Craftsman 15-in Scan Depth Metal and Wood Stud Finder Review

Stud finders are swell for locating the studs behind your walls. The tried-and-true "tap and guess" method might piece of work in a compression, but how many holes practise y'all really want in your wall? Grabbing the best stud finder can assistance eliminate some of the frustration and repainting that comes from less modern methods.

With a focus on residential and light commercial construction, our squad uses stud finders all the time in one case the drywall is up. Even when nosotros're not using them professionally, there are e'er pictures and mirrors to hang, shelves to mount, and any number of projects going on around our homes.

In that location are a lot of "best" stud finder options out at that place. Only permit'south face it, there's no single model that'south exactly what everyone needs. To assistance you out, our team has broken out a listing of our favorite stud finders in a diversity of situations forth with what we similar and don't like about each.

What is a Stud Finder?

Stud finders help you observe where studs are in your wall. Most people using i are setting a smash or spiral, commonly to hang something that might pull through the drywall on its ain.

Stud finders primarily come in ii categories.

Magnetic stud finders work past using a magnet to locate the screws that hold your drywall in place. They toll less than stud finders that utilise active sensors, but they're more limited. They tin can't detect the actual stud, and so there's some guesswork as you await for the verbal center.

Electronic stud finders actively find differences in wall density to discover studs. They typically utilize batteries as a ability source. Many tin can detect wood or metal studs and some have Air conditioning power detection. The simplest models help you observe the edges of studs while others show you the unabridged stud width. These are more expensive than magnetic models, but not prohibitively and so. Some of the best professional models still cost less than $25.

There are also other types of tools to discover objects beneath the surface of a wall. Advancing beyond the types of stud finders we recommend, you run into wall scanners. These radar-like tools typically merely get used past professionals to "see" what's behind the wall beyond just studs.

With the evolution of engineering, you tin can notice stud finding apps for both iPhone and Android smartphones. They use the phone'south magnetometer (the sensor that drives the compass) to detect metal nails or screws behind the drywall. Presumably, those nails or screws volition be in the middle of that stud you're attempting to locate. Note that these apps do non detect bodily wood studs or measure wall density.

And of class, people still use a knuckle or hammer every mean solar day. While there are some folks that are actually good at it, it'due south somewhat less reliable as a become-to method for detecting studs.

Tips for Using a Stud Finder

• Make sure you know if your model needs calibration and how to practice it.
• Keep your stud finder apartment confronting the wall while you lot're detecting.
• Keep your hands off of the wall to avert interference.
• Unless you're using a whole-stud detector, mark your position from several directions to ensure the best accuracy. Employ a piece of painter's tape on the wall if you lot want to avert marking directly on the paint.
• Combine a stud finder with a cantankerous line laser to mark the entire length of the stud or to hit the same peak across multiple studs.
• Stud finders also work cracking on the ceiling for finding joists.
• Studs are typically 16 inches autonomously (walls) and occasionally 24 inches (ceilings). If you're having problem finding one, get a skillful reading on another part of the wall and mensurate over.
• Keep an extra set of batteries in your toolbox for electronic stud finders.
• Trying to find studs in plaster walls sucks. Nearly stud finders are iffy at best on plaster and lathe. Use a defended metal detector instead (recommendation below).

Best Professional Stud Finder

Franklin ProSensor 710

Wider than many stud finders, the Franklin ProSensor constantly checks xiii points and has the ability to detect upwards to 1.6 inches deep. It's a full-width stud finder, pregnant you encounter the entire width of the stud. This gives you a clear picture of the stud and marking the full width or more accurately mark the center. If you need to be super-accurate, they also provide a ruler forth the edge for reference.

Check out our Franklin ProSensor 710 stud finder review

Y'all can also take things up a notch with the ProSensor 710+. It's essentially the same model with a built-in bubble level. Our Pro team typically prefers a separate level or cantankerous line laser, so the Franklin ProSensor 710 gets our nod as the best professional stud finder. If y'all want the level, it's just $5 more. The Franklin FST602 (T6) besides provides the same functionality in a more compact package for $24.99.

Read our Franklin ProSensor T6 stud finder review

Price: $49.99 (ProSensor 710), $54.99 (ProSensor 710+), $24.99 (ProSensor 602)

Pros

• Deep sensing
• Accurate, total-width indicators
• One-hand performance
• No calibration required
• Made in the USA

Cons

• Bigger than many units
• More expensive than basic stud finders

All-time Electronic Wall Stud Finder

DeWalt DW0150 Stud Finder

Every bit we considered the best electronic wall stud finder options, we wanted to focus on the ability to accurately discover Ac and studs. There are plenty of proficient options, and our team decided on the DeWalt i one/2-inch stud finder.

It's a center-detecting stud finder with LED indicators to help you dial in the eye of the stud. Along the way, it also checks for alive Ac and constantly automobile-calibrates for wall density.

There are two models bachelor: a 3/four-inch detector (DW0100) and a 1 1/2-inch detector (DW0150). The price difference between the two is merely $5, and we recommend spending a few dollars more to get a ameliorate detection depth when needed.

Price: $24.99

Pros

• Finds metallic or woods studs
• Detects live Air-conditioning
• Simple ane-push functioning
• Constantly machine-calibrates
• Detects stud centers

Cons

• Some of our team didn't care for the ergonomics

All-time Magnetic Stud Finder

CH Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder

Magnetic stud finders get us dorsum to where it all began—using a magnet to feel where nails or screws are in the stud. Simple options like StudPop work well, but the CH Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder had the most appeal to our team.

It has stronger magnets than many of its competitors, guiding y'all to the fasteners easily. It besides has a rotating bubble level. Unlike whole-stud options, that's a feature our team does want on magnetic models.

Without the ability to electronically sense the sides and center, it'southward important to go the stud finder level and then yous can more easily follow the stud. Of class, that assumes the stud itself is straight. Nosotros've seen some that are questionable in that department.

We're not lone in thinking CH Hanson makes the best magnetic stud finder. It's consistently rated very loftier past customers at every retailer that sells them.

Price: $7.99

Pros

• Tried-and-true simple operation
• Strong magnets
• Detects ferrous metal studs and wood stud fasteners
• Integrated rotating chimera level
• Cheap

Cons

• Unable to detect wood stud sides and center

Best Stud Finder With Laser Level

Craftsman 20-ft Self-Leveling Line Generator Line Laser Level

The best stud finder with laser level goes to the Craftsman 20-ft Self-Leveling Line Generator Line Laser Level. By combining a horizontal automobile-leveling laser level with a stud finder, you lot tin take intendance of hanging multiple pictures or longer items with more confidence. This definitely falls under homeowner or DIY usefulness, but we've heard of Pros finding these handy for quick layout tasks.

On the stud sensing side, it detects both wood and metallic studs. Two things we'd like to see in a future upgrade is a vertical angle and the power to lock in an bending. A vertical beam is helpful to mark the entire length of the stud. Locking in an angle would be useful when you're hanging a series of pictures and want to add a creative angle to the brandish.

Craftman'south concept of a congenital-in hanging pin is nice, but yous can break it off if you effort to push it in off-center.

Blackness and Decker (endemic by the parent company of Craftsman) also has a similar model with Air-conditioning detection available at for $62.99.

If you lot're looking for something for professional installations, DeWalt has a philharmonic that includes a green cross line laser and stud finder equally separate units. It runs $269 at Home Depot.

Price: $49.98

Pros

• Stud find and laser level in 1
• Motorcar-leveling up to 5º
• Detects forest and metallic studs
• Detects alive AC

Cons

• No vertical laser
• No bending lock for laser
• Hanging pivot can interruption off
• More than expensive than other stud finders

All-time Stud Finder for Plaster Walls

Zircon MetalliScanner m40

Trying to accurately detect studs inside a plaster wall is difficult . Magnetic stud finders ofttimes won't penetrate far enough and electronic models are iffy at all-time. Our selection equally the best stud finder for plaster walls isn't technically a stud finder—information technology's a metal detector. In our experience, metallic detecting gives u.s.a. the best results.

The Zircon MetalliScanner m40 is able to detect metal in a variety of materials, including plaster. Like a magnetic finder, y'all're searching for nails or screws. Lathe can have more nails than the ones just on the stud, and so once you find a good stud, measure out out from there.

Price: $44.99

Pros

• Senses metal deeper than magnetic models tin can attract
• More authentic in plaster than standard stud finders
• Pinpoint scan (turning the scanner sideways) helps place nails and screw more hands

Cons

• Not a practiced selection if yous take wire mesh in your plaster walls
• Metal pipes and other metal objects may throw off your search for studs
• You demand to run information technology multiple times horizontally and vertically to ensure the most authentic results

Best Stud Finder for Home Utilize

Franklin ProSensor T6

If you're the type of person that'south willing to spend a little more to save time and go ameliorate results, the Franklin ProSensor T6 is the best stud finder for dwelling utilise. Its small-scale profile is like shooting fish in a barrel enough to store in a drawer or toolbox until you lot need information technology, and its whole-stud detection meets the needs of total-time Pros.

Read our Franklin ProSensor T6 stud finder review

Operation is uncomplicated and 1-handed. The $25 price tag is higher than an inexpensive magnetic model, but it will make your projects go so much more smoothly. It's seriously worth stepping up.

Price: $24.99

Pros

• Whole stud detection
• Easy operation
• Pro-level accuracy
• No calibration needed
• Small contour stores hands

Cons

• More expensive than basic DIY stud finders

All-time Stud Finder App

Stud Finder by Tue Nguyen Minh

Your best stud finder app options use your phone's EMF sensor (electromagnetic field) to hone in on the source. The about reliable we've constitute is Stud Finder by Tue Nguyen Minh on iPhone's app shop. The interface is simple to understand and easy to read.

It'southward not available on Android, though. For that system, requite Stud Finder Scanner past Antilogics a shot. It works on the same principles, though the visuals are quite a bit different.

The downside is that there's some guesswork based on where your EMF sensor is. Because you only have a 1 1/2 inches of stud to hit, existence off a little can move you off of your target completely. In our testing, it's non as accurate as other stud finders. Nevertheless, if you come up at it from several directions, you tin dial in the nail's position reasonably well.

Plus, it's gratuitous.

Price: free

Pros

• No toll
• Meter shows yous signal strength as a measure of closeness

Cons

• Iffy accuracy
• For all-time results, you demand to mark the strongest betoken multiple times from several directions to strop in on the source

Ever bank check out a "review" site and y'all tin can't tell if they actually tested the tools or if they're simply "recommending" the Amazon acme sellers? That's non us. We won't recommend anything unless we'd actually utilize it ourselves and we don't really care who the main retailer is. It's all most giving you lot a legitimate recommendation and our honest stance of each product.

Nosotros've been in business since 2008 covering tools, writing reviews, and reporting on industry news in the structure and lawn care industries. Our Pro reviewers work in the trades and take the skills and experience to know whether tools can perform well in the field.

Each year, we bring in and review more than 250 individual products. Our team will put our easily on hundreds of boosted tools at media events and merchandise shows throughout the twelvemonth.

We consult with innovators in the engineering and blueprint of tools to gain a broader grasp of where these products fit and how they work.

We work with more than than two dozen professional contractors around the Usa who review products for u.s.a. on real job sites and consult with u.s. on testing methods, categories, and weighting.

We'll provide more than than 500 pieces of new content this yr absolutely gratuitous for our readers—including objective evaluations of individual tools and products.

The cease result is information yous can trust considering of the editorial, scientific, and real-earth professional person experience we collectively utilize each and every fourth dimension nosotros pick up and examination a tool.

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Source: https://www.protoolreviews.com/best-stud-finder/

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