What each plug does Nylon wall plugs and metal expansion plugs both anchor screws in masonry, but they grip in different ways. A nylon plug deforms as the screw enters, pressing its ribs against the… 

Molly bolts and toggle bolts both anchor fixtures in hollow walls by opening behind the wall surface. The difference is how they spread the load. A molly has a metal sleeve that expands against the… 

Sleeve anchors and wedge anchors are both expansion anchors: tightening a nut or bolt pulls a cone into a metal sleeve, pressing the anchor against the sides of a drilled hole. The important difference for… 

For most weekend projects, both a brushed and brushless cordless drill can drill holes, drive screws, and handle ordinary repairs. The difference shows up in runtime, heat, control, price, and how hard you can work… 

The shank is the part of a drill bit held by the chuck. A round shank is smooth and cylindrical; a hex shank has flat sides, usually in a 1/4-inch profile. Both can work in… 

What the chuck changes—and what it doesn’t A drill chuck grips the smooth shank of a drill bit. In a keyed chuck, a toothed key tightens the jaws; in a keyless chuck, you twist the… 

On thin steel, the choice between a self-drilling screw and a screw installed in a pilot hole comes down to the materials, the sheet thickness, and how much control the job needs. Self-drilling screws save… 

Phillips and Pozidriv bits may look nearly identical, but their tips are shaped differently. Using the wrong one can make a screw hard to drive, chew up its recess or cause the bit to slip.… 

Why overhead fastening is different Driving a screw upward adds a problem you don’t have on a bench: gravity is trying to pull the fastener off the bit before the threads catch. A bit holder… 

For boring a few holes through floor joists, a spade bit is usually the cheaper, faster choice. An auger bit is easier to keep feeding through deep wood and tends to leave a cleaner hole,…