[dantesly]


Hello all,

 

I'm brand new to this forum and am also a novice when it comes to home theater and entertainment installation (I'm a tech guy, just not a power tools kind of guy hehe). Anyway my question is as follows:

 

Will a 55", 35lb LED TV be safe on a wall via a mount with (only) two separate bolts (lag bolts I'm assuming as they're huge...) going into two separate studs? 

 

The directions call for four as you can imagine, however I was only able to get pilot holes drilled fully in twice before bits were getting stuck in the wall and or the driver would fail to catch the bit...I couldn't for the life of me get two more full pilots in...

 

However the two I did get fully in and was able to bolt in were on two separate studs both on top rail of the mount. See this attached image. The red indicates where I was able to bolt in successfully into studs. The green lines indicate where the TV hangs centrally on the wall space.

 



 

 

I did pull on the mount as much as I could. I put the TV up and it seems sturdy (nothing moving or rattling easily). I even pulled as much as i could downward with the TV on the mount already (dumb, I know). So I feel as though this thing will hold, but I've never done this before so I wanted to get some opinions.

 

This is the TV: 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/33872040?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227022942485&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=36045870661&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=65066701501&veh=sem#Specifications

 

This is the mount:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/21853463?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227016812539&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=35700704436&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=50567941836&veh=sem

 

What do you guys think? 

 

[Phil17108]

At 35 pounds your OK . You can't put a second screw in the bottom holes in the mount? It's not a big deal anyway. I have mounted a few set's using the ultra low profile mounts and those only attached with 2 screws on the top. I also use smaller screws as with the big lags as I worry about splitting the stud even having drilled a mounting hole in it. I use 2 or 2 1/2 drywall screws.

 

[dantesly]


Yeah i figure with the rack handles on the back of the TV and the TV itself at 33lbs or so, it couldn't be more than 40lbs of weight. 

 

I misspoke, my apologies, they're not actually bolts, they're screws. But they're definitely at least a quarter in diameter and measure 2.5" in length. Those are what are securing the top successful holes. 

 

I could put slightly smaller diameter screws in the bottom holes as I was able to drill slightly smaller pilot holes into the bottom spaces. I just wasn't able to manage the correct size pilot holes in the bottom two and therefore was unable to put the fastening screws (the larger ones used at top rail) in. Do you think that would help anyway? I'll have to find two screws that are just shy of a quarter inch if I do...

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

[NickTheGreat]

From an engineering standpoint, you're probably fine. The shear of one of those bolts is well more than 35 lbs!

If it were me, I'd put some sort of screw or lag into the bottom portion like Phil said, and get to watching TV!


I don't quite understand your pilot hole issue. If you can get a 1/4" lag through the mount, why not a 1/4" drill bit? Either way, a slightly smaller lag (or screw) won't hurt anything.

 

[dantesly]


Okay, sounds like for the most part I should be safe.

 

The issue was I was able to (with an extreme amount of effort) successfully pilot 1/4" in the top two but couldn't successfully pilot a 1/4" in the bottom holes. I piloted all four originally with just shy 1/4" bits successfully. So I had 4 holes all at just shy 1/4". I found out quick that then drilling 1/4" screws in wasn't working easily. So I attempted 2mm or so more = 1/4" pilot bits into the top two but by the time I tried expanding the bottom two with the 1/4" pilot, the bit was actually getting stuck in the wall. I imagine due to the drill losing grip, and just the mere strength of the studs. So I left the bottom holes open, just shy of 1/4" holes, and drilled in the screws up top, the two holes where I was able to successfully pilot 1/4". 

 

Sorry if that doesn't make sense hehe. Just gave you kind of my whole process experience. Really I SHOULD have piloted with 1/4" right off the bat but I didn't realize the screws were that big. 

 

Again, I misspoke - not lag bolts, but rather 2 1/2" long, 1/4" diameter screws are what is successfully holding the mount currently.

 

[Phil17108]

Next time it well be easier for you. I use drywall screws, 2 - 2 1/2 inch long and a cordless power screw driver.

 

[NickTheGreat]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil17108  /t/1521092/question-regarding-wall-mounted-led-tv-beginner/0_40#post_24443298


Next time it well be easier for you. I use drywall screws, 2 - 2 1/2 inch long and a cordless power screw driver.

Drywall screws aren't really that good for that type of thing. They are NOT good in a shear direction, meaning perpendicular to the screw. They're strong in the other direction, as in holding drywall to the wall.

Now getting a real screw and a cordless drill wouldn't be that bad of an idea.

 

[Colm]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dantesly  /t/1521092/question-regarding-wall-mounted-led-tv-beginner#post_24442803


Okay, sounds like for the most part I should be safe.

Maybe not.

Quote:
..pilot 1/4"...1/4" diameter screws

Sounds like there is almost nothing holding the screws in.


Pilot hole for 1/4" screw should be 3/16" in softwood (studs).