Drywall screw anchors

You want a hole size where the plastic anchor is a snug fit. I usually have to tap it in with a small hammer, or the handle of the screwdriver. Typically, around 3/16" does the trick for the small ones, and 1/4" for the larger ones. I'd do a little experimenting.

Those plastic anchors are not designed for drywall screws. Drywall screws suck in shear and have thinner shafts than other screws. The size of the drill bit should be the same as the smallest diameter of the anchor (diameter without ribs or fins).

It sounds like you have masonry anchors. They aren't for drywall. I believe most products for that use "hollow wall anchors" or a similar term.

If you're always putting the anchors in drywall forget about the drilling operation and use self-drilling anchors. Much faster, one less operation, and they hold well.

I sent this before but it did not show up so I am sending it again.

I like to use ribbed plastic screw anchors to hold screws in drywall for light duty use. My problem is that they never come with ANY instructions so I always have to guess what size of drill to use and what size of screw anchor to use.

The plastic screw anchors I have come in four sizes, each a different color. From smallest to largest they are gray, red, green, and yellow. I use mostly drywall screws because they are inexpensive and easy to drive with a cordless drill. Drywall screws are number six when they are two inches long or shorter. Two-and-a-half inch, and up, are number eight.

I have been using the red plastic screw anchors with the number six screws and the green ones with number eight screws. Are those the correct sizes?

What sizes of drill bits should I use for each size of plastic screw anchor? What size of plastic screw anchor should I use with each size of screw?

If it's for drywall, don't bother with those things. Get a box of "zip-its" - no holes to drill (unless there's a stud behind the place you want to put it)

Daniel Prince wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Pretty much the two standard one are 3/16 & 1/4" hole. All others I just start a bit small. If I can't push it all the way in with just a snug resistance, I go bigger. If it's critical and don't want to chance getting the hole too big, I just do it in some scrap dryall. Every homeowner has scrap drywall around right? :-)

Yes it did. The second, repeat post was a response to one of the replies.