Darned lag bolts

[Dave from MN]

Doing a bunch of repairs in the barn this weekend with the brackets fastening. Bought 1/4" lag bolts from mills fleet and some from a local hardware/flet store. Darned junk I tell you, the things twist off and break before they are bottomed out or strip the wood. Putting them into old 2x6 stud framing. I tried the bulk stuff and the ones in little boxes all the same. Is there a source that still makes good hard bolts , lags and all the other the fixings, I am sick of the soft hardware every one sells these day.

 

[NEsota]

Drill pilot holes and use some lubrication.

 

[MN Scott]

Did you predrill a pilot hole? I've found thats the only way to get them in without twisting. Just a fact of life in the china crap era I guess.

 

[moonlite 37]

Never knew the real name but called them cover guards. They were used to cover trash more completely before conservation tillage became popular.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Pot metal junk, been there done that, pilot hole will help, but there has to be a decent grade lag out there, these type would fail, do some research on the net or with a fastener supplier, I think a grade 2 bolt would be stronger than this kind of junk, there has to be a manufacturer out there offering something with an ASTM designation, you won't usually find it at the HD or Lowes, that is for sure.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I agree on the pilot hole in dense wood. Try wax as a lubricant, old candle, etc. Soap will attract moisture and eventually rust the bolt out.

 

[Dave from MN]

I had been drilling pilot holes, didnt make too much of an improvement untill the hole was so large the srew really wasnt gonna be able to support what it needed to. Never thought of using a lubricant. How many years you think it is gonna be before the US drifts away from cheap chinese stuff. I would rather have a few good tough tools and supplies around the place than have everything imaginable just because it was cheap and to say I have one. Just got an email about chemicals on china made flip flops sold at Walmart.

 

[MN Scott]

"How many years you think it is gonna be before the US drifts away from cheap chinese stuff."

When the China stuff is no longer cheap. China's living standard is going to improve as well as their poeples wage demands. I don't have any idea where we are going to have our stuff manufactured cheap when china won't do it any more. I don't see manufacturing moving back to this country because of goverment regulations and the poor work ethics of a lot of US people. Things don't look so bright for the future of this country I'am afraid.

 

[omahagreg]

Pilot hole-if using 5/16" bolt, no larger than 1/4" pilot hole, same depth as bolt. Use beeswax for lubricant. Candle wax will get so warm going in it will drip out. Greg

 

[Steve in MN]

We have a Fastenal store locally. They seem to have higher quality bolts and such than the local hardware store. You could also try www.fastenal.com. Steve

 

[hayray]

The only thing you can do is to drill a pilot hole and also us a larger diameter lag bolt because it is stronger. And then I have had the cheap heads on the bolts round off. A friend of mine who is a builder bought a better brand that came in a plastic box that he bought at a local lumber company and they are much better than the bulk ones you buy, I can't remember the name but I will give him a call and post tommorow about this.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I've run into the same problem. I was attaching brackets to treated yellow pine with 1/4 inch lags. They would go in OK with a pilot hole, but if you had to loosen them up they would twist off. I suppose the pitch in the pine was acting as glue. These imported fasteners are by and large garbage.

What I have started using are called "construction screws". Sorry, I can't check the brand because I'm out of the country this week. A couple of the local hardware stores carry them, but you certainly can't get them at Home Depot. These screws come in sizes 3/16, 1/4 inch and up, with lengths up to eight inches or so. They are very strong. They have a self-drilling point, a short threaded portion and a smooth shank. The heads are either flat or a large dome. They always use Torx drivers. These screws are much more expensive than lags, but they do not twist off.

 

[chvet73]

I'd go up to a 5/16", seems like those 1/4" all break to easy.

 

[HENRY E NC]

If you want strong bolts try stainless steel. When I use lag bolts I always buy stainless. I believe the threads are sharper. Always drill a pilot hole and as other suggest, beeswax or common hand soap will lubricate the bolt. The heads on stainless will not round off easily either. Henry