Let me start with an opinion that does not always make me popular in the supply room: For anything load-bearing, I order Simpson Strong-Tie, and I do not apologize for it. This is not a sponsored statement. I'm an office administrator, not an engineer. I manage purchasing for a midsized general contractor—about 60 orders a month, maybe 70 when we have three active sites. I've been doing this since 2019, which means I've also dealt with the two painful realities of construction purchasing: cheap products that fail on paper, and expensive projects that fail in the field.
In this piece, I want to explain why I choose engineered connectors, what I look for when someone asks for a Simpson Strong Tie anchor bolt or a Simpson Strong Tie 6x6 post bracket, and why I think contractors and office buyers should understand the hardware rather than just compare price (which, honestly, is the only number finance wants to see).
The 'Strong-Tie' Name Is Not a Style Choice
What most people don't realize is that a connector is only as good as the load path it creates. A bracket can look identical from across the aisle, but if it has no published load values, it might tear out on the first real wind event—or worse, during inspection, where you're paying to wait.
When I hear 'Simpson Strong Tie anchor bolt,' I know exactly what the project needs: a threaded rod that connects a sill plate to the foundation, tested with a specific nut size, washer diameter, and embedment depth. The same is true for a Simpson Strong Tie 6x6 post bracket. The load rating depends on the screw type, the wood species, and whether you're using a concealed flange or an exposed strap. I'm not going to tell you which bracket to use, because that's the structural engineer's call. But I can tell you this much: if you don't know the load rating, you should not be buying it for a structure.
When a crew lead asks for the 'simpson strong tie 6x6 post bracket,' I default to the published catalog number. That's not laziness. It's because the person who specifies that bracket has a reason, and my job is to keep the project moving without quietly substituting the wrong part.
Here's something vendors won't tell you: the word 'strong' on a box means almost nothing. Without a published load table, it's a marketing label. That's why I keep a Simpson Strong-Tie catalog in my office—okay, two catalogs, one in my car—not because I enjoy reading tables, but because an informed buyer is the only defense against a purchasing mistake that shows up years later.
Price Is What Finance Sees. Failure Is What Nobody Talks About.
The surprise wasn't the price difference. The surprise was how many 'equivalent' connectors had no data behind them. I was comparing a budget 6x6 post bracket to the Simpson Strong-Tie version a few months ago. The generic one was about 35% cheaper. On 50 brackets, that sounds like real money. Then I looked at the back of the package: no load rating, no installation torque, no reference to any code. Maybe it's fine. Maybe it's not. 'Maybe' is not an engineering standard.
The most frustrating part of this job is the same argument repeating itself: a contractor says 'the inspector won't check the underside of the bracket' or 'we've done this for twenty years.' You'd think written specs would settle it, but interpretation varies wildly. After the third time a bracket got hung with the wrong screws, I was ready to print out the load tables and tape them to the material cart. What finally helped was a simple rule: if a connection is structural, I don't accept substitution unless the equivalent product has the same published load data.
That rule is based on something bigger than personal preference. Per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), a claim about product performance needs substantiation. If a connector doesn't come with load data, from my buyer's perspective, it's not a substitute—it's an experiment.
Tools and Training Around Structural Connections
One thing I've learned in purchasing is that the connector is only part of the system. Tools matter too.
For example, I use a 20v max cordless drill/driver kit dcd771c2 for driving Simpson Strong-Tie structural screws on smaller jobs. It's a fine driver, but the battery charge and the clutch setting have nothing to do with whether the screw is rated for the connector. You still have to read the package. And for anchor bolts, you should not guess the torque. A 20V drill can spin the nut down quickly, but structural anchoring usually requires a calibrated torque wrench or a specified turn-of-nut method. The drill saves time; it doesn't save responsibility.
On the cleaning side, I also order a high flow automotive pressure washer for our shop now and then. It's useful for washing mud off equipment and cleaning forms before reuse. But I want to be clear: a pressure washer does not clean a contaminated anchor hole. If an anchor bolt hole has dust or debris, the concrete bond is compromised. Blow it out, and yes, use the correct tool—but the tool is not the anchor.
And to answer a question I see people ask online: 'what is an angle grinder used to grind nccer?' Actually, that question comes from an NCCER curriculum module about recognizing angle grinder applications for grinding and cutting. It's a safety and identification question, not a structural connection spec. A grinder is for surfaces, not for bolts.
Anyway, the bigger point is this: contractors who understand the difference between 'a tool that turns fast' and 'a fastener that carries load' are rare. If you're buying for a crew, try to keep that distinction visible. It prevents a lot of midnight phone calls—not that we ever get those (we do, unfortunately).
The Rebuttal I Keep Hearing
'Generic brackets are fine for a deck.' 'Inspectors never check those bolts.' 'We've never had a failure.' I've heard all three. And I understand: nobody wants to spend more on something they can't see working.
But here's the thing about structural connections: they don't fail in a way that gives you a warning. A deck ledger that pulls away from a wall doesn't creak for a month. A post base that rusts through doesn't send a safety memo. It just gets worse until somebody walks on it.
In 2021, we had a vendor try to sell us a lot of 'equivalent' anchor bolts at 40% below our normal line item. I was tempted. Then our engineer asked for the ICC evaluation report. The vendor didn't have one. The order went back to Simpson Strong-Tie, and I spent an extra afternoon updating the purchase order—which, honestly, was way cheaper than explaining to my VP why the foundation connection didn't meet the building code.
So yes, I'm willing to be called the boring purchaser who always defaults to the known name. But buying structural connectors isn't like buying office paper. If the paper is wrong, you print again. If the anchor bolt is wrong, you have a conversation with the building department. Sometimes a crane. Neither one is a good use of the project budget.
Bottom Line: Buy the Data, Not Just the Part
I still believe an informed customer is the best customer. You don't have to buy Simpson Strong-Tie for every single project. Maybe for temporary work or non-structural fixtures, a generic bracket is fine. That's a business decision. But when the connection is part of the load path, ask for the engineering data. Ask for the catalog number. Ask for the installation requirements.
If the answer is 'it's the same thing, trust me,' treat that as a red flag. Because in purchasing, trust is good, but a load table is better. That's the opinion I started with, and it's still the one I'll defend when the next 'too good to be true' quote lands on my desk.
