Screws!

Mark M

Mark M

Mark M

Soldato
Joined
6 Jan 2006
Posts
3,413
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
The price of screws at Screwfix and Toolstation seems to have shot up recently. Are there any sites out there worth looking at? I’m running low on exterior screws so looking to pick up a mixed set ideally.

I don’t know of any local places that sell them at a better price so relying on online options really.

Do you know of anywhere I can check out or am I just being tight?!
 
Just make sure they are proper stainless steel if for outdoor use - there are lots of cheap "outdoor" screw sets on the likes of Amazon and eBay where they try to hide what they actually are behind some obfuscation and claim all kinds of suitability for exterior use but in reality they just have a thin layer of something that is easily scratched off just screwing them in.
 
I use Screwfix Silver Screw, worth their weight in gold. All other screws that come supplied with stuff get binned. Just had a quick look at Screwfix and the prices dont seem bad. Buy cheap, buy twice (And spend hours trying to pull damaged screws out of things).
Also worth mentioning that I have used thousands of Silver Screws in the last 6 years and NEVER had one break or strip. Had a few poorly formed ones in the packet, but only a handfull.
 
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I've actually been using the Toolstation screws recently and prefer them to the Turbo Screws from Screwfix. I like the Hex head system.

Plus over the weekend i had a couple of 90mm turbo screws snap halfway through driving them into a frame which made removing them bloody hard :p
 
Marvt74 said:
I've actually been using the Toolstation screws recently and prefer them to the Turbo Screws from Screwfix. I like the Hex head system.

Plus over the weekend i had a couple of 90mm turbo screws snap halfway through driving them into a frame which made removing them bloody hard :p
Click to expand...

I'm a convert to hex head screws, find them much easier to use then pozi
 
Rroff said:
Just make sure they are proper stainless steel if for outdoor use - there are lots of cheap "outdoor" screw sets on the likes of Amazon and eBay where they try to hide what they actually are behind some obfuscation and claim all kinds of suitability for exterior use but in reality they just have a thin layer of something that is easily scratched off just screwing them in.
Click to expand...

Stainless screws are awful, soft and expensive and only really need to be used where for high quality finishes or near salt.

Decent external screws are fine.
 
Rroff said:
Just make sure they are proper stainless steel if for outdoor use - there are lots of cheap "outdoor" screw sets on the likes of Amazon and eBay where they try to hide what they actually are behind some obfuscation and claim all kinds of suitability for exterior use but in reality they just have a thin layer of something that is easily scratched off just screwing them in.
Click to expand...
I've bought both of these recently, are they the rubbish ones that won't last?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005GIX9JU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PROFESSI...var=424863395439&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
 
I think a lot of people expect screws to fail much quicker than they do.

I've made fence repairs with all kinds of random crap screws and none of them have shown any real degradation in 5 years.
 
Marvt74 said:
I've actually been using the Toolstation screws recently and prefer them to the Turbo Screws from Screwfix. I like the Hex head system.

Plus over the weekend i had a couple of 90mm turbo screws snap halfway through driving them into a frame which made removing them bloody hard :p
Click to expand...

I also have been using TS Hex screws as I find them easier to wiz in with the driver - But if you use them outside you will find they snap off when trying to unscrew them.
I don't think the quality is any where near as good as screws from 20 yrs ago - I used to wind in some hefty screws (10s and 12s) with big screwdrivers and can't remember any breaking.
Still they did seem to be more expensive then.
 
Will these from TS be suitable for outdoor use? It says the following:

• Elementech 400 surface coating provides corrosion resistance.
• Salt spray tested to 400 hours.
• A Non-Cr, Cr3+, yellow/zinc plated surface is environmentally friendly.

However doesnt specifically state they are suitable for outdoors so wanted to check first. I dont live near the sea or anywhere that will mean I need a tougher screw.
 
It depends on what you are doing. They will corrode eventually but it could take years, it really depends how how wet they will get and how much stress they are under. Even stainless will corrode/have issues eventually.
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
It depends on what you are doing. They will corrode eventually but it could take years, it really depends how how wet they will get and how much stress they are under. Even stainless will corrode/have issues eventually.
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Im making a fort/play area for the kids. Ive got some deck screws left over that Im planning to use but just wanted to have some screws that were suitable for odd jobs outside from time to time
 
I'd use them.

I've just used the same screws for building my shed. They're hardly going to be submerged so i have no issues using them.
 
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