My pull-up bar almost became a ceiling fan

I installed a cheap pull-up bar in my basement doorway last month. Bolted it into the drywall anchors that came with it. Big mistake. First real workout, second rep, whole thing ripped out. Bar and I went crashing down. Smacked my back on the concrete floor. Head nearly hit the washing machine. Ended up cutting a 2x4 to span across the studs instead. Drilled straight into the wood, no anchors. Solid now, no wobble. Has anyone else had DIY gym gear just fail on them like that?

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2 Comments

danielh811mo ago

Man, I gotta disagree with you on the drywall anchors thing. I've been rocking a $30 bar with those same plastic anchors in my garage for over two years now and it hasn't budged an inch. The issue was probably tightening them down all the way so the anchor grips the drywall right, not just snugging them in.

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patel.daniel1mo ago

Two years is nothing for a garage setup where the bar sits still. Try hanging a 150 pound bag that gets punched and kicked every day for two years and see those plastic anchors rip right out of the wall. The constant vibration alone works them loose over time. Even with the tightening trick, the plastic gets brittle and cracks eventually. Also depends on the drywall thickness and if you hit a stud or not. Ive seen those cheap anchors fail with way less abuse than a punching bag takes.

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