Hex Head vs Square Head Bolts

[trvlnmny]

Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types of bolts?

[FrozenNorth]

Square heads tend to be a lot harder to round off.

[Robatoy]

Are we talking screws or bolts?

[dpb]

Square has slightly larger head surface area and may be more difficult to find in anything above Grade 2 (not impossible, just not common).

Question would be, why the question? More specific answers may be (probably are) dependent on what raised the question, anyway.

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[Lew Hodgett]

Question is too broad as asked.

What are you trying to learn?

Lew

[clare]

Square bolts require you to be able to turn 1/4 turn with a straight wrench before you can get another hold on it to turn it farther. A hex only needs 1/6 turn, and with an offset wrench closer to 1/12 turn. Makes it a lot easier to use a hex in close quarters. A square head of the same across slats measurement (wrench size) also needs more space to turn because it is larger across the points.

[Lee Michaels]

"trvlnmny" wrote

Square heads are much more common on old machinery. They generally are more difficult to remove. They are not that common any more.

The one aplication where square head bolts are still used, at least by me, is to hold down jigs on a drill press. The square heads fit into the slots in the drill press table.

[Leon]

2 sides.

That said, 6 point sockets will not work on them. You will have to use an open end wrench or a 12 point socket

[dpb]

4- or 8-pt work much better...altho they're becoming at least moderately hard to find. I bought a bunch of the last Craftsman stock a few years ago as spares in the most common sizes (1/2 to 3/4)...

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[Doug Miller]

What do you mean, "the last Craftsman stock"?

They're still available. Sears.com lists nearly two dozen different 8-point sockets, in both 1/2 and 3/8 drive, in sizes from 1/4" to 3/4".

[dpb]

Must have restocked then--at the time (about 4-5 years ago iirc) they were discontinued and listed as closeout items. Surprised me, but that's what it was then. Hadn't looked since, just figured it had dropped them then, they still were.

[Tim Douglass]

About that time Sears re-designed all of their sockets. What you probably got was the closeout stock of the old design. I can't speak to any quality factors since my newest sockets are at least 30 years old.

Tim Douglass

"I'm not exactly burned out, but I'm a little bit scorched and there's some smoke damage."

[dpb]

Tim Douglass wrote: ...

Perhaps, but seems a little strange if so as there were no "new design" available, either. Specifically there was one size that was not available at all--of course, that was the one I hired hand had dropped from the top of the lift in heavy grass/etc, and even the magnetic sweep couldn't find it... :) (or :( at the time, of course).

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[Swansen]

I didn't even think about that. I'm guessing he was asking the question out of curiosity. Not that i get it a lot, but when it happens its such a pain, rounding off bolts heads sucks almost as bad as stripping threads or breaking a bolt.

[jml]

in a pole base foundation does it make a difference if the imbedded bolt is square head or hex head

[Leon]

Can you be more specific? I am only familiar with concrete slab foundations and the embedded anchor bolts have only a bend to form an "L" shape and that is in the concrete.

If you are wondering if a hex or square head is more resistant to turn when submerged in concrete, I would say neither.

[Joe Gwinn]

Square would be better than hex, but both are eclipsed by a L-shaped anchor bolt.

But if ordinary bolt heads were good enough, the L-shaped anchors would not exist.

Joe Gwinn