Are you planning to purchase T-Nuts for your climbing gym? You would probably have those questions in mind:
- Which base is better? Round base, rectangular base, or OEM base, such as diamond base?
- What’s the load requirement?
- How to do the load test? And which lab could do this test?
Well, then this article is just for you.
Firstly, I’m sure you are very clear that T-Nuts for climbing gyms are not the same as what is required for residential climbing walls.
Because more load would occur during climbers’ activities.
According to EN12572-1/2, a minimum of 12KN is a basic industry standard.
Taking T-Nuts that are made by the same raw material, same material thickness.
Two elements determine their tensile strength:
- Barrel length
- Base shape
From these 2 points, I would like to recommend the below types.
They have been performed very well on different projects.
| Product Name | Material Available | Picture | EXW Factory Price | MOQ | Load Test |
| M10X12X25, Indoor application | Carbon steel
|
 |
USD$0.065/pc
|
96 000pcs | 12KN |
| M10X12X25, Round Base,
Outdoor Application |
Stainless steel 304 |  |
USD$0.15/pc – stainless steel 304 | 20 000pcs | 12KN |
| M10X12X32, Larger Round Base Screw-in T-Nuts | Carbon steel |  |
USD$0.105/pc | 50 000pcs | 12KN |
| M10X12 Rectangular Base T-Nuts | Carbon steel
|
 |
USD$0.15/pc | 24 000pcs | 16KN |
| M10X12 Rectangular Base T-Nuts | Stainless Steel |  |
USD$1.2 | 24 000pcs | 16KN |
| M10X 18 barrel length
Rectangular Base T-Nuts |
Carbon steel |  |
USD$0.17/pc | 24 000pcs | 16KN |
| 3/8”-16 with 16mm barrel, self-guided half thread T-Nuts | Carbon steel |  |
USD$0.19/pc | 24 000pcs | 16KN |
| NOTE: Any OEM T-Nuts. As a professional manufacturer, we have a great ability for OEM. | |||||
* The above prices and MOQ may change without further notice.
I believe this table must have given you a more detailed understanding of the different nuts.
You will also surely find: in fact, you only need to focus on the pulling force and price.
Obviously: M10X12X25, round bottom nuts have less pulling power than M10X12 rectangular bottom ones.
This is why more and more climbing gyms choose to use rectangular bottoms or self-guided this one.
From the overall budget assessment of the project, the number of nuts used is large, but their purchase cost is only a small part of the overall project budget.
For example, 50 thousand nuts, the square-bottomed nuts are only USD $4000 more expensive than the round-bottomed ones. These payments will give you longer use, less post-maintenance, and more convenient installation. It’s worth it.
Finally: I’ll share with you a few more details that you must pay attention to when purchasing.
Please remember: these few details will be very, very helpful to you:
1. Is the barrel straight from the base to the tip?
For instance: at the base, the diameter could be 12.8 mm, while at the tip it could be like 12.4 mm.
This results in an uneven finish.
Under normal circumstances, the top of the barrel will have an indentation, which is determined by the stamping process.
If the barrel has not been further chamfered, every nut will have this condition.
2. Is the base as flat as possible?
All the bases will certainly have a circle of marks produced by the stamping.
It can not be 100% flat, but try to buy the best possible one.
Although the imperfection of these two details will not affect the overall tension of the product.
But during installation, you would find out that the above 2 details would determine if the barrel would lopsided.
If you drill a 13 mm hole. The inserts would end up being lopsided.
If you use a 13.5 mm hole, there is too much space for the insert to move around, which results in a somewhat sloppy-looking end product. (See pictures)
Please go through the below video.
If the base is not very flat, this would happen. The inserts would end up being lopsided.
To give you a clearer understanding, please note the comparison photos below.
