The Best Drywall Anchor Plug Inserts // Tested 2023

This is my second drywall anchor testing video and again I’ll be showing exactly which is the best.
When you can’t attach directly to a stud in your wall the next best option is a drywall anchor plug insert. It doesn’t matter if you’re hanging a new big screen tv or a piece of artwork, you want to use the strongest built anchor while doing the least damage to your wall. I’ll even cover which one works best for plaster.
In this video I test how many pounds each anchor can hold before it begins to fail and show how they operate inside the wall. This will hopefully allow you to choose the best anchor for any specific use.
Anchors Used:
Ez Anchor
Hollow Wall Anchor by Paulin
Wall Claw
Snap Toggle by Toggler
Toggle Bolt by Paulin
PlasPlugs
For more visit www.Toolsthatbuild.com
Or @toolsthatbuild on Instagram

[@MsDunkin123]

Excellent! Nice and succinct!!!! Thanks

[@vinberube136]

Nice work man! It's always a good day when the #1 winner in these tests is your go-to.

[@billradke3617]

Great video. Great comparison. I was looking to see what new anchors were out there. We've been using the Toggler for some time with great success. Most of what we use it for is shelving standards, and tv mounts when we can't find a stud. Installed over 500 of these and have yet to have one fail. We used to use the old school toggle. The Toggler makes it so much easier. Thanks again

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Appreciate it, it’s a great anchor for that purpose l. Glad to hear it’s working out for you.

[@jr42a1]

Togglers/snap toggle anchors are the best as they can also be reused once installed as maybe taking a device down and wanting to rehang it in the same spot. Not only are they beasts but once set can be reused as the plastic retainer holds the butterfly in the wall for reuse.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Great point!

[@mngarrison]

I live in a 110 year old house in New England with plaster and lathe walls, the snap toggles were the only thing that worked!

[@turtlewalzer]

Just found your channel. Nice to see more testing sites for construction.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Thanks I do my best

[@durraaltai2669]

Wonderful Video. Nicely Done.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Thank you

[@danielkhan8260]

Wicked video bro loved it

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Thank you I appreciate that

[@BrendonKing]

For my professional AV installs I like the toggle bolts. It’s well worth the price and peace of mind.

[@soundman6645]

dude, try the expanding anchors, especially if you can get the tool. so many advantages. . With the flat screens being a lot lighter than thery where only a few years ago. hanging small to medium screens flat to the wall is definitely doable with a hand full of these. . they are also good for mounting equipment boxes, wall controls and keypads . I will often use them as a seconday fastener on bigger screens. I'll get a few coach bolts or some other anchor to take most of the weight and use a couple of expanding plasterboard anchors, to hold the corners down and for a bit more stability where there is no stud. . one big advantage is they can be used over and over again, because the anchor stays put when you take the screw out.

[@salukikev]

This is a helpful video but some critical specs on my agenda are wall thickness and removability which varies among your examples. If you wanted a seasonal/removable feature attached your wall- many of these will leave an anchor, and others drop a component behind the wall if removed and some are hit or miss depending on how secured your hardware becomes. Also, my walls are particularly challenging as they are 1" thick. At least one of the molly bolts you tested appeared to be designed for a thicker wall and so secured with an un-naturally high bend. YMMV. Thanks for posting & testing!

[@chodge8366]

i have used 1-3. several times. I have install cabinets with #1 when They didnt land on a stud. I also use #3 metal version which is also very good

[@tundrwd]

When you say #1-3, are you referring to the ranging or the order in which they were shown in the video? Thanks

[@JohnFitzMusic]

Great video!

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Thank you

[@JohnFitzMusic]

I was wondering, if I don’t have a drill, is it absolutely necessary to make a hole first for the anchor you used at 2:40? Could I use a nail or something or just hammer the anchor through?

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@JohnFitzMusic manufacturer recommends pre drilling for that particular anchor. I would at the very least use a nail and rotate it to make a small hole but it is a fairly sturdy hanger that would probably go in with a hammer and a smaller hole than the recommended drilled size.

[@MandyAmelia]

This was amazing! Thank u!

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Hope it helps!

[@SanazaInterro]

number 2 made me so happy and i cant explain why

[@roxannegreen1181]

Lol I was on number 3 😂

[@SanazaInterro]

@@roxannegreen1181 IM SO GLAD YOU responded to my comment i was looking for the video again and i couldnt find it lol

[@photerm7320]

Overall EZ anchor is my top choice. This is a good video to confirm the performance of each anchor.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Thank you!

[@soundman6645]

These days, my preference is the metal expanding anchor. Yes there is a tool, for them that makes them far easier and faster to instal. . These come in a variety of sizes. It is very important to select the correct length, for the thickness of wall board. The better versions have a wide length range. . I carry a wide variety of these. The quality brand name versions do work better, than the generic versions. . Of course the bigger versions will carry more weight than the smaller ones. . Another big advantahe of these is that thay can be installed in a variety of different boards and where there is something behind the plaster board, such as a metal stud, some sort of board or bracing sheet or even sheet metal. If you can drill thru it, these anchors will work well. . I have installed my share of the screw in anchors. Here in AU they come on both plastic and metal versions. They can work very well. These can work quite badly if not installed with care, particularly when installed with a power screw driver. . I have not used spring toggles for many years, they are an uggly pain in the kneck. . In my over 40 years in the trade I have used many anchors, these days the metal expanding anchor is definitely my preference.

[@MKBergamot]

THANK YOU

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Hope it helps

[@feelingtardy]

i have a love/hate with the 3/16 snaptoggles. i get plenty of them that just don't thread. the 1/4 seem to work smoother for me. now i pre thread the bolt to make sure it starts.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

That’s really good info

[@dfree86]

I need to install a 140lb floating console on a wall about 2 feet off the ground. It hangs on a simple long bracket with holes every inch that gets mounted to the wall. Normally I'd have put plywood in the wall to hold up the console but we had to pivot after we closed up the wall following renovation and now I don't want to open the wall again in the finished space. Question: will these 3/16" heavy duty togglers (your #1 pick here!) be enough to support weight of the console, 48" TV, and whatever goes in the drawers? The wall has 4 or 5 steel studs (25 gauge) in it. I was thinking 8-10 bolts, one in each stud and one in the drywall spaced between the studs. According to the box you can use these toggle bolts through both sheetrock and steel studs. I figure if I put in about 8-10 evenly spaced out, half in wall board and half in wallboard + stud, that's a lot of hanging power and per the specs given above would be putting about 20-30 lbs of pressure on each individual toggle (when adding weight of TV). At the same time, conceptually, I just have a hard time imagining how wallboard, studs, and toggle can hold up that much. What do you think? Thanks!

[@teresamartini10]

Thank you! great stuff. I guess any of these is good for a lathe and plaster wall? Many thanks

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Thanks, covered it at the end but you need a metal expanding anchor for plaster walls just make sure it’s meant for the right thickness.

[@ModGladBlock3.0]

Thank you for this video Your a time and a life saver chief thank you

[@tita-finita]

i have a question..I just bought a plastic white wall ledge. Its 18" and can hold up to 5lbs. The anchors that came with it are horrible. Made of plastic with the metal screws and it makes the shelf sag. In your opinion what would be the best anchor to use?

[@catalindeluxus8545]

Love the speed, what haooena behind the drywall, as we as the tests. Suggestion to alps include the rating during each test, and at the end of the video, like Project Farm. Cheers

[@catalindeluxus8545]

Also, the rated weights should be similar, otherwise the percent difference is more relevant. Ie if an anchor rated at 35 lbs breaks at 40 its better than one rated for 75 that breaks at 80. Same 5lbs, huge percent difference

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@catalindeluxus8545 percentage is a good idea. I do comment on each one’s rating it’s just not on screen as the rating doesn’t matter really since the test is a more accurate representation. There’s only so many anchors on the market and between my two videos I touch on majority of the consumer available ones. Finding ones with similar ratings would be a short video. I instead select all the same size of anchors and let the ratings show in the testing.

[@Kato414]

I wish people would test pull-out strength perpendicular to the face of the drywall. I think that is relevant too, and is likely to be a more useful measure for differentiating between anchor designs. When you're pulling the fastener parallel to the face of the drywall, at some point the fastener / anchor is just going to plow through the drywall as you've shown, and it seems like the force it would take to do that is a mere function of the strength of the drywall itself and the diameter of the anchor.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

The perpendicular force you’re asking for isn’t a very common pull on drywall anchors, it’s pretty much just shelving and if you’re hanging something heavy from a ceiling which isn’t a common use case. The anchors tested all got different strengths by how they grab or apply themselves to the drywall. The ones that spread bigger or grab on harder usually have a higher holding strength. In the majority of scenarios the way the anchors were tested will be how they fail.

[@Stringsmith]

Not one anchor failed. The drywall fails depending on the size of the part of the anchor that is behind the drywall. It is rated at 60 lbs per square inch. Multiple anchors spread the load so long as they are not too close together. drywall comes in 1/4, 3/8. /2, and 5/8 and be stronger per thickness.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@Stringsmith all correct basically what I said but none the less correct. That being said some of the anchors did in fact snap before the drywall failed so they did indeed fail.

[@Trial-Run]

We are adding shelves in our kitchen and of course, the J brackets don't line up with the studs, after watching this I am still torn on which to buy. We will be putting dishes (heavy plates etc) on them

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Tbh I would check for other solutions for something really heavy being on a shelf. A shelf leavers against the wall obviously which increases the load on the anchor. You can’t hit any studs or use a long bracket?

[@donaldclark292]

Wat size screws are u for the TOGGLER

[@LilSaint001100]

some of these can be angled to benefit application. Like the 2 sided ones either up and down strength or side to side.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Your relying on the additional surface area of the drywall increasing the breaking strength. That isn’t the case. The anchors will fail at the same strength. You could actually lower the breaking strength by angling the anchor by making the hole larger or preventing the anchor from completely expanding/grabbing inside the wall.

[@LilSaint001100]

@@ToolsThatBuild oh i see. Cool cool

[@lamiaaleisa7133]

Hello I'm trying to install a floating shelf with the only available option is for it to be through a very thin sheet of dry wall, there's three shelf mount points with two screws each, and they are evenly distributed, which anchor do you think will support the weight of the shelf without breaking through the drywall?

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Hey what dimensions is the shelf and roughly how much weight will it be holding?

[@wraithbabes]

Great video really insightful! However I think the snap toggle bolt requires a 1/2 inch hole and not a 1/4 inch as you stated, in order to insert the snap toggle. Thanks for the informative video!

[@ToolsThatBuild]

As long as it fully inserts and fully deploys the size of the hole is irrelevant. The more drywall you can leave intact the more strength the anchor will have and the easier it will be to patch the hole in the future if needed.

[@wraithbabes]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXSUi6iuqr9lhrc Drill a 1/2" diameter hole

[@305heat_]

Over drilled a large anchor screw (the white one). Left a large hole but still need the space . Now what? Can I stick the screw with the wings in the existing hole and use it was you’ve instructed? Thx

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Yes you can use an anchor that requires the bigger hole like the toggle anchor

[@bsfbestshortfilmsonyoutube]

30 kg Heavy Mirror hanging off hollow dry wall? what should I use ?

[@uncrunch398]

I have a pack of the Wall Claws. Not sure how much it matters for this test, it includes an instruction to have the arrow pointed up, so the tip points up when the screw is put in. Would _it_ make a stronger hold if its hole is pre-drilled?

[@ToolsThatBuild]

The claw orientation wouldn’t matter much, the package is assuming the pull will be downward so the claw being up will give the least pull out but the failure point of the plastic is the same. I tried many times to install the wall claw as directed using just a hammer but they continually bent. In the video I had to pre drill before hammering it in. Using them some more for lighter things I have always had to pre drill also.

[@uncrunch398]

@@ToolsThatBuild I'm glad the holes are already where I need them. To put a towel rod back where it was pulled off.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@uncrunch398 gotta love when things just work out like that

[@CHAOSMOVEMENT]

Where are you getting these Paulin hollow anchors? I looked them up and they are only available in Canada and the UK.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

I’m located in Canada so that may be why

[@daliaxsalazar]

For the snap togglers, would you think they are strong enough to hold a 75inch flat screen? I purchased the 110 lbs version…however in the instructions it has a warning. That it only holds 40lbs. So I got confused. As to how to read the weight limitation correctly. TIA

[@ToolsThatBuild]

What type of mount is it? Are you able to hit any studs or are you relying strictly on snap toggles for the tv?

[@daliaxsalazar]

@@ToolsThatBuild a stand still mount (it will not be moving). I unfortunately did not find any studs in the area desired.

[@daliaxsalazar]

@@ToolsThatBuild so I was wondering if i should go back and get snap toggles that have a higher weight limit. Thank you so much for responding!

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@daliaxsalazar a snap toggle is the best anchor you can use for your application. I would be cautious to hang something of that value on anchors alone. The best solution would be to span the studs with a small board (could be decorative looking) behind the tv where it won’t be seen, And bolt directly into the board. That way your hanging from the studs and no matter what you know it’s not going to let go.

[@dudosmokokos]

My problem is I have a bathroom hollow door only 1/8 inch thick. The anchors I have bought cannot hold tight it just spins around when I turn the screw in. I can’t stop the anchor from spinning around. Help!

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Ya unfortunately hollow door anchors aren’t the best the material the work with doesn’t give them strength. To hold them still you need an expanding anchor, also what size hole are you using as a pre drill?

[@coreyellisart6877]

This is all Sherwood I wonder what it would be on pulling straight out of the drywall as if you were hanging something from the ceiling

[@ToolsThatBuild]

There’s only a few applications where it’s pulled outward which is a ceiling hanger and a shelf on a wall leveraging against the drywall.

[@fareema03]

I am trying to mount my 48 inch LG TV and it’s pretty heavy and do not have studs. Which would would your recommend ? I am worried about overtime wear and my tv collapsing . The tv I have is pretty heavy

[@ToolsThatBuild]

What style of mount are you using? Eg. Flat swivel etc. You may have to span the studs with a board and bolt to the board directly so you have a strong structure. If it’s a flat mount that doesn’t move overtime wear shouldn’t be an issue

[@johnch4u]

Hi there, I'm in a similar situation and I'm mounting a 43 inch Samsung frame tv. The mount is flat, what would be your recommended anchor to use? I think there are metal studs in the wall but I can't drill through them.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@johnch4u hey yeah metal studs wouldn’t be ideal anyway. A 43” tv is fairly light and with a flat mount your biggest issue is a sheer force like these tests so use a Toggler Snaptoggle (the Long white one) should be plenty

[@johnch4u]

@@ToolsThatBuild thank you so much! I'll give them a try

[@Princeton_James]

I'm hearing mixed opinions about if my 55 inch tv will be able to hang with 4 flip toggles in 1/2 inch drywall and no stud? Help.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

What is the weight of your tv?

[@joetolopino7126]

I would never put something that heavy supported only by drywall. I would span some wood (or even a metal bar) between studs and attach your bracket to that.

[@flyers10az]

Which would be best for mounting L brackets and a shelf?

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Probably the snap toggle but first how much weight will the shelf be holding?

[@flyers10az]

18 lbs

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@flyers10az do you know the shelf’s dimensions?

[@flyers10az]

@@ToolsThatBuild about 16" wide and 6" deep. Will be holding a speaker.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@flyers10az yeah I would use the snap toggle as long as the bracket is wide enough to cover the 1/2” hole. If you can hit at least one stud that would obviously be ideal

[@BarbaryStudio]

Number 2 works the best i use them always number 3 is good only expensive

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Great to hear! The prices are at the end #3 is one of the cheaper options especially for how much it holds.

[@ldeen7897]

I have had 0 luck with number 2. Inlike the ex anchor but it is very big for small projects. What do you suggest for small projects with hollow walls?

[@hgdoan]

Which anchor are you using for the dry wall?

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Watch the video and decide which is right for you

[@freshappliancerepairs7213]

Number 2 you need you start with a hand screw driver first as using a drill, caddie causes the teeth to shed the plaster wall

[@ToolsThatBuild]

No plaster here and as some one who could see inside their wall I can confirm the teeth did not shred anything. The impact driver was turning slow enough.

[@nickr753]

It looks like the hollow wall anchor you used was mismatched with this thickness of drywall. The slit for the wings should start at the backside surface.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Paulin confirmed 3/16L was the correct anchor so that’s what was tested. There’s a few reviews online stating the same issue for the same thickness

[@panman2632]

Links to products would be nice :)

[@ToolsThatBuild]

You’d have to Google the product your interested in. My prices and examples are in Canada. On KZbin people view from all over, so besides Amazon links it’s not helpful to anyone in a different country.

[@1fstyota]

can you test pull out strength?

[@ToolsThatBuild]

I didn’t test it because there isn’t a lot of applications where that direction of pull or pressure would be applied besides something cantilevering like a shelf.

[@1fstyota]

@@ToolsThatBuild that's very true, but good video none the less. Recently put up a mantel and the hardware used reassures me lol.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

@@1fstyota haha perfect

[@monalisalover2007]

The metal anchors installation requires a special tool which you didn't mention.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

None of these anchors require a special tool for installation.

[@soundman6645]

The special tool does make these metal anchors easier to use and possibly a stronger result. ... I use these a lot. yes I have the tool. @@ToolsThatBuild

[@SMIZZYGAMING]

Well deserved 700th like here! Ready to finally hang up the pictures and mirror my ol’ lady has been on my ass about 😂

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Glad to hear it good luck!

[@dandanjordan]

I've never heard of hollow wall anchors

[@ToolsThatBuild]

Good day to be you I guess!

[@apiscator444]

your number 2 anchor was too long for drywall, you can get shorter shank versions of these use the size that that fits the dry wall thickness best

[@ToolsThatBuild]

I’m assuming your referencing the hollow wall anchor. It says right on the package 1/2” drywall. In these tests I’m using 1/2” drywall. Based on the manufacture’s packaging this is the correct thickness of drywall so not sure what you mean.

[@soundman6645]

regardless of what it says on the package, you want the claws to bite properly on the back of the board. . Some brands have a better effective thickness range. . if it's going into 1/2' board, you want an anchor that has close to 1/2" of plain shank. the flatter the claws lay to the wall the stronger the job @@ToolsThatBuild

[@CriticalManimal]

The Wall Claw was installed completely incorrectly.

[@ToolsThatBuild]

It was not. It was installed as per directed by the company’s website and packaging. Not sure where you get your installation method from.

[@excuseme2770]

@@ToolsThatBuild people will say this no matter what is being done, you could be picking your nose and someone would tell you you’re doing it wrong.

[@Fifthcell]

I would love to see what OPs home looks like 😂