Should you’re hanging or mounting heavy gadgets in your partitions, resembling mirrors or mounts for flat-screen TVs, it’s essential connect them to a stud—the picket or metallic beams that make up your private home’s framing. Since these studs are hidden behind your drywall or plaster, a stud finder saves you a ton of time (and potential wall injury), guaranteeing you drill proper into the sturdy help each time.
Some stud finders function different useful instruments like deep scanning and AC wire detection. These stop you from hitting a pipe or wire when hanging one thing up—costly errors if you make them. That doesn’t imply stud finders work like X-ray imaginative and prescient, although—there’s loads occurring in partitions, and it’s onerous, regardless of advances in tech, for any system to find out what’s a pipe and what’s a wire, as an example.
We put a collection of stud finders by means of their paces on a wall of our personal making and partitions in actual houses. We examined a number of choices to seek out the most effective stud finders for dwelling and industrial use, whether or not you simply want a hand hanging up your new cabinets otherwise you’re hoping to keep away from injury whilst you work inside the drywall.
Finest Stud Finders
What to Think about
If you wish to grasp one thing heavy or weight-bearing, go electrical.
Magnetic stud finders catch on the fasteners that connect drywall to studs as you wave a magnet alongside the wall. Since fasteners usually sit over a foot aside on a single stud, finding one with a magnetic stud finder could take longer, however this feature is reasonably priced and fairly easy to make use of.
Accuracy shouldn’t be a magnetic stud finder’s greatest attribute. As a result of these instruments depend on the fastener really being pushed into the stud, if a builder missed the stud, so will the magnetic stud finder. In industrial building, the place metallic studs are commonplace, magnetic stud finders are usually extra dependable.
Their counterpart, the digital stud finder, sends out a sign from a sensor after which reads the sign that bounces again. When the sign adjustments, the stud finder beeps or flashes to let it’s discovered a stud.
An electrical stud finder detects a ferrous object—a black pipe—in our take a look at wall.
Magnetic stud finders are good to make use of for duties like hanging footage and loo mirrors.
Some electrical stud finders additionally establish metallic pipes and electrical wires. Essentially the most superior stud finders use expertise like ground-penetrating radar, which creates a subsurface picture.
For many occasional dwelling makes use of, like hanging footage or lavatory mirrors, a magnetic stud finder will get the job carried out successfully. Nevertheless, for those who’re hanging heavier gadgets or something that bears weight, like a shelf or a motorbike rack, digital stud finders make sure you’re extra exactly on track.
Plastic secures your elements, however they gained’t face up to getting moist.
Most stud finders are made from plastic with magnets or digital elements inside. Whereas plastic is light-weight and fairly sturdy, these with electronics are weak to moisture and impression injury in the event that they get rained on or dropped by chance. Uncommon-earth magnets (with no plastic) are virtually indestructible, and their clean floor higher prevents scuffs in your wall throughout use.
Bigger stud finders sacrifice portability for options that enhance accuracy.
Whereas all stud finders are comparatively small, some are extra compact than others. As a carpenter in New York Metropolis, I discovered rare-earth magnets extra handy than different varieties, just because they transport in my pocket or instrument bag pouch with out taking on a lot house or including extra weight. Simply understand that their extra-small measurement makes them a choking danger round young children.
Bigger stud finders have a tendency to offer extra performance although, so for those who plan on utilizing your stud finder round your own home—and storage and portability are much less vital—go along with a bigger mannequin that matches all of your wants.
How We Examined and Chosen
For our evaluations, we constructed a four-by-eight-foot wall from widespread supplies: wooden and metallic studs; drywall; copper, black, pex, and PVC pipes; and nonmetallic sheathed cable. Then, we scanned the wall with every of the stud finders.
All functioned as anticipated when it got here to detecting the studs, however we rapidly discovered that a few of them didn’t work as marketed. We additionally took the stud finders to 2 houses—one, a mid-1800s home with lath and plaster, and the opposite, a Seventies tract home—for real-world testing.
We discovered a number of stud finders that labored nice and used our DIY and carpentry experience to find out which stud finders have been greatest for varied makes use of. We additionally advocate a number of that we haven’t had an opportunity to check but, however we predict these are promising primarily based on product specs and consumer evaluations.
For this replace, Common Mechanics contributor Alex Rennie (a former residential and industrial carpenter) added a number of choices primarily based on his personal private expertise mounting shelving models, TVs, and wall-mounted workplace displays.
Our Full Stud Finder Evaluations
Key Specs
| Weight | 17.7 oz. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Plastic, metallic |
| Dimensions | 6.5 x 10.25 x 3 in. |
Bosch’s GMS120 is greater than only a stud finder (although it positioned the facilities of these we examined it on inside an eighth of an inch). It additionally detects stay AC wiring, metallic objects, plastic pipes full of water, and even rebar in concrete. This Bosch unit options audible tones, an illuminated ring across the sensor space, and an LCD display—and all three work in live performance, guiding you towards your goal in as near a foolproof approach as attainable with out slicing into your wall and seeing for your self.
The ring turns purple when it’s over a stud, whereas the display gives live-wire alerts and shows a bull’s-eye to point the stud’s heart. Although the GMS120 didn’t discover wiring in our wall, it picked it up pretty precisely within the take a look at homes.
Should you solely have to discover a stud, Craftsman’s Hello-Vis Stud Sensor does precisely that. Easy and efficient, this sensor locates the perimeters of wooden and metallic studs. Urgent the button on the aspect, we slid it slowly alongside the wall, keeping track of the indicator. When it lit up, we have been on the fringe of a stud. That indicator stayed on till we handed the opposite edge. Then, we slid the unit again over the stud to verify and marked the perimeters earlier than pinpointing the middle. The instrument constantly discovered studs underneath drywall as much as 3/4-inch thick in our testing.
This Hart Skilled immediately locates wooden and metallic studs, and a number of LEDs detect and observe the place objects are so customers can keep away from wires and pipes. It tracks every object with lights that transfer with the system as you glide it towards a wall. Purple signifies studs, and yellow exhibits the situation of stay wires.
The show exhibits the total width of objects with a max depth of 1.5 inches, and a built-in pencil holder helps you make marks effectively and precisely. Whereas we haven’t examined this one ourselves, varied shoppers say this Hart system is likely one of the greatest stud finders they’ve used, rivaling premium choices with its 9 sensors. It doesn’t detect studs in plaster partitions, however at this value, it’s a stable worth with lots to supply.
Execs
- No-fuss, barebones design
- Matches in your toolbox
Cons
- Solely finds drywall screws, nails, or metallic studs
Key Specs
| Weight | 1.6 oz. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 5.75 x 1 x 1.25 in. |
For locating studs, issues don’t get a lot easier than the StudBuddy. Utilizing it, we effortlessly positioned nails, screws, or metallic studs by sliding it in an “S” sample, backwards and forwards on a wall. Two sturdy neodymium magnets brought on the StudBuddy to snap to ferrous fasteners or studs once we received inside about three-quarters of an inch of them.
Sliding it up or down rapidly confirmed further hits and the situation and route of studs. We discovered it labored even higher on metallic studs as a result of fewer affirmation “hits” have been required. The StudBuddy additionally responds to different ferrous metals within the wall, like ductwork or electrical containers—so scanning to verify stud orientation is vital.
Able to detecting metallic fasteners behind 5/8-inch drywall, this magnetic stud finder completely navigates delicate wall coverings. My favourite function of this alternative is its spherical form, which, not like bigger, flatter stud finders, creates minimal contact along with your drywall. This minimizes the probabilities of any scratches or scuffs—widespread with stud finders that you simply glide throughout the wall. The looped plastic deal with grips simply so that you can swing the magnet freely. That is additionally an particularly sturdy instrument—one you don’t have to fret about damaging if you toss it right into a toolbox or backpack alongside any heavier-duty instruments or sharp metallic fasteners.
Key Specs
| Weight | 12.3 oz. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 9.13 x 6.34 x 3.7 in. (bundle dimensions) |
The {powerful} Zircon A200 analyzes partitions with three scan modes. In our testing, it discovered studs, iron and copper pipes, and stay AC electrical wires in our wall. It was additionally very dependable and correct, detecting studs and indicating their facilities by projecting a purple arrow on the wall. After we handed over stay wires, the display displayed an icon which indicated electrical energy was working by means of them.
Whereas utilizing this finder in devoted metal-scan mode, we discovered it differentiated between metallic plumbing pipes and wooden studs. It was a bit of trickier, nonetheless, if metallic studs have been current, however understanding the stud spacing helped us kind issues out.
In deep-scan mode, the A200 didn’t choose up PVC pipes within the wall until that they had water in them. We differentiated between pipes and studs by toggling between stud scan and deep scan. And the A200 introduced all this data clearly on its illuminated display.
Execs
- Precisely finds stud heart
- Two detection modes
Cons
- Large detection space for stay AC wires
Key Specs
| Weight | 5.6 oz. |
|---|---|
| Materials | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 5.88 x 0.3 x 9.25 in. |
Craftsman’s center-finding unit has LEDs to point scan standing and information you to the middle of the stud—orange ones mild up if you’re over the stud, and purple ones point out if you hit the middle. Scanning slowly in a single route, previous the middle, after which again received us correct outcomes over 1⁄2- and three⁄4-inch drywall.
The AC-detection mode was imprecise, indicating an space three to 4 inches vast when it picked up the wiring. However repeated passes allowed us to find out the wiring’s path. In commonplace scan mode, the Craftsman positioned some copper pipe, which was odd, however the pipe was too slim to be a stud and the system by no means registered a middle.
Equally, it detected black pipe in metallic mode. (Notice that though it positioned the pipes, the stud finder couldn’t, nor was it designed to, establish them as such.) Nonetheless, these readings enable you to establish objects within the wall chances are you’ll need to watch out round.
I discovered rare-earth magnets like these invaluable whereas working as a carpenter and used their ultra-powerful attraction to detect deep-down fasteners. With no shifting elements—that is only a small metallic disc—you merely slide the magnet throughout the wall till you’re feeling it drawn towards metallic elements beneath. My favourite a part of utilizing magnets like these is that not like bigger, bulkier choices, they’re much less prone to by chance scuff your wall. A trick I’ve used is to scorching glue considered one of these magnets to the tip of a chunk of dental floss, maintain it by the floss, and slowly transfer it throughout the wall. This exhibits you any minor adjustments within the magnet’s route that in any other case won’t be felt by means of your fingers. The principle disadvantage to utilizing magnets alone is that they don’t differentiate between metallic elements like extra superior digital detectors.
With 13 sensors—every akin to a shiny LED—this digital stud finder expertly signifies even the surface edges of a stud. By pushing a single button, it gives you with a transparent image of a stud from proper edge to left and from prime to backside, which provides you the arrogance essential to screw into its heart. This unit additionally routinely adjusts to the depth of the drywall—as much as 1.6 inches—and requires no calibration to get began. Not like magnetic choices, this one requires AA batteries (which aren’t included), however that’s a high quality trade-off contemplating the extra data it gives.
Stud-Discovering Ideas from Our Knowledgeable, Bradley Ford
Most studs are spaced at 16-inch intervals—discover one, and the subsequent stud ought to be about that very same distance in both route. Modifications in spacing normally occur close to the ends of partitions or doorways and home windows.
In case your stud finder appears to be choosing issues up between the studs, it could possibly be detecting metallic or plastic plumbing elements, electrical containers or wiring, or metallic ductwork. To fight this, scan above and under the purpose to make sure it continues to the ground or ceiling. If it doesn’t, it could possibly be one thing aside from a stud.
Electrical wires normally run vertically on the aspect of a stud and typically horizontally between shops. If there are lighting fixtures, switches, and shops on a wall, you can also make an informed guess as to the place the wires is perhaps.
Take note of the place the kitchen and loos are, too—water provide and waste pipes for the second flooring are sometimes present in partitions on the primary flooring, under sinks, tubs, or showers. (Professional tip: In case your basement is unfinished, you’ll be able to go down there to see the place the pipes go up on the ceiling.)
Listed here are a number of different ideas for locating studs each single time.
- Don’t contact the wall with both hand whereas utilizing a stud finder—this could alter its readings.
- Some stud finders have to calibrate earlier than scanning, so begin away from switches, shops, or lighting fixtures.
- Apply some painter’s tape over the world you need to scan. It’ll offer you a floor on which to mark your findings with out having to jot down on the wall.
- Once you detect studs, objects, or stay wires, mark them with a pencil or tape.
- Freshly painted partitions could also be tough to scan for a number of weeks as a result of moisture within the paint.
Alex Rennie is a contract author who specializes within the Dwelling Enchancment, DIY, and Software house. As a former residential and industrial carpenter, Alex makes use of his hands-on expertise to jot down sensible shopping for guides, how-to articles, and product evaluations. His work has additionally appeared in Enterprise Insider’s Insider Picks, and earlier than his writing profession, he was a full-time carpenter residing in New York Metropolis. There, he labored as a part of a workforce designing, constructing, and putting in massive furnishings items, in addition to performing a wide range of dwelling restore and upkeep tasks. Alex at present lives in Los Angeles, CA, and spends his free time exploring the seashores and mountains together with his fiancé and their canine Louie.
Brad Ford has spent most of his life utilizing instruments to repair, construct, or make issues. Rising up he labored on a farm, the place he realized to weld, restore, and paint tools. From the farm he went to work at a basic automobile seller, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Right this moment, when he isn’t testing instruments or writing for Common Mechanics, he is busy maintaining with the tasks at his previous farmhouse in japanese Pennsylvania.
