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Stud Finder recomendations?

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nbpt100

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Oct 19, 2016
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Massachusetts
It has been a long time since I needed to use a stud finder but I have a few projects coming up that may warrant buying one. I had one I bought in the 80's and it never seemed to worked very well. I don't even know where it is any more. I suspect they are much better now.

I have not even looked around as yet to know what is out there. So I thought I would leverage the vast knowledge and experience here to help me figure out what I want.

I don't intend to be a frequent user of one over time. I just have a project coming up that will be made easier and allow me to have a better outcome.

I am looking for a decent value. One that gets the job done while working in some old houses. Thanks to all in advance.

Thanks!
 
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fowldarr

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Oct 23, 2009
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Coastal Oregon
My wife did a good job finding me.

All joking aside, I have a black and decker one with built in laser level. It does the job and was fairly cheap.


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Rory Bellows

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Jan 14, 2006
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Location
Ohio
I got a Franklin sensor for Christmas. I just used it last night to hang a 28 foot ladder from the garage ceiling. It identified the studs perfectly for me. Costs around $50. I would highly recommend it but have only used it one time.
 
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FigureItOut

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Sep 14, 2015
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Bentonville AR
Franklin Sensors 710 or 710+ is the only one to even consider. You'll get recommendations for Zircon and some others, but anyone who's tried the Franklin will come along and say it blows everything else out of the water, short of professional scanners and such. Get that and the C.H Hanson magnetic stud finder as a companion and you'll be very well equipped for about $60.

Edit, those guys type faster than I do.
 
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mechanical turk

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Nov 27, 2012
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Monterey Bay
I have this one, the Franklin 710:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064EICKG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It doesn't tell you if it's wood or metal or whatever but the multiple sensors make it easy for me to tell what's a stud, what's a piece of conduit, etc. I haven't really tried it on lath so for an older house, I don't know. A bit pricey at $50 but it works very well and I use it a lot more than I thought I would based on my experience with other stud finders.
 
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doan

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Sep 25, 2012
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Frisco, TX
costco had one just like the franklin 710 over the holidays for #30ish. Looks identical, except blue. I bought one for my wife. It has never failed.
 
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tvtaurus

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Indiana
I picked up a cheap tool shed brand unit from my local Rural King. Works great, paid less than $10 for it. Once you figure out your stud spacing you can just measure from the one or two studs you find.
 
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66HertzClone

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Long Valley, NJ
Another very satisfied Franklin owner, allowed my GC to use it when our addition was going up, he and a couple of his guys bought them after using it.
 
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njric71

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Apr 6, 2011
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I would say that 90% of the time I can just shine a bright flashlight down the wall and locate a row of screws/nails in the drywall. I've only got to find one row close to where I need to be and can always measure out 16" at time from there. Admittedly an old wall with lots of layers of paint on it is a bit more tricky. Or a wall that has been skillfully level 5 fished, but really there aren't that many of them. My father doesn't even need the flashlight. He can knock on the wall with his knuckles and be right just about as often. I would say that I've had much better luck with the flashlight method than any of the cheap stud finders I've ever tried.
 
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jd_1138

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NE Ohio
I have a crappy $20 one and it *****. Takes like 15 minutes to find the edges of a stud. ugh
 
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Todd.Brock

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Jul 15, 2008
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Cincinnati
I bought a Franklin on the recommendations here. It was purchased on Amazon last summer. It BLOWS... total waste of money. My buddy called it a stud guesser and had better luck with a knuckle and a nail.

I thought it must be a fluke so I called them, and they said dang- that's odd! A new one showed up in the mail 2 days later.
So service is top notch. The new performs about as well as any other stud finder I have had. I do like the idea of LED's lighting up the stud width
 
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nbpt100

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Location
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Todd.Brock said:
I bought a Franklin on the recommendations here. It was purchased on Amazon last summer. It BLOWS... total waste of money. My buddy called it a stud guesser and had better luck with a knuckle and a nail.

I thought it must be a fluke so I called them, and they said dang- that's odd! A new one showed up in the mail 2 days later.
So service is top notch. The new performs about as well as any other stud finder I have had. I do like the idea of LED's lighting up the stud width
Click to expand...

So far from all I have read the Franklin or the Blue knock off at Costco and Menards (Profinder 5000) sounds like a great choice. The magnetic style CH Hanson also has some good reviews too.!
Thanks.
 
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Ign

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Butte Peak ND
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M6erfan

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I have a n electronic Bosch that's so-so. On a whim a few years ago I picked up the cheap CH Hanson magnetic one and it's all I've used since. (general homeowner use...)
 
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MikeF2316

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Dec 29, 2012
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Thornhill, ON
I'm going to pile on with the Franklin recommendation. My house is from 1950, the interior walls are ⅜" drywall, then a layer of mortar, then plaster. The Zircon finders have real trouble with those walls. The Franklin nailed it, every time, and in a tenth the amount of time.
 
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drboom

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Nov 16, 2014
Messages
74
the milwaukee m12 stud finder has done very well for me. Our old house was built in 1902 with balloon construction and plaster over lathe and I could set the depth and material and reliably find a stud clearly representing the edges. It also works great in our new house with modern construction and drywall.
 
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