sometimes multiple times per day :D If they were half as expensive, maybe with only one of the markers in the box so you could reuse it, I'd replace all of the push pins with them, but at like $2 each, they're just being used on the important stuff.

[@DebtFreeDIY]

Sounds like we're married to the same woman 🤣

[@Heymrk]

NORM THE GOAT!!! 🔨 🐐

[@FirEMSChaplain]

You should haave tested the Gorilla Wall Hangers, I found them about 10 years ago, and as a renter have used them on every apartment and have had no problem hanging a 46x30 wood framed picture with glass. They go in easily and remove mostly easy, and only leave a minimal hole.

[@mygamertag2010X]

Spring toggles are the best in my opinion

[@hungthai1207]

Are your wall studs 16-inch apart? I think the holding rate depending upon the studs too.

[@FakeJeep]

In defense of the screw ins... they did at least reach their rated strength and exceed it, just not as much as the others. Also thicker drywall... lol That said I trust the screw in kind over the push in kind 100% more. I use both for work and the screw ins are way more consistent at working/expanding while the push ins will fail/tear/pull out literally half the time without fail(lol). The screw ins are also way quicker since I don't need to change bits and can go straight to sinking screws.

[@nathanieltube525]

You should have spaced the studs at 16 on center. Those look wider than that and cause flex when you are pulling making the drywall weaker. Most homes are framed on the 16 on center spacing so that is the most common.

[@stegles]

Should do the same test but into hollow block / cinderblocks. I had some shelves fall down over christmas which were attached using wall plugs. So I replaced them with dynabolts, now they're never moving... i hope.

[@mobgma]

if you care about your air sealing/tightness, many do not want to drill holes so the 3M hangers are one such solution.

[@virtualdead]

I need the finale for the shed! :(

[@qapla]

Interesting video ... liked your progression although the results did not surprise me. I was a little disappointed you didn't also use a traditional toggle bolt in this comparison

[@snull11]

Because your load cell requires the screw to stick out farther just sub it out for a longer screw so you still get all of the separation in the back. Then your load ratings will be much higher.

[@Therealphantomzero]

Love the claw yes it cost more but sometimes installing the anchors are a pain even with the right bit size hammering them in etc

[@strangway]

What do you suggest for mounting a stabilizer bar next to a shower where there's no stud available to screw into?

[@DebtFreeDIY]

I think a toggle bolt style would probably be the best option. Only downside is it takes a larger hole. It's super strong though

[@javiervigil2511]

Was this 1/2 or 5/8 Sheetrock? Nevermind you just answered. The difference in substrate makes a difference as well, if you notice most anchors have a rating depending on the substrate.

[@nicomonkeyboy]

Tighten the screw all the way down to set the wings/lugs etc then back the screw out for a better test

[@andrewknots]

Charlie diyte did an evaluation of about 40 different models of anchor for vertical loads. Personally I use Molly bolts with a setting tool

[@enricami2494]

Thanks again Brad !!!

[@grputtputt]

The failure point is the lightweight drywall! If you cut it and look, it is nothing but holes like a sponge. I have patched thousands of nail/screw pops over the last five years and I fully believe lightweight drywall crushes which allows movement.

[@TheTranq]

Where’d you get the beast drywall anchors from? Not seeing them online

[@szabidoki5750]

try the GeeFix Plasterboard Cavity Wall Fixings - very strong. It's available in the UK, I'm not sure about US.

[@bobt2522]

Do you have any suggestions on how to hang things (a framed corkboard) on a hollow core door?

[@craigbergmann7077]

Suggestion - use a rope for each weight, and stack them that way instead of loading more weights on the same rope!

[@paulholmes672]

I guess I will continue to watch you as you have a Bona Fide Norm Approval, which is right up there with the Good Housekeeping Seal. 🙂

[@Dirtyharry70585]

Picture hanger are the BOMB, when there no stud.

[@jonathanwelter]

Don’t forget to add the weigh5 of the scale and hardware.

[@Dracomancer273]

Metal Toggles need to be tested too. Bigger hole to drill, but do they compete better than their plastic counterparts?

[@alanstalker5499]

This confuses horizontal strength (can you pull it out) against perpendicular strength (what can hang on it). Especially as most fittings are screwed in tight so the force is barely rotational but primarily perpendicular. Or do we normally try to pull paintings from the way, rather than down the wall? Most

[@tcleveland786]

for the weight test, shouldn't you be pulling down not out??

[@Busdriver31]

You are having way too much fun over there!! LOL

[@Russianmafia10]

Should've tested the screw in one with the paracord to see if it did better

[@PaleRider559]

I've always used the metal screw anchors. Also, they're reusable :)

[@XDIY]

When I started watching, I thought about LRN2DIY because he have videos about drywalls, and then you talked about him LOL

[@steenfraosterbro3268]

For a short moment I felt warm and included with the Kg. But just as fast the show got metric racist again. Thanks Brad!

[@BLBlackDragon]

Watching those fail, how many of those were the anchor failing, and how many were the drywall itself failing? You might rerun the tests (second video?) with 5/8" drywall, and compare to the 1/2" numbers. I'm betting you see the same anchors hold more weight in the thicker drywall. Except for those metal surface hooks. Those things will just knife through the drywall every time.

[@JustRoy11]

Damn, your pull out game is strong 😂

[@bradleytuckwell4881]

Quite interesting thanks Brad

[@iamspeare]

I've had those screw-in ones pull out on a toilet paper holder, extremely unhappy with their performance. To be fair, I do suspect bad drywall to be a factor there as well, but it was multiple places in the home

[@hdwoodshop]

You should’ve tested snap toggle drywall anchors

[@brandonwelch8842]

I’d like to offer a follow up test if you wouldn’t mind. Try the ez anchors but use a separate 1/2” longer screw and see if the results change. Yes I know it defeats the purpose since the come with the anchor/screw in the same package… but based on what you saw on the backside with it not opening since the screw isn’t fully engaged, it leads me to think if it would be worth using longer screws and obtaining greater shear strength?

[@aco319sig3]

This is exactly what I came here to suggest, not only for the EZ anchors, but also the basic split type.

[@gregoryjacob624]

It would be interesting to see toggle bolts since their package rating is insanely high.

[@ryanokeefe12]

The screw in ("wall mate" in australia) are not supposed to be split by the screw. You're taking away it's holding power every time you drive that screw in and split it apart.

[@dylanwhite6539]

The screw in kind normally come with much longer screws

[@cabman86]

The way that meter is pulling, it's pulling outwards instead of down, is causing the failures. That big hook is causing the outwards pull.