Old timer told me to always drill pilot holes in 2x4s, but I think he was wrong

I was helping a neighbor build a small workbench a couple weekends ago, and he insisted I drill pilot holes for every single screw. He's been building stuff for 30 years and said it prevents splitting. I followed his advice for the first 10 screws or so, but it took forever. Then I got impatient and just started driving screws straight into the pine 2x4s without pilot holes. Not one of them split. Not a single one. So now I'm wondering if his advice is outdated or just for certain woods. Maybe it matters more with hardwood or when you're near the edge of a board? I'd love to hear from others about this. Do you still drill pilot holes in standard construction lumber, or am I right that it's a waste of time for most DIY bench builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

amybarnes18d ago

That one screw that didn't split doesn't mean the old timer was wrong about the other nine.

adam_hernandez18d ago

Keep a box of those brass wood screws from the hardware store in your bag. They don't split as easy and save you the headache of having to go back and patch a cracked piece of trim. Learned that one the hard way after trying to match an old timer's technique with the wrong fastener.

ericgonzalez18d ago

Wait, only nine out of ten didn't split?