Stud finders do just as their name implies, help you find studs. Many stud finders don’t require batteries or calibration and make finding studs easy. You’d generally use stud finders to hang paintings, shelves or other items that need hanging on walls with no solid fixing. Simply slide the stud finder across the wall until the indicator light lights up or you feel the magnet latch onto a screw or a nail. Today, there are many different types of stud finders available to buy online. I have selected what I think are the best stud finders on the web and that offer the user a high level of quality and longevity in terms of the products’ robustness.
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Ten Best Stud Finders Reviewed
C.H. Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder
The C.H. Hanson Magnetic Stud Finder is small and easy to use. It uses strong magnets that find metal fasteners that are used to hold the studs behind the wall. After a stud has been found, the stud finder stays on the wall marking where the stud is, which allows for easy marking, drilling and screwing without the need for any calibration. Sweep the stud finder across a wall until you feel the magnets pull at a screw or nail, then let it go and it will remain attached to the wall. C.H. Hanson stud finder also features a two way level to always ensure your measuring is straight.
Studpop Magnetic Stud Finder
Studpop’s magnetic stud finder isn’t anything particularly special, but it is simple, effective and cheap. This finder works on almost any kind of wall as long as the fasteners used with the studs are metal. Coming in various colors, the Studpop finder is another magnetic stud finder that is easy to use and has an indicator that pops up to show when metal behind a wall has been found. Without any electronics inside, the Studpop will outlast most expensive stud finders and works reliably without batteries, lights or anything fancy. Due to its small size it will fit inside most toolboxes while still leaving room for any other necessary tools for the job.
Zircon StudSensor e50 Electronic Stud Finder
While the Studpop isn’t fancy but still effective, electronic stud finders work just as well and also work when there isn’t a nail or screw holding the studs in place. Zircons e50 model only takes one 9-volt battery and features a normal scan mode and a deepscan mode, which scans thicker walls for studs. The LCD screen is easy to read and also displays when live wires are nearby, which could be dangerous if drilled into. Other stud finders show you where fasteners in a stud are while this electronic finder shows you the exact edges of studs so you can drill into the center and avoid misaligned holes.
Precision Sensors Professional Stud Finder ProFinder 5000
The ProFinder 5000 requires little effort to use and is able to detect multiple studs at once. By scanning up to 38mm into the wall, the ProFinder illuminates its LED lights to show exactly where studs or beams behind the wall are located. Due to being an electronic scanner, it shows both edges of a stud while magnetic finders don’t. The main drawback of this stud finder is the cost, which is significantly more than other stud finders, as well as it requiring two AA batteries. But the ease of use will easily outweigh those cons for many users.
Black & Decker BullsEye Interior Line Laser with Stud Sensor
Black & Decker’s BullsEye Line Laser isn’t just a stud finder. It also projects horizontal lines across your walls to make sure everything is level and at the same height. The laser only points horizontally, so it cannot be used to align hanging items vertically. Included is a mounting pin, which allows you to mount the stud finder in a stud to project the laser line. The pin will leave a hole in the wall, but it’s a small hole that can easily be covered. The stud finder function shows you the centers of studs in addition to both edges.
StudBuddy Magnetic Stud Finder
StudBuddy’s magnetic stud finder claims to be the simplest stud finder. At less than six inches long, this will fit in almost any tool box. If needed, even multiple finders can easily fit. Like all magnetic stud finders, StudBuddy’s stud finder can only point out where nails or screws are, but doesn’t leave any marks on the wall. Because it uses a strong magnet and a casing for easy handling, this stud finder can stay attached to the wall above where you need to drill while you make your mark and hang your item. No batteries or moving parts also means that this stud finder will last through years of use.
Master Magnetics Magnetic Stud Locator
Master Magnetics’ stud locator is another magnetic stud finder, which doesn’t use any electronics or batteries. And like all magnetic stud finders, it is easy to use, won’t leave marks on the wall, doesn’t need calibration or batteries, and is fairly small and cost effective. This model includes an easy-to-remove magnetic shield that protects the neodymium magnets from attracting to other tools in your toolbox.
ProSensor 710 Franklin Sensors
ProSensor’s stud finder locates multiple studs at the same time by illuminating its LED lights where the studs are. Due to not using magnets, the finder works on all kinds of studs, even those without any metal. The lights also show the width of the studs so you know where a stud is and how big it is. The two AA batteries used to power this stud finder allow for constant deep sensing when the unit is powered on, which is up to 1.5 inches. A stud, 1.5 inches wide, illuminates exactly three lights to show where studs are without any beeping or false positives, which can lead to improperly hung shelves or paintings.
Stanley Advanced Stud Sensor
Stanley’s advanced stud sensor indicates where studs are, whether or not they’re wood or metal studs. It features a visual indicator on the face, which lights up to show where studs are. This stud finder is cheap and small, which is good for those who don’t need to use it often as it isn’t a huge investment. A limitation is that it only measures up to 3/4 of an inch into the wall. Most competitors measure double that depth, but the Stanley stud finder is only a fraction of the price, costing just about as much as most magnetic finders.
StudSensor HD800 Stud Finder
The StudSensor HD800 is another electronic model that shows exactly where the edges and centers of wood and metal studs are. Due to how the scanning is performed, this stud finder is able to locate metals that aren’t magnetic, such as copper piping. The wire warning feature is also not common among other stud finders, and useful for many professions. The auto-correcting technology of this stud finder means that even if you are making small errors, the HD800 can correct for them and still locate the stud. It does require a 9-volt battery, which aren’t the easiest to find, but it’s all you need to operate this stud finder.
