Need a stud finder

Looking for a stud finder to locate studs mostly behind drywall in residential setting. Anyone have any experience with these working well or not? Also will they work finding stud behind plywood and how thick can the drywall or plywood be for them to be effective? Mostly for adding hangers for heavy objects on walls where a drywall connection will not be strong enough.
 
I just use my knuckle. Tap on the drywall and listen for a change of sound. You can narrow the stud location down by the sound changing. Works as good as most stud finders once you get the hang of it.
 

Franklin Sensors... hands down the best you can find without a mortgage application here's an eval on them

https://toolguyd.com/precision-sensors-profinder-5000-stud-finder-review/

john
 
I have one. Most likely it is a cheap one ? Might of even been a gift ? Most of the time it seems to work good. Sometimes I make several tries because it acts weird but then it comes out of it and seems right. I keep a ruler handy and sort of see if it gets hits every 16" and acts normal. I also start by an outlet and check it as you normally have a stud there. When it goes weird I don't know if it is picking up wires or horizontal stringers or what ? it seems to beep everywhere ? I do find it useful.
 

A good magnet is about the best stud finder around. Locates the screw or nail heads under the mud and paint. Pretty well foolproof and cheap. :D
 
I've had a Zircon brand for over twenty years, it works well for me. I have a newer Zircon one with a DEEPSCAN setting, but I've never needed to use that setting.
 
(quoted from post at 11:20:48 09/14/18)
A good magnet is about the best stud finder around. Locates the screw or nail heads under the mud and paint. Pretty well foolproof and cheap. :D

I should have added that cow magnets work very well.
 
Have had good luck with Zircon's. The old magnetic ones are fine in some circumstances but will only work if there's indeed something magnetic for them to find. My lates Zircon also has electrical sensing ability, which has saved me from the good old "tap, tap, ZAP!!" on a number of occasions--it never ceases to amaze me the things you find behind walls, nor the number of crazy studding patterns used. Recently put up a TV mount in a mobile home where EVERY SINGLE STUD behind the wall it went on was at an angle, had been scabbed, or both! Took the Zircon and marked both edges of every mounting hole and got every one (as much as 3" difference in a foot of vertical travel!) anchored to solid wood on the first try--you won't do that with a magnetic sensor.
 
An electric razor can work pretty good too.I remember them working on sheetrock and plywood,but not so well on boards.Are electric razors still built the way they used to be? I just thought about that,I haven't shaved since 1978,and the last time I got a haircut they had just gone up to $1.25.
 
Electric razors are all cordless now. Less chance of electrocutions when dropped into a sink of water if there is no 120 volt power cord connected to them.
 
HELO,


I use these. They come in a pack of 50 for about $13. They are rated at 75# in 1/2 In. drywall.
I drill a little hole first, that way if a catch I stud, I just use a screw. I get them at Lowe's. They are also self drilling . There are different sizes and capacity too,

Guido.
a279723.jpg
 
>I use these. They come in a pack of 50 for about $13. They are rated at 75# in 1/2 In. drywall.
I drill a little hole first, that way if a catch I stud, I just use a screw. I get them at Lowe's. They are also self drilling . There are different sizes and capacity too,

Guido.

I've been using these as well although I'm using the metal version. I do the same thing with drilling a small exploratory hole first. I do not rely on the self drilling feature on these as I've had problems with them cratering the hole in wall board. So what I do now is break off the little blade from the tip and use a drill bit to pre-drill a hole the diameter of the body. They go in much smoother and no cracking the wall board.
 
Someone makes one that practically X-Rays the wall. For drywall I think a Franklin stud finder is the best. It shows you where the stud actually is. A lot of them you can tell if you are on the center or right or left of the stud.
a279736.jpg
 
Hello jgayman,

Yep, got them too! They are cheap enough, if one breaks while drilling, I just toss it. Beats looking for a stud any day,

Guido.
 

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