Which Construction Adhesive Brand Wins?
We compared 5 construction adhesive options head to head. Loctite PL 8X came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Loctite PL 8X
Price shown in test: 78 cents per oz, tied with Liquid Nails Fuze It as the most expensive tested
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Loctite PL 3X
Price shown in test: 78 cents per oz, tied with Liquid Nails Fuze It as the most expensive tested
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DAP Dyna Grip
Price shown in test: 40 cents per oz
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Shear strength, 2x4 samples | Tensile strength, 1x2 wood samples | PVC end cap tensile strength | Value, pound strength per penny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Loctite PL 8X78 cents per oz, tied with Liquid Nails Fuze It as the most expensive tested | average of 1,836 lb, the best of any product, winning despite the wood itself failing before the adhesive on some samples, individual samples 1,509, 2,092, and 1,907 lb | average of 668 lb, the best of any product, with wood failure occurring on 2 of 6 samples, individual samples 684, 722, 697, 741, 622, and 541 lb | average of 281 lb, the best of any product, individual samples 309, 357, and 178 lb | about 12 lb of strength per penny, lower than DAP Dyna Grip and PL 3X's roughly 15 lb per penny |
| 2Loctite PL 3X49 cents per oz | average of 1,787 lb, second place, described as very strong and stronger than the wood itself, individual samples 2,030, 1,617, and 1,715 lb | average of 280 lb, third place, individual samples 205, 310, 252, 335, 319, and 259 lb | average of 102 lb, third place, individual samples 149, 93, and 64 lb | about 15 lb of strength per penny, tied with DAP Dyna Grip for the best value of any product tested |
| 3DAP Dyna Grip40 cents per oz | third place, individual samples 884, 1,964, and 989 lb | average of 512 lb, second place, individual samples 680, 606, 558, 197, 504, and 524 lb | struggled, individual samples of only 43, 56, and 28 lb, described as not appearing to fully cure at the center of the PVC even after 8 days of cure time | about 15 lb of strength per penny, tied with PL 3X for the best value of any product tested |
| 4Liquid Nails Fuze It78 cents per oz, tied with PL 8X as the most expensive tested | fourth place at an average of 1,178 lb, individual samples 925, 1,079, and 1,529 lb, with partial wood failure and mostly glue failure noted on the samples | average of 252 lb, fourth place, individual samples 280, 160, 267, 257, 242, and 308 lb | average of 153 lb, second place, individual samples 132, 160, and 168 lb | about 7 lb of strength per penny, the worst value along with Liquid Nails Heavy Duty |
| 5Liquid Nails Heavy Duty26 cents per oz, the least expensive product tested | weakest of any product, individual samples 517, 315, and 177 lb; presenter says he is really surprised it did not perform a little better | average of 216 lb, weakest of any product, individual samples 230, 311, 156, 247, 208, and 143 lb | weakest of any product by far, individual samples of only 6, 9, and 13 lb, described as failing to fully cure at the center of the PVC after 8 days | about 7 lb of strength per penny, the worst value along with Liquid Nails Fuze It despite being the cheapest per ounce |
How it was tested
- shear strength using glued 2x4 samples, measured in lb
- tensile strength using glued 1x2 wood samples cut and rejoined from the same board, measured in lb
- tensile strength using glued threaded PVC end caps, measured in lb
- price per ounce and pound of strength per penny as a value comparison
“It totally dominated this showdown in every single category, showing why it is such a great product.”