Not Your Father's Toggle Bolt

Try strap toggles next time you need a hollow-wall anchor

Hi, and welcome to Joe Shows How! In this week’s video I’ll explain the downside of using traditional toggle bolts, and introduce you to a much-improved hollow-wall anchor: the strap toggle.

There are three main problems with traditional toggle bolts. First, in order to install the toggle, you need to drill a hole that’s much larger than the machine screw. As a result, the screw can shift out of position regardless of how much you tighten it. Next, toggle bolts must be attached to the fixture you’re mounting to the wall prior to installation. And trying to align and tighten several toggles at once is difficult at best. Finally, traditional toggles aren’t reusable. Once installed, if you remove the screw, the toggle falls down inside the wall and is lost forever.

For those reasons, I recommend using a strap toggle when you need a hollow-wall anchor. It consists of a metal toggle that’s attached to two plastic straps, which are fitted with a sliding collar. To install a strap toggle, drill the appropriate-size hole through the wall, push the toggle through the hole, then slide the collar forward and into the hole. Snap off the two straps and the toggle is now securely locked onto the wall and ready to accept a machine screw. You can remove and replace the screw as many times as necessary, and since the collar completely fills the hole, there’s no chance that the toggle will slide out of position.

Be sure to watch the Bonus Tip at the end of the video, showing an easy way to collect dust when drilling into walls. Thanks for watching Joe Shows How, we appreciate your support!