Metallics ZSA1TK Anchors 8 X 1-1/4 S-Dr Wall Ancr Kit Z (box 50)

No pilot hole. These are self-drilling drywall anchors, so the anchor point cuts its own hole and threads into the board with a #2 Phillips driver or a screw gun on low torque. That is the whole reason to stock them on a service truck: one driver, no bit changes, no drill and no plug to fumble in a ceiling.

Drywall only. A self-drilling anchor threads into gypsum board and relies on the board itself for grip, so it will not start in concrete, brick, block, or hard plaster over lath, and it should not be used in a stud. For masonry you want a sleeve or wedge anchor with a hammer-drilled hole; into a stud, drive the screw direct and skip the anchor.

That is exactly the use case. Metallics catalogs the ZSA1TK on the electrical side, and a #8 x 1-1/4 screw with a self-drilling drywall anchor is the standard way to hang a low voltage mounting bracket, a small enclosure, a raceway strap, or a device plate where there is no stud behind the board. For anything with real weight, a fire alarm horn strobe or a panel, go to a toggle instead.

Two different load classes. The ZSA1TK self-drilling anchor threads into the face of the drywall and carries light loads, and it installs in seconds with just a driver. A toggle bolt needs a drilled through-hole and a wing that spreads behind the board, which takes longer but spreads the load across a much larger area. Rule of thumb for a service call: shelf brackets, plates, straps, small brackets go on self-drillers; anything you would not want landing on someone goes on a toggle.

The anchors are zinc plated, which is the Z in the kit description. Zinc plating handles normal interior humidity in a garage, mechanical room, or utility closet fine. It is not a marine or exterior-exposure coating, so for anything seeing weather or washdown, go to a stainless fastener instead.

Fifty per box, anchors and screws together as a kit, so you are not sourcing the screws separately. For a punch list or a multi-unit turn where you are hanging a few plates or brackets per apartment, one box covers a lot of openings.

Metallics part number ZSA1TK. That single number covers the whole kit, #8 x 1-1/4 zinc self-drilling wall anchors with screws, 50 to a box. There is one configuration, so there is no size or finish to specify on the order.