How strong are expanding metal drywall anchors?
Welcome to the first episode of Test Tuesday on this channel! Every week I'll be putting a different joinery product or tool through it's paces and today it's the turn of the expanding metal drywall hollow wall anchors. Screwfix refer to these as Easyfix Wall Anchors and Fischer refer to them as Metal Cavity Fixings. They may go by other names in different parts of the world. They're my go-to fixing of choice for attaching medium to heavy weight stuff on to plasterboard / drywall. Remember, always follow the manufacturer's recommended load ratings which generally incorporate a safety factor of at least 3 or 4. I'm just pushing these to their absolute limits to see what abuse they can handle!
Read the full article here: gosforthhandyman.com/heavy-du...
Here's some affiliate links to products I use or would consider using - read more about affiliate links at the bottom of this description:
Fischer Drywall Anchor HM Pro Setting Tool: gosforthhandyman.com/uk-links... (UK)
Forgefix Cavity Anchor Setting Tool: gosforthhandyman.com/uk-links... (UK - cheaper alternative)
Farmunion Hollow Wall Setting Tool: gosforthhandyman.com/us-links... (US)
The Fischer setting tool is excellent but expensive - the alternative Forgefix one should do the job, reviews look good but I've never tried it. Same goes for the Farmunion one in the US.
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#TestTuesday #Joinery #Drywall
Hi Andy, you have hit on a good topic with test Tuesday, the response is fantastic and it is great to hear the advice and experiances of other youtubers. I look forward to your next demonstration?
Cheers Alan! 👍🛠
Man... Tuesdays will never be the same again. Enjoyed that Andy! 👍
Ha ha - cheers Steven! 👍
You learn something every day , used these for over 30 years , never knew there was a setting tool.
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Always enjoy your videos Andy. Thank you.
Fun with SCIENCE!! love the real world testing, glad you decided to break out the test equipment again. thanks Andy
Cheers David! 👍🛠
I now mainly use "Grip it's" for this type of job but haven't had a problem with these on light stuff. Would love to see a test Tuesday on disposable saws, Bahco V's Stanley etc. Keep up the good work!
Yes, Grip Its are good but need a massive hole - similar load ratings to these. 👍🛠
Great honest content as always. I love you man!
Useful info many thanks looking forward to next Tuesday
Cheers - no worries Harry! 👍
Best drywall fixings ever.
Thanks Andy. Keep them coming, please.
Cheers Mark - will do! 👍🛠
Cheers Andy, nice video, these fittings are so useful. As you say you can remove the bolts and then refit. Its like having a threaded insert in the plasterboard. Cheers Paul
Exactly - cheers Paul! 👍🛠
I found this very helpful. I never knew about the set tool. I'll have to look for that.
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Don't buy the cheap version of the tool. A classic example of you get what you pay for. The eBay cheapo's should be avoided.
Great test looking forward to seeing more
Lots more to come! 👍
Wish I had time for a Test Tuesday. Must be nice
Really enjoy these vids. Umbrella fixings, as I call them, are my favourite plasterboard fixings, not only are they strong and reliable but I love the fact you can easily remove the screw and replace it as many times as you like. I have to say though I have never used a setting tool, maybe I will have to get one. Probably better on the cheaper fixings where the points seem to be smaller. In the past I think I have have only used the Rawl brand and they have nice bit points on them.
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Great vid. I have tried using that type of drywall anchor before with very little success. But I never knew there was a setting tool. I’m embarrassed to say I have been a carpenter for over 20 years and never knew how to use these anchors. Thanks for showing me the light haha
No worries - you're certainly not alone! 👍🛠
Can I just use a hammer as a setting tool to get the teeth to bite? Taking out the screw first?
I agree on these, they're holding up my high wall cabinets in the kitchen for the last 15 years ! Came across them made by Rawlplug too. I like them 'cos you can detach cabinets for decorating without losing the fixing.
They're great! 👍
Wow, superbly explained.
Good test, these should be fine for my curtains.
Hi mate, thanks for the video, just a tip, it's best to have the screw up to the fixing, as I have had a few that the captive nut in the fitting comes loose when tapping on the screw, then when you remove the screw ,and refit it through your bracket etc, the nut falls out !****, whith no option but to drill the front off the fitting, knock it into the wall and fit another one, opologies if you already know this, just sharing my mishaps, lol..Best wishes to you and your's, Stuart.uk.
Cool stuff Andy... Looking forward to following this.... My Tuesday evenings just got more interesting 👍
Cheers bud! 👍🛠
You should do a test for the Grip It range of fixings in a similar manner. Great video btw.
Great video. Really helped me make a decision
Fascinating. The axial test is more applicable to objects like shelves and cabinets. Please retest to measure shear forces, like mirrors and pictures. Thanks!
I use these... Outside on the wall, as I have one of them stupid 'insulation on outside then roughcast over the top' type walls... They work a treat
Great stuff! 👍🛠
a good tip if you're using these without the setting tool is to use a turning stop when tightening the screw to prevent the anchor spinning in the plasterboard.
I love all your videos Andy. What I would contest here though is you are doing a pull test. Most applications would fail through a shear test (unless you are actually pulling something). Many moons ago I used to be an adhesive engineer. Virtually all adhesives will fail on a shear (peel) test but not on a pull test. That includes sellotape.
Couldn’t agree more. I was in aviation and the majority of forces are in shear.
Cheers Lawrebel - these fittings can handle *much* higher shear loads than axial loads so my test is kind of a worst case scenario. Also with shear loads on these many other factors come in to play such as the size of the object being held on the wall, friction coefficients and a bunch of other stuff. A lot of manufacturers quote crazily high shear loadings for fittings but actually the plasterboard will fail on an axial load way before this. Got some tests coming up with shear loads though. 👍
It’s an interesting experiment and I look forward to many more "Test Tuesdays". Well done. I think, when the measured applied force decreased at the point where you stopped tightening, the plaster board was actually beginning to deteriorate and weaken. In an ideal experiment the force would be increased at a uniform rate and a peak detection meter would be used to capture the maximum value at which the test piece gave way. As a comparison; you could try measuring a screw with a washer and nut on the back. Try different size washers. It is clear that the weakest element is the plaster board. The anchor itself can obviously withstand far more force than the plaster board. Try an anchor in metal and see what happens. I would also suggest that you ensure the chain is not twisted as that will add a torsion (twisting) force to the anchor. I also noticed that the thickness of the plasterboard used is greater than that specified for the anchor. This may not be a good thing as the anchor will not be set ideally for its intended purpose. It may damage the structure of the board and consequently weaken it. Verifying that the base of the jig was having no effect on the measurement was a very good move. Anyway I loved it. Keep it up.
Cheers Charles - really useful response! Yes, I think on v2.0 of my rig I might try to make something that increases the force more evenly. Apparently those anchors (43mm ones) are for use in 9.5 or 12.5mm plasterboard... or at least the Fischer ones are. Unfortunately no spec sheet for the Screwfix ones but yes, was quite surprised myself that the back of the fitting had damaged the paper on the plasterboard before even starting the test! 👍😀
Thanks Andy, that setting tool is neat, never seen one - I just ,finish them with my hammer. Enjoyed the video, surprising how much load those fittings can take. Thanks.
Cheers! Yes, the setting tool makes a big difference. 👍
Very informative Andy, this looks like a start to a great new series.
Cheers - got loads of ideas of stuff to test! 👍
Hi Andy, great info and well expalined, I would say you would get a greater pulling force in a concentrated area such as yours, if you nailed or dot and dab the board to its regular spacings say stud work the pullout force would drop down. always great to watch and listen too.
Not sure, the plasterboard failed where the legs of the fitting came through the board - don't think the failure point would change. 👍
Great video 👍🏼 covered everything
Cheers bud! 👍😀
Such good advice 💯🎯
Good information. Many thanks If I have two of these bolts 20cm apart, will it double the load capacity?
Hi, I’ve got an oak framed mirror to hang, packaging said around 23kg , from your video if I did 2 of those style fixings with a strong wire I should be fine? Also, would you use a wire or mount the mirror directly from the triangular points that the mirror has already attached? Thanks in advance.
Nice one Andy👍👍👍👍👍
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Would be interesting to see this test with the jig suspended over the plasterboard without making contact - perhaps mounted on a separate platform? These fittings are great in my experience though.
Yes
Believe it or not, the setting tool is not a very common item (I've never seen one) in hardware stores in North America. They are available from Amazon, and the one I ordered actually came from England. It has made putting in these anchors so much easier. I used to have to try to grip the fitting with a pair of needle nose pliers while turning the screw in.
Been there before when I've forgot my setting tool! 😂👍
U r a quality you tuber...Love❤️ from India
Love to India! 👊
Great video.
I’ve used these fittings on a regular basis & sometimes when tightening the screw, the screw seems to just keep turning but not tightening up, any thoughts? Love your KZhead channel by the way!!!
I'm looking at hanging a 36kg plasma TV on my dot and dabbed plasterboard lined chimney breast but don't want to compromise the chimney lining by drilling through the brickwork. By the time I add the heavy duty TV bracket I'll be looking at about 40kg. Would using about six of the heavy duty wall anchors do the job or would that be a bit risky? If so what would you suggest?
Great video, I used these once as per the common mistake (no setting tool) and had written them off as total junk! I think after watching this I will buy a setting tool. I had tried the Grip it ones.......but quite a large hole needed! I have also tried one called rigifix which has been the most solid I have ever experienced. Have you tried them?
Yes, I don't like the huge hole for Grip Its. The setting tool is very satisfying to use. 😂
What size anchor sleeves do you recommend for install I wall mounted dip bars?
I'm thinking of putting a wall shelf above my bed. My wall is plasterboard and in total the wall shelf will have 12 kg of weight including the things on top of it. It has 9 screw holes and I'm planning to use hollow anchor wall plug for all of those. Theoretically it should be safe, but just wanted to double check, is it ok?
Hi Andy, can you these plugs on villaboard sheeting as well
Great video and testing might use those to put a tv on a dot and dab wall on a new build. About 4 should be sufficient for a to 15 kg 55" tv.
On dot and dab wall use either a corefix or dryline pro plug so you're fixing into the block work behind.
I would be interested in shear load instead of pull/vertical forces.... how much force until the plug tips in its hole? must be less than the tension, as it holds on less metal pins?>
Amazing to see Edward Norton is a handyman 😃
I'll take that. 😂
Does 15 kilos in the specs not seem a little off considering they can take up to more than 40 kilos? I'm sticking a few heavy bar cabinets up on plasterboard and want to make sure they'll hold.
Really interesting. I have only used the plastic ones and these look so much better.
Cheers - yes, these are great! 👍😀
The placement of the " studs " either side of this test piece will make a huge difference in support, if you test this in the centre of a sheet of gyproc. With batons 400mm apart the results may be very different as there's no baton support close by, like these in the demo
This
Providing the board is adequate and you use enough of them spaced evenly (of course, the more fixings you use too close together. can be just as bad as using too few), you can use them to hang all sorts. I've used them to support riser ducts on jobs and they've been fine after spanning a length of unistrut across the board to even the load.
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Nice demo but you would get higher force before failure with that setup. You’re essentially pulling the board through a small reinforced hole in your rig. If the board was unsupported over a typical stud span the board would flex more and fail earlier. Nice comparative test all the same. Thanks.
That's why I took the base off for the 2nd test and ended up with a higher result - go figure! 😀🛠
Nice video, I will definitely use these form now on. Can you test them in wood too, I think in a hollow wood wall, they can carry insane much weight.
The datasheet says about 25kg in 10mm chipboard - they haven't tested plywood for some reason.
Good video but do u have a video demonstrating how to fix to an insulated plaster board or what fixing is recommended for a insulated plaster board
Give these a try - depends on how firm the insulation is, but normally these work fine as it just squashes the insulation out of the way. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman ok cheers
Are all of the Fischer types suitable to 9.5 or 12.5mm Boards?
Are these ok to use in the ceiling? I'm wanting to install a projector screen weighing 15kg and the joists might not be in the correct place.
Absolutely! 15kg is very close to the limit of these fixings though and with the movement of the screen it's a bit risky. See the vid I made about off-set projector brackets. 👍
Yeah i used 6 large ones for a 40 inch tv on a swivel bracket and is solid hasnt budged
@Rasmus Karlsson how did it go?
Thank you . You halped me.
Great comparison test there, mate 👍 Just out of curiosity, would cement fibre board yeild similar results, given they're half the thickness of plaster board?
Cheers Bill! The official Fischer specs for Fibre Cement Board says 0.25kN (about 25kg) for 8mm board - so a bit higher than the plasterboard. 👍
Gosforth Handyman oh wow, that was a tad surprising. I thought it might have been somewhat less. Learn something new every day. Cheer, bud. Have a good one. 👍
Bill Carroll concrete is stronger than plasterboard
chubbychicken1234567 yeah, I get that. Sometimes in these types of tests, the underdog shines. Now given the fibre board is considerably thinner and the plaster board has two supporting sides and considerably thicker, there could have been the possibility it may have been stronger by a kilo or two. I wasn't thinking the fibre board would be a lowly 5kg! That and the fact I've not worked with either, was merely a question out of curiosity, and well, if ya don't know, ask.
How about insulated plasterboards? Will these fixings work?
If you use 6 of these on a large TV bracket, (2 rows of 3) how much movement of the TV will it stand before it becomes slack?
I want to paint my old sideboard in a white gloss finish that you have used so that i could avoid yellowing but still have a glossy white effect please tell me the best paint to use.
Have a look on here and there's links to all the paints I use: gosforthhandyman.com/products-i-use 👍
I hope they are strong because I just mounted a 65 inch tv to the wall using about 6 of these. The wall didn’t have any studs in the centre. Hope it doesn’t fail..
Only seeing this video now and out of curiosity is your tv still holding?
There are very few applications that apply a direct pull to wall anchors, apply a side load please.
if you know what youre doing you dont need a setting tool. i install displays for a living and i simply set them with an impactdriver. just gotta feel when the its actually contacting the drywall on the otherside to not strip the threads or crush the drywall.
So got a question for you do you think 40 lbs or less is fine ?
I used to hang towel bars on hollow core doors. I had good luck with Molly bolts, but Molly bolt branded products were replaced with knock off parts at Lowes and at a TruValue hardware stores and they didn't work with hollow core doors because the pegs couldn't pierce the plywood skin of the hollow core doors. The were too soft and they just folded over. Home Depot did carry Molly Bolt branded products but they only stocked the pointed ones and they came with slightly longer screws that were too long for the hollow core doors. I found that I could take the shorter screw from the knock off Molly Bolt and use it with the Home Depot Molly Bolt branded product to solve the problem. I just tried to find who owns the Molly Brand trademark without success. I am not sure that it is a registered trademark any more. I don't know what it means for a product to be labeled as Molly Bolt any more. Is it owned by a company that oversees the quality of the product?
wonder how much they would hold if you could place some large washer plate behind them to spread the load on those legs even further ( obv that would be impossible on a blind hole in a plaster wall tho)
Might try to test this at some point! 👍 The plasterboard itself always seems to fail around 60kg regardless of the fitting. We shall see... 😀
Without the base makes lots of sense, The base concentrates the load on a very small area of plasterboard but without the base the plasterboard has a much larger area to flex and give before the actual fixing has to give. Great results thou.
Yup - surprised without the base got a higher figure but think you're right. 👍🛠
Maybe you need to redo a quick test with the camera watching the plasterboard from the side so you can see how much it bends. I dare say if your rig was wider you would get better results. Maybe you need to sort the jig so the feet are 400mm apart to replicate the average wall studs? That way you can see how much the plasterboard moves before that failure? It was a good insight and your results were surprising regardless of which test you did.
Just watching this vid now and out of curiosity is your tv still hanging if you did it with these?
Does anyone know if I'm mounting a tv with a swivel arm type of mount, is the load spread by (in my case) 4 molly fittings. Total weight would probably be 40kilos
I would be equally interested to see the shear strength with some weight being pulled perpendicular. Like would be common when hanging a television or such.
Trouble is shear load tests can be quite misleading since even with a flat-mounted TV bracket (for example) there can be quite significant axial loads, massively amplified with cantilever brackets etc. Axial loads are pretty much worst-case so I always work on those. 👍
+1 for shear load test on these. Planning on putting up alcove shelves to take lots of books. Will be using 40mm brackets, so should be almost pure sheer load
Can I used this for a 70lb boxing heavy bag? My plan was to hang it from the ceiling but I'm not sure how sturdy it is
As a static weight it would be fine, but you'll presumably be punching the bag which will eventually damage it. You'd be MUCH better off putting a batten of wood on the ceiling, and attaching it to several joists using wood screws. Then attach the boxing bag to that batten.
Can those be used in hollow brick? If yes I guess they could withstand larger forces in hollow brick
Probably better with something like Fischer Duotec. 👍
You can fit those fasteners without a setting tool as long as you press hard towards the wall as you tighten the screw, when you push hard it pushes the points into the plasterboard and stops it spinning. But yes a tool is easier. And even better when it was 50p at the car boot sale!!
I love product here. Nice presentation. I just don’t understand the rationale behind test the anchor through a second hole. That gives us a value not attainable in normal application.
Use molly anchors from fischer or esselle, the strongest for dry wall!
Whats the outro song?
Needed to see shear force, when do pull directly on these.
It's comparable - there are other videos testing them and you get the same kinds of 40kg+ loads before the drywall fails.
@@audigex having used them alot now to hang tvs.. Agree not an issue when set right
Arent the longer ones made for 2 layers of plasterboard? That being the reason for it expanding more under load.
No, although you can get ones designed for thicker plasterboard. 👍
Could you make a rig that tested 2 together and see how much stronger would it be....
2 next to each other? How far apart? Good idea! 👍
For spring toggles why don't people tie a bit of string or fishing line to the toggle and then tie onto the fixing through the hole? Won't lose the toggle then?
Very hard to pull them back through the hole without causing damage.
Looks like I will be investing in a setting tool and some better fixings than the plastic ones I have around the house. Just seen the price of them - maybe I'll wait until I turn professional rather than DIY!!!! How come all of Fischer's products are reduced by around £200??? were they originally that price or is it some ridiculous marketing ploy do you think?
Must admit I've never seen them more than about £50. 👍
I bet in Fire or Sound board...with all the reinforcement in the board....the numbers would be crazy.
Think so! 👍🛠
Makes sense,,without the base the plaster board flexed..
how does it work with different thickness of plaster board?
The bigger fittings work on most sizes of plasterboard. The smaller fittings are only suitable for thin plasterboard, but tbh I'm not sure why you'd really use them anyway, they're only good for fairly light loads
How cheaply can you get a setting tool that does the job? I feel like this is why most people doing DIY around the house prefer those screw in metal plugs - no other tools or drill required, just a screwdriver (no spending £50 on a setting tool you might use twice). Not nearly as strong though.
Screwfix do a Rawlplug one for £15 - might be worth a try - reviews look good! I've had 2 other cheaper ones from Screwfix that went in the bit though. 👍
@ thisguyplaysguitar The main make of setting tool and bits is molly a black & decker brand i paid £11 for mine from a b&d outlet cracking tool made for the job,
stupid question.. if one anchor hand handle homd 15kg. does that mean you could use 2 anchors to hang something that is around 30kg??
Not really - depends how close they are together. The plasterboard itself is failing so if they fixings are close then both could fair around the same weight. If there's plenty space between then yes, I would think it would double the load... subject to testing. 👍😀
does this mean that I can fit a ceiling fan (8kg) directly to double-layered plasterboard? great video, thank you.
Use a spring toggle for ceilings.
So if you use six what weight would they hold? I want to wall mount a 30kg tv
Considering that one holds 40kg, in theory 6 would hold 240kg. In practice the load isn't spread perfectly so you don't get quite the same results. It's also worth noting that this is demonstrating an axial (pull-out) load, whereas a TV bracket is a combination of axial and sheer... but nevertheless I'm certain that 6 of them can hold a 30kg TV
@@audigex Thanks, i ended up risking it and so far so good, but I appreciate your reply,Cheers,Tom
Great video just to let you know you put dywall in the title not drywall
Thank you so much Jack - well spotted!! 👍😀🛠
I've tried these a few times and failed every time. Never heard of a fitting tool before!
Amazon carries them. Search for "Molly setting tool".
The area arround the dry wall anchor needs to be way bigger for an accurate test. That small hole in your pulling jig isn't big enough. Nice video though :)
He addresses that in the video and runs a test without that bracket... it doesn't make a difference
@@audigex The area is still too small, even without the base according to me. A 20 cm diameter would be good enough.
I would love to see an international collaboration between you and Project Farm in the US , you both put so much time, effort and money into making really worthwhile tests! His fixings tests is here: kzhead.info/sun/n6ybXbibrZ2kaoU/bejne.html
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can you post a video of how to remove it
I think I cover it in this one... kzhead.info/sun/pteemLmwe4Ftfas/bejne.html
Rawlplug Interset Cavity Vs Spring toggles >
We have a new unit. Kilos of force [ kF ] :P
Kilogram-force is already an unofficial unit... I mean, we all know that the force is measured in Newtons - but unless you're moving to the Moon sometime soon, we all also know that we're talking about standard gravity. In which case all you're doing is multiplying the mass by earth's gravity and making your number less useful for a practical application. What we actually care about is "how much weight does this hold (on Earth)?": if you're upset that he didn't convert to Newtons, then that's a You Problem. Multiply it by 9.81 if you care, the rest of us don't
The only thing I hate about the metal cavity fixings anchor types is that you can never remove them. If a person decides to remove whatever they mounted they are stuck with the unused metal anchor in the drywall for life.
I might make a vid about that. 👍😀