Simpson Strong-Tie Anchors and Fasteners: A Contractor’s FAQ on Buying Smart

Before you order another box of wedge anchors, let me tell you where I sit. I’m a procurement manager for a 14-person general contractor. I’ve managed our tool and fastener budget—roughly $120,000 a year—for the past six years, and I’ve compared quotes from more vendors than I can count. This FAQ is the advice I wish someone had given me, plus a few mistakes I would rather not repeat.

I buy a lot of Simpson Strong-Tie products because the engineering data is solid and inspections move faster. You can search for simpson-strong-tie, simpson strong tie anchors, or just Simpson Strong-Tie—the spelling changes, but the load tables don’t. “Expensive” and “cheap” are the wrong way to frame the decision. Let’s look at the questions I actually answer on a monthly basis.

1. What makes Simpson Strong-Tie anchors different from a random concrete anchor?

Simpson Strong-Tie anchors are the engineered line: wedge anchors, sleeve anchors, Titen HD concrete screws, and the connectors they support. The difference is documentation. Every product has published loads and an ICC-ES report that an inspector can pull up, often referenced to ACI 318 or ASTM F1554. A generic anchor might survive the same test in your garage, but without the report, you are betting on hope. Hope is not a structural engineering document.

Now, I’m not saying you need a Simpson anchor for every fence gate. For non-structural work, a generic anchor is fine. But for anything on a foundation or a wall that carries real load, I will pay for the traceable part. Over six years, one fastener failure caused more redo costs than every Simpson anchor we bought that year. (Note to self: I use that math whenever someone calls the Titen HD price “expensive.”)

2. Which Simpson Strong-Tie screws should I keep in stock?

For wood-to-wood and wood-to-steel connections, I keep Strong-Drive SDS screws and the structural screws with the yellow coating in the truck. For metal framing, I’ll grab their self-drilling screws. The exact product depends on your local code and the connection, so don’t take my list as a spec. I can only speak to the light commercial and high-end residential projects we run.

And whatever you do, don’t substitute a generic coated screw for a Simpson structural screw unless an engineer signs off. The head marking, coating, and tensile strength are not just marketing decoration. Put another way: a structural screw is a piece of the approved load path. If the inspector sees the wrong head mark, I own the redo.

3. Do I need a rotary screw air compressor for our crew?

This one is not about Simpson at all, but it comes up because our jobsite air tools and structural nailers live in the same budget. If your crew runs framing nailers and pin nailers all day, a rotary screw air compressor can pay for itself in duty cycle. The first rotary screw quote I saw was about three times the price of a decent portable unit—terrifying. But when I audited our 2023 compressor repairs, the reciprocating unit had burned through its own purchase price in two service calls. Looking back, I should have made the bigger investment earlier.

That said, if you only need air to shoot a few Simpson Strong-Tie clips now and then, a small portable compressor is fine. A rotary screw compressor is a tool, not a status symbol. Your mileage will vary if your crew spends more time on maintenance than production.

4. Is a pressure washer warranty actually worth paying for?

I’m suspicious of any “warranty included” statement until I read the full terms. A pressure washer warranty can be valuable when it covers the pump—the part that actually fails. But the exclusions are where the trap lives. I once watched a warranty claim get denied because the owner didn’t use the supplied hose screen. A missing $4 screen turned a $700 pump into a paperweight.

Here’s the useful part: the Federal Trade Commission enforces the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and that means warranty terms have to be available before you buy. So if a distributor cannot show you the full document, that is a red flag. I’d choose a two-year pump warranty with a readable maintenance checklist over a five-year warranty with a notarized service log. What I mean is, the cost of a warranty is small; the cost of a loophole is the entire machine.

5. How do I change a cutting disc on an angle grinder without stripping the spindle lock?

It sounds basic, but I have sent two grinders to the scrap pile because someone forced the spindle lock. Here is how to change cutting disc on an angle grinder without wrecking your tool. First, unplug the grinder or pull the battery. Press the spindle lock button and rotate the disc until it clicks into the lock. Hold the lock, then use the wrench to loosen the flange nut—counterclockwise from the grinding side. Remove the old disc, put the new one flat side against the flange, and hand-thread the nut. Hold the lock and tighten it clockwise. Check that the rotation arrow on the disc matches the tool’s direction.

The most common mistake is using the wrench to brake a spinning disc. That can strip the spindle lock in seconds. A new cut-off disc costs a few dollars. A replacement angle grinder costs much more. Bad trade.

6. Can I use cheaper anchors for non-structural work?

Yes, if you define non-structural carefully and write it down. I buy generic anchors all the time for temporary bracing, signs, planter boxes, and other low-risk jobs. But if a connection carries wind, gravity, or seismic load, it’s structural. That is not my personal opinion; that is how the building code gets applied. Simpson Strong-Tie anchors and brackets are built for that side of the project.

The real cost difference is not the anchor price. It is the redo, the missed schedule, and the potential liability. A cheap anchor that fails on a gate is a nuisance. A cheap anchor that fails on an awning over a doorway is a much bigger problem. My rule: when in doubt, follow the published load tables. The transparent option—the one with a clear report, not just a low price—usually wins in the total cost column. At least, that’s been my experience in the field. If your situation is different, run your own numbers—but don’t skip the report.