It is no exaggeration to say that Tapcons and other concrete screws have changed the world. The first art gallery I worked in had brick walls and it was my job to hang the exhibits every month or two. It was such a huge pain drilling holes and installing anchors. I would have killed for Tapcons back then. Plastic anchors also didn’t help with the look of the museum walls after we removed the exhibit. Now we not only have concrete screws, but we also get to use a concrete screw installation kit to easily install them.
Using a concrete screw installation kit like the ones pictured below, you save a lot of time switching between drilling and fastening.
Pro-tip: Buy two installation kits. Install the bit for the large Tapcons (1/4-inch screws) in one hammer drill and the small Tapcons (3/16-inch screws) in the other. Leave the bulky cases at home. All you need are these two cylinders and two extra tips for the ends. This also saves you from having to swap the bits back and forth. Several companies make these concrete screw installation kits and you can get them for use with rotary hammers, hammer drills, and impact drivers.
Using a Concrete Screw Installation Kit
To use a concrete screw installation kit or tool, chuck the tool in your hammer drill, then set it to hammer mode and high-speed drilling. Remove the outer sleeve which exposes the bit. Drill your hole, making sure you are using the correct size bit for the screws you are using. Next, slip the sleeve over the installation tool and use it as a driver to drive your screw. No need to remove the drill bit. This is what makes the system so fast to use. The end of the sleeve fits the smallest hex head screws and it comes with two additional bits, a number three Philips and a larger driver. I store one bit on one sleeve and one on the other making it easy to carry in a toolbox. It is a fantastic system.
If you use a rotary hammer, you will need a different set of drill bits since the shanks of them use SDS Plus bits. Fortunately, Bosch makes a universal kit that includes both the bits and the installation tool for hammer drills and rotary hammers along with the sleeve and drivers. As I mentioned above, I recommend you buy two kits.
Final Thoughts
While not inexpensive, these kits can really save you time (i.e. money) if you tend to do a lot of Tapcon or concrete screw anchoring. Look for pricing between $20 and $50 depending upon which set you buy.
