Itâs mostly a matter of cost/availability. Torx fasteners are usually rarer and more expensive, and if youâre using Wera hex-plus drivers (Highly recommended, they are the best and absolutely worth the $$$) and class 10.9 or 12.9 fasteners, it becomes somewhat of a nonissue. But if stainless is a requirement, then torx is a good way to mitigate the issue of stripping.
@Grozniy I love NordLock, I just wish they werenât so dang expensive sometimes lol
Another fastener of sorts: Threadlockers and retaining compounds! Iâm a loctite guy, but you can get comparable versions from Permatex or others.
For general purpose I have 243 - Itâs like the common 242 blue threadlocker, except more tolerant of dirty/greasy surfaces.
I also have 641 which is a medium strength retaining compound for bearings, that is removable.
648 is the ridiculous permanent sleeve retainer - only way to get that stuff off is with heat and swearing.
I 680 everything, I 680 my front door closed at home when I go on holiday. I 680 my children into the car seats and I 680 my manboobs to the top of my stomach to make my chest look slimmer.
680 4 lyfe
Iâm in the USA in a major city, and I have to buy all my bolts online. The local stores only carry FUB which is not very useful for vehicle engineering/construction/repair. Almost always I need or prefer metricâŠ
Great info Mike, thank you. Iâve been using these stores for 3 years and the products have been very good so far and not expensive.
I think thereâs some standardized torque for screws based on size, type and material. Iâm starting to use torque control tools for fasteners, figuring Iâll maximize torque and reduce chances of stripping.
Thereâs is and there are. Good idea, I mostly do it by feel, but torque wrench are nice.
Oh, I remember. Truss head screws have a very wide head, making washers unnecessary. I like these for truck hardware.
Use socket heads where you can too. They are pretty hard to stripâŠ
Another maner special bookmark post. Nicely done sir.
If you are looking for a good source of hardware check out https://www.mcmaster.com
They have anything you could want in any grade or material for the most part.
I am extremely lucky with what I can source locally. Its been commented on before with deep jealousy by @b264. It suits my style of building because I am by nature extremely disorganised and impatient. This completely ruins the internet for me with regard to ordering in a timely manner. What i canât source locally I find an adaptation, for example, my evo runs m6 kitchen cabinet inserts. Built specifically for particle/chip board. I got those bad boys into a rock hard LY deck. Wasnât easy but they are in there and they ainât coming out. Did take 20 to get 8 to work but they were 5 bucks for 20. I do have a wonderful fixing and all things penetration (ooh er) shop in an industrial estate just down the road who have every kind of bolt in every pitch/denomination/material/size and head. 70 year old guy runs it and only takes cash. Card fees are taking the piss apparently. I have witnessed a guy trying to buy a 3000 dollar concrete borer with his credit card and being refused. What he doesnât have I have yet to find. Wonderful. I have a rubber shop that sells all kinds of foam/ gasket material etc etc.
Electronics suppliers that sell xt90âs and silicon wire and bullets even 30q batteries but they are 20 bucks each so we give those a miss but in a pinch? Hobby shops here sell everything.
Point to this rambling is that I am sure that I am not unique in this, I just took the time to find local suppliers to make my life easier but so many of us rely solely on what can be sourced online. Try having a mooch about, you may be surprised. With fasteners and fixings I am quite sure that most of what you need can be found a stones throw away if you look.
Daren helpful if slightly smug rant over
A quick tangent regarding my earlier mention of threadlockers/retaining compounds:
The strength you get out of them is often highly dependent on the surfaces theyâre sticking to - bare steel is best, zinc chromate is worse, and brass/stainless/aluminum are worse still. Iâm talking a 75% decrease from bare steel to brass in some cases.
Many are also quite sensitive to the size of the gap theyâre filling! the strength of loctite 290 (a very thin, wicking threadlocker designed to be applied after parts are already assembled) for example, loses 60% of itâs strength if used in a 0.15mm gap compared to a 0.05mm gap.
TLDR: You have to know what youâre using, and what you should and shouldnât expect out of it. Read the datasheets, they have pictures.
Donât forget primer 
This is very important as is knowing whether the lock is anerobic or aerobic. Some blues are meant to be left to cure open and then act like nyloc. Some the thinner varieties will only cure if tightened.
Datasheets. Or indeed the instructions on the bottle. I know the instructions are usually a last resort to any red blooded male.
And solvent to remove the dirt/grease/old loctite. (This is one of the reasons I like 243: itâs less sensitive to dirty conditions and it reaches nearly full strength on most metal surfaces.)
douse everything in medical alcohol. then set fire to it. Perfectly sterile. Then you can do what you want with it.
Great details on the mechanical properties of fasteners. A lot of people also get confused when it comes to stainless steel fasteners - here is a guide on the different stainless steel grade options and where they are used and also the strength properties of stainless fasteners.
Good info for sure! Anything high stress, get grade 8 or better. Donât buy the grade 5 hardware from Loweâs for anything other than lights and enclosures.
I have purchased hardware in bulk from aliexpress for reasonable prices. Iâve used McMaster and granger. I also use monster bolts eBay store. Theyâve got a big selection and quick shipping.