Steve Jones wrote in message ...
I have a simple enough question but I cannot find the answer on Google,
hope someone can help:

What is the purpose of a self tapper screw, and when would one use such
a screw?

Can they be used in place of wood screws? What about with wall
plugs?

yes and yes.


For example, is an A2 stainless steel self tapper suitable for attaching
downpipe clips to an external brick wall? (With suitable wall plug of
course).

yes. There is one other difference not yet mentioned, and that is that
the self tap has a much steeper taper on its pointy end. This is a
small advantage when screwing into very shallow materials like chip,
since a little more thread will grip the chip. The downside is its
harder to drive in, which is an issue with wood at times.

Also theyre normally single thread rather than twin, so longer time to
drive it in too.

Regards, NT