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Here we have an anchor named "universal anchor", that is supposed to work in every kind of wall (concrete, hollow, drywall, etc). I've used it in concrete and it is very good, but I'm a bit worried about using it in drywall, since I know expansion anchors are terrible in soft materials.

In drywall it is supposed to pull the anchor and deform it until it is snug on the wall. Won't it also expand a bit and damages the hole? Any luck using something like those? See the pictures below:

universal anchor

how it works

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Your post contains a picture that shows exactly how this will perform in drywall, and normally it works very well.

The first 3/8"-1/2" (closest to the screw head) of the anchor does not expand at all, so it won't damage the drywall. The next 1/2" of the anchor is designed to twist and "knot up" in a hollow cavity, and the tip is designed to slightly expand, but hold the screw securely.

One very important detail that gives these types of anchors a bad name, is that they must be installed into a cleanly drilled hole of the exact right size. Many people are sloppy with the holes, or just pick a drill bit that looks about the right size.

When the wrong sized hole is used, the "teeth" around the brand name in the picture don't hold strongly in the drywall, and the rest of the anchor will not twist and knot up properly in the wall. The entire anchor could start twisting which will give the whole installation a loose feeling.

So, follow all the instructions exactly, and drill a clean hole in the right spot the first time, and enjoy.

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    You made a point that I ignored so far, the "neck" of the anchor doesn't expand (or expand very little), so there is probably no damage to the drywall. Later I will measure up how long is the neck in one of those anchor, I will also make some tests with them. Dec 10, 2015 at 14:25
  • @LuizBorges Testing is an awesome step that I'm sure 99% of people don't do. Testing on exposed drywall is even better so you can see exactly how it works in person.
    – JPhi1618
    Dec 10, 2015 at 14:28
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Yeah, that won't be very good in drywall, it won't expand enough, or it will start spinning and won't mushroom inside the wall for you.

Get the Snaptoggle.

enter image description here

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  • The snap toogle is overkill for what I'm doing (small stuff). I'm asking because I have lots of those nylon anchors from working with concrete, but I don't want to have a wall full of bad holes because something didn't work quite right. I don't think it would spin, it has some "barbed wings" on it to prevent that. I will do some tests on a small drywall piece. Dec 10, 2015 at 13:49

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