Wall Anchors for Drywall

[Gary Thinglum]

I have always hated to use drywall hangers if I couldn't hit a stud. The molly fasteners were always my go to fastener. Now there are so many other fasteners out there. Any thoughts on some you may have had good luck with. I'm talking about for hanging drapes, or blinds.

[Tom M King]

Togglers. They come in different sizes. I haven't used anything else since setting up a toolbox with them. They're even used for handicap handrails. Watch the little movie. They really do work that easily. They're much stronger than old style toggle bolts. You can buy them in smaller quantities.

https://www.amazon.com/TOGGLER-SNAPT...0-4513d670b6bc

For some strange reason, they call my most used size 3/!6". It's the same that we know as a no.10 machine screw. I keep different lengths of stainless machine screws in the toolbox.

[Tom M King]

I keep these drill bits in the Toggler toolbox. They're used for drywall as well as tile. It won't tear the paper like some bits do.

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-HDG12-D...s%2C103&sr=8-2

[Rich Engelhardt]

Plastic mollys used to be a whole lot better than they are today.
It used to be you just had to punch a phillips screwdriver into the drywall to make a hole, then stick the molly in and whump it one with a hammer just enough to drive it flush.
I put in hundreds that way w/out any issues.

Then one day about a dozen years ago, they all started to bend over when you hit them.

I still have a box of "good ones" in mixed sizes - but - it's running out.

I wondered about those Togglers - its good to find out from someone first hand that they work since they aren't all that inexpensive to try out.

[Paul F Franklin]

For light to medium loads, I use these self drilling anchors:

self drilling anchor.jpg

I prefer the metal ones, but the plastic ones work fine for lighter loads. Come in different sizes.

For heavier loads, the Togglers are great.

[Orlyn Gaddis]

Another vote for Togglers.

[Jim Becker]

For light to medium loads, I use these self drilling anchors:

self drilling anchor.jpg

I prefer the metal ones, but the plastic ones work fine for lighter loads. Come in different sizes.

Same for me, but I generally use the plastic ones. Within weight limits, of course. For the rare need of heavier support, toggles or expanding anchors are what I go with.

[Bill Howatt]

For light to medium loads, I use these self drilling anchors:

self drilling anchor.jpg

I prefer the metal ones, but the plastic ones work fine for lighter loads. Come in different sizes.

For heavier loads, the Togglers are great.

The way I see it too. Togglers are overkill for lighter loads and all you need for these is a screwdriver for drywall.

[Jim Dwight]

I've had bad luck with the self drilling anchors, both plastic and metal. They often spin when you go to tighten a screw in them. For that reason, I prefer either a simple plastic anchor or a toggle bolt (which is what a toggler is). The plastic anchor has to be a quality anchor not the ultra cheap ones that come in big sets, however. With the right size hole drilled by a drill bit they work fine for light loads. Heavier loads get a toggle bolt. The toggle bolt, toggler or traditional, need much bigger holes for insertion so you have a bigger hole to patch if you take them out. The inside the wall piece is going to fall if you unthread it so you cannot remove the bolt and reinsert it without another new piece for inside the wall. But they hold very well and are the next best thing to a solid connection to a stud.

I struggled with togglers the first time I used one but then I got it and I agree they are easier. But a traditional toggle bolt works fine as long as you can assemble everything outside the wall, then push the inside piece through the hole and then tighten the nut. The toggler avoids the need to assemble outside the hole. Sometimes that is very handy, often it doesn't make a lot of difference.

In addition to my house I use these devices volunteering at church every Monday. We do a variety of tasks but hanging coat racks and other things on the wall are fairly frequent requests. The full time maintenance guy has gotten decent at this, however, so us volunteers get less of the hanging stuff requests.

Pictures and that sort of thing do not need toggle bolts. A plastic anchor works fine. Even a towel rack doesn't need a toggle bolt unless somebody decides to put their weight on it and then the rack may break anyway. Coat racks for a bunch of coats or grab bars need toggle bolts (or stud connections).

[Stephen McBride]

For lighter things like mirrors and small shelves, self drilling are super simple. I found that pre-drilling (or punching a hole with something) a hole helped with getting them in the right spot.

I just bought some #6 and #8 Fischer anchors which have been good as well. Used them for the cleats on some light closet shelves. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08665MZ7M

I also recently put up a cabinet style closet organizer that used a French cleat and used some toggle bolts as mentioned above. They're definitely great, but I'm wondering if some more experienced people here can lend some tips in getting them positioned in the exact spot you need them. I seem to always line everything up and then when I drill the hole and put the toggle in, it's just off from where it needs to be.

[glenn bradley]

I used the Togglers Tom described to hang my 6" dust collection pipe.

New Shop at 7 mo (9).jpg

For heavy mirrors I have also used Roc-Locs with good success.

[Warren Lake]

saw a you tube at one point where they did testing of different types think the toggle bolts that expand once in were the strongest some were pretty poor.

[Cameron Wood]

Also the plastic drill in ones like shown above.

[Alan Lightstone]

I use Toggler Alligators. Seem to work great.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/2...5&ref_=ast_bln

[John Ziebron]

This fellow has a great YouTube channel and he tests all kinds of things based on suggestions from people's comments. He did a test about 4 years ago on drywall anchors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHb-Tcvkn7M