Stud Finder Help

[Snap]

I was trying to determine if this thread should be in the Spaced Out, or the Mission Impossible. So if this needs to get moved by the mod squad then so be it.

Here is the problem.....

I have 2 stud finders. A black and decker with a laser level. And a 15 buck Stanley. They are NOT the most accurate of stud finders. But as you all know....a trip to lowes and there is 5 zillion stud finders to choose from. From 10 bucks to 150 bucks.

Has any of you all found a stud finder that you all just love, and is dead on??

The last time I used mine I was 2 inches off of the stud! :M

Thanks in advance!

Snap

[dyazdani]

I have a Stanley el cheapo. I haven't missed any yet, but it takes a little work to verify.

[Lex]

I usually just look in the mirror. LOL.

I got a Stanley one, but seriously never felt like it was to easy to use or something. I usually just wind up doing it the old fashion way. (Nail ever 2 inches, lol.)

[Snap]

your not right lex....you guys are crazy

[ThomasW]

I've used a Zircon for years. It's been very reliable in both the standard and the deepscan modes. And the little lightning bolt keeps me from drilling into an AC line.. :T

Zircon is also what my both remodeing contractors used.

[aud19]

Am I the only one that just taps on the wall....? :scratchhead:

[Snap]

I've used a Zircon for years. It's been very reliable in both the standard and the deepscan modes. And the little lightning bolt keeps me from drilling into an AC line.. :T

Zircon is also what my both remodeing contractors used.

Yeah that is what I am looking at right now.

[Clive]

Yes it does take a little work but that stanley Stud finder has worked for me too. Once I got used to it just worked fine.

I have my eye on the Zicron :yeah:

[Lex]

hmm, wonder if anyone has considered a stethoscope and vibration measurements as an accurate tool? Sonar maybe? Hire a crew to come out and do an analysis on the room maybe?

Maybe it's just cheaper to hire a laboror and let him worry about how he does it?

Jason, I used to tap with butt end of hammer too. Most of the time I do ok with that method and a small nail as confirmation. I did get a Stanley 15.00 stud finder, but found it innacurate and difficult to use, seriously.

Lex

[Kevin P]

I have a Zircon, the fancier one that has the LCD display that tells you the edge and center of the stud. It works pretty well, but it also misses (tells me there's a stud where there isn't) sometimes. It usually takes multiple passes to confirm if the stud really is in the spot where it claims to be.

The A/C warning is nice, but it seems to be very sensitive. Seems like it shows up on almost every stud sometimes.

[Azeke]

Am I the only one that just taps on the wall....? :scratchhead:

Use too, but that is why they invented stud finders :lol:, I digress.

I use Black and Decker, seems fairly accurate once you get use to it, and can determine the midpoint of the stud.

Peace and blessings to everyone during this Holiday Season,

Azeke

[David Meek]

It's good to find out what you are sensing through before you purchase a stud-finder. If you have drywall (sheetrock) on wooden or metal studs, and the drywall is not more than 3/4 of an inch thick (with texture) then most decent quality stud finders will work "acceptably". The Zircon i700 is my choice as it is better-than-average accurate, can differentiate between not only studs and voids, but between ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and also "hot" wiring, all up to 1-1/2" beneath the drywall. It's one weakness is that it isn't recommended for use in temperatures below 40d Farenheit. It's not cheap either. IIRC the MSRP is around US$70-75.

A couple of general caveats are needed here:

1) DO NOT use a magnetic finder. They work properly only if you pass over a screw or nail in the stud. And, if you have steel conduit or piping in the walls, they can make you think that is the stud - oops!

2) If you are trying to locate through something more exotic than drywall, read your finder's documentation to verify it will work through that material(s).

[Chris D]

Tapping on the wall generally works okay for finding empty cavities to tap into. However, if you're doing the opposite, trying to find a stud to hang something heavy or such, you really do need a stud finder to find not only the exact stud itself, but the middle of it to give the greatest support. I'd hate to have a heavy object on the wall come crashing down because you thought you had screwed into a stud, but only grabbed the outer edge of one.

[aud19]

Tapping on the wall generally works okay for finding empty cavities to tap into. However, if you're doing the opposite, trying to find a stud to hang something heavy or such, you really do need a stud finder to find not only the exact stud itself, but the middle of it to give the greatest support. I'd hate to have a heavy object on the wall come crashing down because you thought you had screwed into a stud, but only grabbed the outer edge of one.

Aaaah ya wusss :

[Chris D]

Come on, anybody want to screw a stud?

[Snap]

Thanks Chris....and thanks guys. I am going to take a trip to Lowes in the next few days to see about getting a new stud finder. One of the things that I found out this weekend which might be my problem with the other 2 stud finders is pressure! No joke, if you suddenly apply more pressure to the finder against the wall, it will go off like it found the stud.

I did not believe my buddy either when he told me about it at church. But I tried it, and he is 90% right. Some times it does not go off, but most of the time it does. :scratchhead:

I still am going to get a new one. I just do not want to jack up the bathroom, trying to hang a LCD in the silly thing. The only other walls that do not have anything going to them is around the tub. I really do not want to place the LCD over the tub. Not to mention I do not want to run new power there either.

Oh well, it sounds like a weekend project for Snap!

Thanks guys on all the help!

Blessed,
Jim

[Lex]

Hmm, has everyone lost their sense of humor in addition to their studs in this thread? I thought this was a little funny.

hmm, wonder if anyone has considered a stethoscope and vibration measurements as an accurate tool? Sonar maybe? Hire a crew to come out and do an analysis on the room maybe?