Outlaw Fasteners’ new Deck Screw is impossible to talk about without innuendos flying left and right. And it’s not our fault, their Kickstarter video practically broke the Guinness Record for dropping more innuendos than we ever thought could possibly be jammed into a 4 minute video. Still, the new Outlaw Deck Screw impressed us enough (innuendos and all) to win our coveted Pro Tool Innovation Award for Decking Screw Fasteners. The new Outlaw Fastener uses a UniGrip drive system that has up to 18 points of contact. It claims to be able to all but eliminate stripped screws, dropped screws and the need for multiple driving bits across their range of screw sizes. Based on what we’ve seen and tested so far, these claims seem to hold true.
Check out the Kickstarter video for your yearly dose of “screw” innuendo.
The Best Screw You’ll Ever Experience?
I don’t know that I “experience” screws when I use them, but certainly the UniGrip design is something entirely new to the industry. It makes a lot of sense, and allows the fastener to really grip the head of the bit—so much so that it can reverse grip a cordless impact driver or drill and hold it in place with the screw fastened horizontally into a stud wall. Try that with any other fastener, and you’ll be drop-testing your tool.
I do like the fact that the design lets you use one bit to fasten all screw sizes from 5/64” to 1/2” and metric sizes M2-M12. It enables you to use only one hand to hold the driver. Your screw stays securely on the non-magnetic bit—much more so than with magnetic bits and Philips or Square drive fasteners. A Torx head is the hearest I’ve seen to this kind of holding power. In fact, it can support a Milwaukee 2602-22 M18 1/2″ hammer drill at 90 degrees to the board.
Outlaw also designed a very cool aggressive thread in the middle of the screw, specifically to grab a decking board and pull it fast to the joist without having to leverage it or reach down and push or hold it in place. don’t have to stand or try to hold the deck board down as the screw begins to tighten to keep it from lifting up or “jacking”. It also has a self-sinking head and a self-drilling tip.
Outlaw Deck Screw Sizes
Initially, Outlaw Fasteners is planning to make four sizes of both the coated and the stainless deck screws, including:
- #8 x 1.5”
- #8 x 2.0”
- #9 x 2.5”
- #9 x 3.0”
Outlaw Deck Screws On Kickstarter
Outlaw put their Deck Screw on Kickstarter earlier this month and had raised over 75% of the necessary funds in less than 2 weeks. That made sure the new screws went into production. The $100,000 funding goals covers the cost of producing 10,000 5 lb boxes of screws (a full truckload).
