Just re-fixed some hooks to the outside wall to hold up my ladders (bought in the 1970s). One of the new fangled cross head multi purpose screws had snapped off by the head. The rest were a bit wobbly.
I had a root around and all my newish cross-head screws are very thin and don't have that smooth part near the head which grips. Presumably most new screws are multi-purpose as opposed to the traditional wood screws.
So I dug out some old stock of slot head steel self coloured wood screws (probably 20 years old). I dug out my venerable B&D quattro hammer drill because my newer SDS is too brutal for drilling holes in 1930's red brick.
All fixed now and pretty solid, although it did remind me what a pain it is working with slot head screws as opposed to cross head.
So older technology sometimes works better. Can you get the equivalent profile of the old steel slot head wood screws in cross head? Nearly everything these days seems to be an amorphous gold colour, very skinny, and threaded almost right up to the head. Wonderful for quickly screwing into wood with a cordless drill/driver without having to drill a pilot hole first. Not nearly as robust as the old stuff for heavier fixing.
Cheers
Dave R