Still don't get why everyone swears by self-tapping screws for metal studs

Had a guy in El Paso last winter tell me I was doing it all wrong because I was using regular drywall screws with a dimpler bit on 25 gauge studs. He said self-tappers save time and hold better. But I've stripped out more self-tappers in one afternoon than regular screws in a month. They snap off halfway in or spin loose before I can get the board tight. This old timer with 30 years experience insisted I was the problem and walked off shaking his head. Anybody else find self-tapping screws overrated for light gauge steel?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.aaron5d ago

You said they snap off halfway in or spin loose before you can get the board tight, and that's the part I want to dig into. Were you using a drill with a clutch setting, or just running them down full speed with no stop? Because I've seen that exact problem when guys hammer them in without backing off the torque.

jackson.max5d agoTop Commenter

Couldn't agree more Aaron, I learned that exact same lesson the hard way on my back deck a couple years ago. Smoked through a box of stainless screws before I figured out you gotta let the clutch do its job.

dianawilson5d ago

Yeah @park.aaron, you hit it - I was running them full speed with no clutch. Now that you mention it, I bet that's been my whole problem. The impact driver just hammers them in and then keeps going right when the head is seated. I'd get that little chirp sound and think it was tight, but a few days later the board would be loose again. What drill clutch setting do you usually use for deck screws? Like a low number so it stops early, or something in the middle?