Good practice is to clean out the holes with compressed air. I usually have decent results with tapcons. But you don't have compressed air everywhere you have a job, nor do you need it, so those hit pins are worth their weight in compressor.
Anything better than Tapcons?
- Thread starter Dave In Florida
- Start date
I see this discussion all over the web, and to be honest, I've never understood what the issue is with Tapcons. 
As a concrete/masonry contractor, we use and re-use hundreds, if not thousands, of 1/4" Tapcons every year, and I'd guess less than 1% of them strip out or break. It's far more common to lose them or strip the hex drive head off of them than to have them fail any other way. And we rely heavily on them at times with special formwork, and the loads that are involved. We don't do anything special when drilling either, other than drill 25-50% deeper than we need to. I wonder if most of the problems come from trying to use the throw-away freebie bit that comes with the box of Tapcons???
As a concrete/masonry contractor, we use and re-use hundreds, if not thousands, of 1/4" Tapcons every year, and I'd guess less than 1% of them strip out or break. It's far more common to lose them or strip the hex drive head off of them than to have them fail any other way. And we rely heavily on them at times with special formwork, and the loads that are involved. We don't do anything special when drilling either, other than drill 25-50% deeper than we need to. I wonder if most of the problems come from trying to use the throw-away freebie bit that comes with the box of Tapcons???
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
I see this discussion all over the web, and to be honest, I've never understood what the issue is with Tapcons.
As a concrete/masonry contractor, we use and re-use hundreds, if not thousands, of 1/4" Tapcons every year, and I'd guess less than 1% of them strip out or break. It's far more common to lose them or strip the hex drive head off of them than to have them fail any other way. And we rely heavily on them at times with special formwork, and the loads that are involved. We don't do anything special when drilling either, other than drill 25-50% deeper than we need to. I wonder if most of the problems come from trying to use the throw-away freebie bit that comes with the box of Tapcons???
I use the freebie bit and still don't have many issues, nor from the other bits I have bought. Like you, I always drill plenty deep.