You’ve seen those Hercules Hooks commercials (infomercials) on TV. You know, there ones where Billy Mays yells about how much weight these little metal hooks will hold and how they only leave a pin-sized hole in your walls. Well, while I don’t care to be screamed at, I do happen to like these little hanger gadgets.

I’ve never ordered any from the infomercial (and never will), but found some at a small department store. Lucky find, these hooks were 25 for $5. I’ve heard the infomercial deal is 12 for $5.95! Then they keep charging your credit card over and over! I believe the (little-known) brand I purchased work just as well or better than the “as seen on TV” kind.

Do Hercules Hooks work “as seen on TV” ?

Yes, but… One thing the TV ad doesn’t mention is that these hooks, unlike nails, cannot be pushed into studs. Most people would naturally assume this, but there’s a large part of the population that have never dealt with studs, drywall and the like.

Studs are pieces of wood that are usually 2 x 4 and placed 16 inches apart, center to center. A stud finder can help find the precise location of studs in the wall. Some can rely on the difference in the sound of knocking on the wall over a stud versus over the spaces in between.

That said, attempting to drive a metal hook through a 2 x 4 piece of wood bare-handed is more a human flaw than a product flaw.

Let’s make them work the right way

1. First, find an empty space between two studs as mentioned above. About.com has an article on Click to visit this external linkhow to find a stud.
2. Next, take the sharp pointed end of the hercules hook and make a small mark on the wall where you’ll want it’s final placement.
3. This step is the key to easy hook insertion: With a drill or cordless screwdriver and a bit, drill a hole in the wall at the mark you made. Use a tiny drill bit, one smaller than the diameter of the hercules hook. I use a 1/16th bit with great success.
4. Next, insert the hook into the wall, but not quite “as seen on TV” style. Instead, insert the hook upside-down, handle on bottom, point on top. Wiggle it gently until it begins to ease into the wall. About 3/4 of the way in, turn the hook upright as seen in the image to the left. Continue to insert it until it’s in it’s final position.

Your hook is ready to use

Now that you have perfectly functioning hanging device, start hanging! While I’m pretty confident these little hooks can hold a lot of weight, they aren’t all-powerful. Most items can hold with one hook, but I prefer to use two hooks, about an inch apart, for heavier items.