Metallics JTEKD26 6 x 3/8 in. 1/4 Indented Hex Head Self-Drilling & Tapping Screws with Washer - #2 Drill Point - Steel Zinc - Each

No pilot hole. The #2 drill point cuts its own hole and the threads tap it in one pass, which is the point of a Type BSD self-drilling and tapping screw. Metallics lists a drill time of about 2.5 seconds through a 1 mm plate, and notes minimum torques are the same for steel and stainless self-drill screws.

No. The JTEKD26 is not Buy American compliant and not ARRA compliant, with country of origin listed as multiple. If your project has domestic sourcing language in the specs, this fastener will not clear it.

A 1/4 in. hex driver or nutsetter. The head is an indented hex washer head measuring 0.244 to 0.25 in. across the flats, with 0.272 in. across the corners, so a standard 1/4 in. magnetic nutsetter in a drill or impact seats it. No bit tip required.

The washer is integral to the head, so nothing extra to order or hold. Washer outside diameter runs 0.302 to 0.328 in. with a thickness of 0.015 to 0.025 in., which spreads the bearing load over sheet metal and helps hold thin strap, clamps, and plated connectors without pulling through.

Minimum torsional strength is 24 lb-in, with case hardness at Rockwell C32-40 and steel to AISI 1016-1024. Threads are 20 per inch to SAE J78-2013. That is the standard duty band for a #6 drill screw, so drive it at moderate speed and back off the trigger as the washer seats; over-torquing past the 24 lb-in minimum is what snaps heads off, not the sheet.

Steel with a zinc finish. Zinc plating is a mild corrosion coating intended for dry interior electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work, which is the stated field application. For wet, exterior, or coastal exposure, specify a stainless self-drilling screw instead.

Head and thread dimensions conform to ASME B18.6.3-2010, threads to SAE J78-2013, and the steel to AISI 1016-1024. Note that SAE J78 does not cover #7 diameter drill screws, so if a drawing calls out #7 you are outside that standard.

They ship in a jar with an order minimum of 100 pieces. Size is #6 diameter by 3/8 in. long, so it is a short fastener meant for sheet-to-sheet and device attachment rather than anything with grip length.

Head height runs 0.08 to 0.093 in. above the washer face. That is a shallow enough profile that it clears most strut, box covers, and sheet metal joints without fouling a mating surface, while still giving a 1/4 in. hex to grab.

A jar comes in at 0.28 lbs, with the container measuring 3 x 3 x 2.15 in. Light enough that ordering several sizes at once is no freight concern.