Best wall stud finder

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Knowing where your studs are is crucial for hanging up heavy items, like mirrors or mounts for flat-screen TVs. Some stud finders have other features, too, like deep scanning and AC wire detection. To test all the features, we put a selection of stud finders through their paces on a wall of our own making and walls in real homes. Magnetic stud finders work by waving the magnet along the wall until it catches on the fasteners that attach drywall to the studs. Since fasteners may be spaced over a foot apart on a single stud, it may take longer to locate one with a magnetic stud finder, but this is an affordable and simple option. If the builder missed the stud, so will the magnetic stud finder.

Best wall stud finder

Looking for studs in all the wrong places? After investigating over 28 of the best stud finders on the market, we compared the top 12 models side-by-side. We tested for accuracy, ease of use, and features, both in isolated tests as well as while working on home projects to get a feel of their real-world performance. Read on to see our detailed results and find what works best for you, whether you're hanging a mirror or remodeling your entire kitchen. It has three modes; wood, metal, and electrical power, and is quite accurate with all three. In addition to the three scan modes, the Bosch has a center finder for studs, a magnetic sensor to show screws and other metal, and a ring that changes color depending on how close you are to the material you're seeking. The light-up ring changes from green no stud sensed , to yellow close , to red directly on top of a stud. The ring is also hollow, allowing accurate marks right in the center of the sensor. For bonus points, the ring is wide enough to accept a permanent marker if that's your writing implement of choice. We appreciated not having to hold any buttons down to use it, which was more comfortable in awkward positions, like looking for ceiling joists. We also love the light-up screen, which made it easy to use in crawl spaces or other dimly lit areas.

Best for Wood Studs:. But it was our favorite for hanging a bunch of picture frames, and we recommend best wall stud finder to those looking for a stud finder and a level in one handy tool.

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Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder. Equipped with two magnets, the C. Hanson is a basic, durable model that scans twice as fast as the rest. This finder gives a visible and audible signal when it locates a stud, but it scans a smaller area and is less durable than our main pick. The most accurate electronic stud finder we tested scans the wall in 13 places to display the entire width of a stud, and unlike the competition, does not require a fussy calibration process. In 30 hours of tests against five competitors, the C. Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder stood out for its reliability and accuracy. Most magnetic styles have only one magnet, but a second magnet in the C. Hanson expands its scanning area and reduces the time it takes to get a hit. Its pointed end and small onboard spirit level simplify marking a stud as well as leveling a picture or mirror.

Best wall stud finder

Affiliate Disclosure: We may be compensated if you purchase through links on our website. Our Reviews Team is committed to delivering honest, objective, and independent reviews on home products and services. Stud finders are used to determine where the studs and fasteners in your walls are located. You can also check out our tools buying guide for more critical factors to consider when shopping for tools for your home. We found that customers who liked that this product thought it was multifunctional, saying that it gave them all of the tools they needed to hang items from their walls. However, we also noted that some customers said that it was cheaply made and only worked for some projects. We noticed that customers often praised this stud finder for its efficiency at scanning for the edge and center of a stud as well as its ability to detect studs in dense materials, such as double sheetrock. Our team found that a lot of customers said that this product rendered accurate readings and was easy to use. Others mentioned that it continued to perform well even after they had owned it for years. On the other hand, we did notice some dissatisfied customers who said that the stud finder was bulky and top-heavy, making handling difficult.

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Key Specs Weight The 9 Best Gaming Monitors of We really liked the features on the Bosch wall scanner, and we found them to be intuitive and accurate. Learn more. For a more accurate reading, it does help to move the stud finder slowly as opposed to quickly across the surface; when you do, the device lights up and beeps. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. We hope this review helps you locate studs to renovate and decorate your home to your unique vision. Franklin Sensors Pr Keep in Mind Though the compact option was easy to hold, it may be difficult for those with larger hands. The compact option was easy to hold overall, though it may be difficult for those with larger hands. Accuracy 8. Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder is pretty handy. We really liked that we didn't have to hold down the button to keep sensing a feature the Tavool also has , and the functions were easy to understand. Best Multimeter. In our testing, it found the studs, iron and copper pipes, and live AC electrical wires in our wall.

Knowing where your studs are is crucial for hanging up heavy items, like mirrors or mounts for flat-screen TVs. Some stud finders have other features, too, like deep scanning and AC wire detection.

It's reliable, powerful, and has several nice features. Who We Are. The laser is broad enough to work on textured sheetrock as well, which not every laser level is. You will have to recalibrate the stud finder each time you use it, but it only takes a few seconds to do it. For our evaluations, we built a four-by-eight-foot wall from common materials: wood and metal studs; drywall; copper, black, pex, and PVC pipes; and nonmetallic sheathed cable. Develop and improve services. This favored model is easy to use, accurate, and detects multiple types of hidden materials. It's simple and reliable, as long as there is some steel in the stud or screws to find. Some of the models we tested came with analog features like levels and straight edges, as well as more advanced tools like AC power sensing, magnetic sensors to detect steel studs and screws, and pipe detection abilities. Incredibly intuitive and simple design, display shows the entire stud, includes a level and flat edge ruler for marking.