Rackstuds are one of those things that you didn’t know you needed until you first get some. Cage nuts have caused me more pain than just about any other non-powered piece of hardware I’ve ever used. I’ve been pinched, bled and even hit in the nose(they can fly I tell you) by cage nuts. What’s that you say there’s a tool to put them in with? Yes, I know, but that tool has caused me as many injuries as the cage nuts themselves. The solution is definitely Rackstuds.
Rackstuds are made from extremely durable thermoplastic. They have been tested by a lab for their ability to withstand various loading scenarios. In my last few years of use, I have seen no signs of fatigue or stress from loads of normal servers and network gear.
One of my favorite parts of the Rackstuds is how easy it is to load in gear by myself. I can install the Rackstuds first and then put the gear over the studs. They will hold the load temporarily allowing me to tighten the caps down on top of the studs. This is great for my lab area where I’m constantly changing out equipment for testing and proof of concept.
I have yet to find a square hole rack that these will not work with. Recently though the company added a second flavor of Rackstuds designed to work with racks from Great Lakes and Chatsworth that have thicker rails than most other companies. The newer version is blue while the original is still red to make it easy to distinguish.
Still not convinced? Give them a try yourself. I’ve included a link above for their sample pack that contains both versions of the Rackstuds product for only $5.00 on Amazon. Trust me, once you try them you’ll keep a bag of them in your go-bag.