Tried concrete anchors vs. old-school molly bolts for my shelf project last week and wow

I was putting up a heavy shelf in my garage in Austin and used those cheap plastic anchors at first, total fail after 2 days. Swapped to my dad's old molly bolts and that thing hasn't budged even with my tool box sitting on it. Has anyone else found a simple fix like this that just works way better than the modern stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyl3916d ago

Molly bolts saved my heavy mirror too, they're just built tougher than plastic ones.

val_bailey6616d ago

That phrase 'built tougher' is exactly right. Plastic anchors can crack or strip over time, especially with something heavy like a mirror constantly pulling on them. Molly bolts are just a different class of hardware, they're designed to actually bite into the drywall and hold tight.

the_christopher14d ago

And honestly @val_bailey66 that's what a lot of people miss. They grab plastic anchors at the store because they're cheap and easy, but those things just rely on friction and can't grip the same way. Molly bolts actually expand behind the wall and create a solid mechanical hold that doesn't give up over time. That's why I'll only use them for anything that might get bumped or jostled, like a mirror in a hallway or a shelf near a door. It takes a few extra minutes to install but you never have to worry about it again.