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I always used a 3/8 inch bit for pilot holes in oak, but my buddy in Austin said to try a 1/2 inch.

We were framing a sunroom last month and I saw him do it, so I tried it on the next set of joist hangers. The screws went in straight every single time with zero splitting. What's the biggest 'small change' you've seen make a huge difference on site?
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3 Comments
eva_rivera49
My crew in Phoenix switched to impact drivers for deck screws. The difference in speed and wrist fatigue was insane, like cutting work time in half. That little change basically saved our summer.
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brooke71
brooke713h ago
Yeah, that bit size thing is a game changer for hardwoods. Reminds me of when we finally listened to advice like @eva_rivera49's and got a proper impact driver. We were using these old, heavy-duty lag screws for a cedar pergola, and the driver just sunk them without any fight, no pre-drilling needed. Saved so much time and my elbows thanked me.
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theapatel
theapatel23d ago
Saw a friend switch to pre-drilling for pocket holes.
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