On Jun 22, 5:51*pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote:
"RicodJour" wrote:

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Do it right, do it once, and all that. *But I don't like stainless
deck screws as much as the epoxy coated ones. *The coated screws are
much less likely to strip out the square drive recess than stainless
screws.
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That's why pilot drills were invented.

A MUST for S/S fasteners IMHO.

That's the deal breaker - well, one of the deal breakers - for me.
Pilot holes near the ends of boards to prevent splitting, sure, but no
way no how am I drilling a deck full of pilot holes when the epoxy
coated screws are self drilling and have those nifty anti-mushroom
heads.

R