Terrible screws that come with the Fantastic Vent

[Oldragbaggers]

I was installing my Fantastic Vent and the heads snapped right off of two of the cheesy screws they supplied when I was screwing them in. I took all of their cheap screws out and replaced them with stainless steel screws. I had to drill new holes next to the ones with the broken off screws and then fill the old holes in the plastic (I could not get the shanks of the screws out, so they will just stay in there). A whole lot of work that should not have been necessary (plus two holes that I did not need) if they had supplied screws of a decent quality. I don't know if anyone else has had this problem, but just a heads up.

[S. Heisley]

Becky, that's the first bad thing I've ever heard about Fantastic Fan Vents. I hope they haven't started manufacturing them in China!

[Oldragbaggers]

The vent itself is very nice. No complaints about that. Just the screws are horrible. Maybe they recently started using a different supplier.

[BillZ]

Sorry to hear that Becky.
Now, you know you can't mention progress on your tear without pics.

[halfdome, Danny]

I have a bin full of those screws as I always use stainless screws for everything on the exterior.
Hardwoods have a tendency to break soft screws that don't have a pilot hole.
If you have a breaking screw problem in the future drill a pilot hole smaller than the screw & use a wax for screws.
Danny

[Martiangod]

And if you don't have Screwax then rub screw with bar soap, they'll be squeeky clean...lol

[Dale M.]

Turn the torque down on electric screw gun...

Dale

[CarlLaFong]

I don't want to start a rant, but the quality of fasteners has become abysmal. I had to install a beam in my kitchen, as part of my remodel project. I drilled pilot hole and lubed the lag bolts with wax (BTW, I always use toilet wax rings. Cheap and everyone has them) The first two snapped off as if they were made of clay. I went down to the shop and dug up some old square head lags that I had salvaged (never throw anything away). I cranked them in and tightened them down good and snug. No problemo.
The proliferation of Chinese garbage is bad enough but, in many cases, we have no choice. The offshore crap is our only option. Often, it pisses me of to the point of rage when I watch our country being sold off, piece by piece, to the enemy. This is what I and my ancestors fought for?????

[Oldragbaggers]

I did drill a pilot hole, but have never waxed or soaped a screw before. Will be something to keep in mind. My screw gun is not adjustable but it has pretty low torque to start with. I let off of the trigger when the screw gets almost all the way down so that by the time I am making that last twist I am barely pushing on it. I usually buy stainless, but this time I pulled these two bags of screws out of the box and I thought, "what the heck, will save me a trip to the hardware store." But I will stick with good stainless fasteners in the future. It is worth the cost to not have to deal with problems like this.

[Vedette]

Supplied fasteners for anything you buy as a kit are crap and usually not the size that you would think you need for the job.
Always use your own discretion and purchase fasteners separately.
Good Roads
Brian

[JuneBug]

For years I has a little block of beeswax in my sewing box and it did double duty to wax screws. Bar soap does work well, and that's what I use now, since it is always handy.

[legojenn]

I usually toss screws that come with things, mostly because they have Phillips heads. Robertson head screws are infinitely better. I also agree with Vedette, the cheap quality of supplied screws aren't worth the trouble of using them.

[pete42]

Becky
some vendors do use cheap screws I have seen some that appear to be molded you can see the flash on them.
I will say this is the first bad thing I have heard about the fantastic vent.

I hope you can read this I've been told my grammar is bad, but being 71 and a Navy vet. I'm to old to worry
what someone thinks about my grammar.

Pete

[Oldragbaggers]

Like I said, I have no issues whatsoever with the vent. It is very attractive and works very nicely. I don't want anyone to misconstrue my comments, I am not bashing the Fantastic Vent in any way at all. Maybe they just got a bad batch of fasteners.