Gary Sokolisch wrote in news:xaa652e8r8ni
:

If you pre-drill, the screw doesn't have much to grab onto. In the old
days, they simply turned the screw without any pilot holes. In fact, my
dad used to do it that way. The screw threads thereby get a good "bite"
into the wood.

You got lotsa replies about pilot holes. There are many different charts on
the net of proper holes for soft and hardwoods. An example:

http://www.engineershandbook.com/Tab...pilotholes.htm

The cheap ass Chinese lag bolts made these days like to snap if they have
any length to them.