“What are cage nuts?” “How do you use cage nuts?” “Can I use another type of nut to mount my IT equipment?” These are all very common questions we receive about the hardware recommended for mounts. In this article, we hope to shine a light on what are cage nuts, how they are used, and why they are considered necessary for mounting equipment.

What are cage nuts?

Cage nuts are used to mount IT equipment in server racks. Cage nuts are easily identifiable through their square hole design. They are commonplace in IT environments. Cage nuts protect the weight of the equipment from stripping the threads.

How a cage nut works is by housing a standard nut in a case with a spring. A cage nut has two wings that, when pinched together, allow it to be inserted into a square hole on mounting equipment. The wings then release and the cage nut is held in place.

What does M6 mean on a cage nut?

Cage nuts generally come in two standards – M5 and M6. The more advanced and heavy-duty of the two standards are M6 cage nuts. M6 are heavier and more robust. Comparatively, M5 are designed for light and medium equipment only. Here are some more advantages to using cage nuts for IT mounts.

• They permit a choice in nut and bolt size.
• If a screw is over-tightened, the nut can be replaced.
• Cage nuts are very easy to use on materials that are thin or soft and/or which there is difficulty creating threading.

How do I install a cage nut?

In some cases, you may need a slot screwdriver to help install a cage nut. That said, there are mounting tools to help with cage nuts. To uninstall a cage nut, you will have to release the nut wings. It should then come right out.

What type of screws do you use with cage nuts?

Larger M6 cage nuts are for weight and so this must be kept in mind when selecting screws. Ultimately, it does not matter what kind of screw you use with a cage nut as long as it’s rated appropriately for the nut being used with it. You may find it more advantageous if you’re purchasing cage nuts to get them in a kit with mounting screws.

Where can I buy cage nuts in Canada?

Buy cage nuts in Canada from PrimeCables. They have a 10-pack currently on sale for $4.49 complete with mounting screws for a square hold server rack. If you don’t have one already, PrimeCables also has server racks to mount which can be paired in a purchase. The cage nuts available from PrimeCables are made from low carbon steel with a black oxide finish.