Thank you for making this video! It's nice to actually see these in action instead of just reading a vague review about the detectors online. Your video helped immensely!
Thank you for this video. I have used Zircon center finder stud finders for over 15 years. I have several. They are very accurate and sometimes they may give readings that are confusing. As a back up I use CH Hanson or stud buddies. Zircon stands behind their products. I’ve had great experience with them. If you watch the DVD that used to come with them or watch or read the instructions they explain most scenarios that you may get a false reading. They are my favorite. Enjoyed the video very much
Great video as usual. That said, no review of stud finders is complete if leaves out the STUDPOP magnetic stud finder. I've been using it since it came out 10 years ago. Unlike every other stud finder---electronic or magnetic---it is able to find studs (via the metal fasteners) in any kind of wall: sheetrock, tile over sheetrock, plasterboard, wood lath and plaster. It's actually...fun? to use, if that's possible : )
Yes thats good for just that, finding studs, these scanners are really more than stud scanners, in Europe they are usually just called "wall scanners" rather than stud finder/scanner/detector.
Thank you for making this video. What I'd be interested to find out though is to see how tests with N>1 hold up; you might have gotten lucky with one model and unlucky with another. I'd be interested to know the variance for each model - say you test *10* units of the Zircon M1, do they all give he same results or do you just have to be lucky to get the right unit?
Hey you are correct you may get one unit better than another. They are supposed to be calibrated at the factory so in theory they should all function the same. Each detector is used several times off screen to make sure the results are accurate across multiple attempts but there is no way to know if I had a lemon or not using only one like you said.
Thanks for the video. Would have helped the accuracy of your tests if you had masked out previous locations for each device. It's clearly influencing your positioning of the marks on later devices (e.g., the zircon m1)
How so? The devices indicate the edges I can’t control or influence them in any way. You should be able to see the screen on each detector. It’s not something I can change the outcome of nor do I try. All detectors are checked after the test multiple times to make sure the ranking is accurate as well.
That being the case only lowers it in my rankings. All of the detectors can be zeroed in more accurately with several passes but it should be how accurate the detector is right away. In real life an end User isn’t checking each stud using 2-3 passes. Bosch having that as a requirement is another reason their detector is overpriced.
@@heathbirkett2182 almost all of them did electrical (see second test in video) if you have solid block walls you would be looking at a different line of detectors and in that application this is the wrong video.
@@alistermunro7090 I wouldn’t, my point is all of the detectors use multiple passes. The more you do the more accurate the results. However it doesn’t change how well they work on first pass and it doesn’t change the ranking of any of them. To say the Bosch requires multiple passes to be accurate isn’t an argument for it being better it’s an argument for it being worse.
We always go back to the 10 year old stanly. It’s the most accurate. I’ve had the newer Stanley that he tested, an expensive Stanley, a dewalt (looked like the Stanley in the video with the small hole for marking), the yellow zircon. All junk. Either returned or tossed them all except the 10 year old Stanley. It finds a stud every time. The zircon found plumbing a couple times which was really fun too...
Provding your house is made of wood this is great in the UK we have walls made of brick, how do they all work on chased cables in walls made of brick and cement?
The only one in this test that does an ok job on brick/cement is the Bosch but there is better detectors meant for that. These tests aren’t really that relevant to brick.
Is the zircon m1 still on amazon because i cant find it to save my life and i even tried taking a screenshot of the stock photo from the video and doing a photo search 😅
I bought mine at Home Depot, my local store still has lots in stock. Both home depot.com and homedepot.ca show it available to order as well if that helps
I find most stud finders work well until u got water, gas and electrical running through a wall. Then they go off over everything and simetimes i find some detectors are very vague with detecting electrical or not finding them at all. Would also to like to add im usually using these on 100+ year old hones so sometimes there is just random shit in the walls like gas lines for old gas burning lamps that were never taken out.
Ya they have limitations for sure. This is meant as a guide to help people get there moneys worth when buying one for their specific use. I’ve never tested one that didn’t have a flaw one way or another.
No they can’t. The problem with stucco is it’s put on a metal wire and that wire can have air pockets both those things cause even the most expensive detectors not to work. Further if your referencing an exterior wall the wire is usually over plywood which it also can’t detect through.
I don understand, do builders like to be warned further away from a live wire, or get the location of the live wire? Wouldnt you elevate a sensor higher up your list if it can detect the actual location of the wire and not close to it?
Early warning is always good it helps to keep end users from hitting a wire. however accuracy is most important. My ranking for the wire detection was based solely on accurately detecting the wire location not how early it alerted. The first marks are just to show how early the detector alerts of nearby power, the second marks are where the detector indicated the wires location if it had that option.
Thanks, but the only thing I can take away from these tests is that none of them are worth a single penny. The bottom line is "accuracy"; we are blind through the drywall, so if it can't accurately mark where the edge and/or the center (actual, not just near it), then the tool fails! Isn't there any stud finders out there that actually works accurately?
I can only show what I find. But no there isn’t any that work perfectly every time, add paint to the wall and drywall mud and they become even less accurate. A normal magnet is tough to beat
There ones that are extremely powerful and costs 200+ euros, there also the x-ray option if you are willing to spend 1000 euros on an x-ray scanner for walls.
most people don't know to calibrate it on the wall first, so find stud finders don't work for them. I use them nearly daily and they work fine for me. Just have to calibrate it on the wall first. Except for the Franklin, doesn't need to be calibrated. That is a my favorite one. They all work however.
The point is I bought every in stock detector I could at two big box stores. It’s universally what people in NA should be able to pick up immediately. There’s no point in ordering detectors from all over the place just because they are different if no one can easily get them.
I can only test what is available, a magnet is also a good option if you don’t like any of these. If you would like to see anything else tested I’m always open to suggestions. Thanks for the feedback either way dood!
i don't understand why so many people don't know how to use stud finders. If you calibrate it on the wall first before running it across, they work fine in most cases, sometimes double drywall over tile or a plaster wall can cause issues. But standard framing and drywall board they work fine.
Your video is quite misleading. The Zircon is an unstable product. Having used the Zircon on multiple walls, they were the most unreliable ones. I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. The BOSCH one was quite reliable so far if not the best. Just be aware that the Bosch has a bigger circle to mark the point compared to the other ones. So it is also down to the person to mark the point correctly. The Stanley's are the worst. Never understood why people buy any of their products. Sorry those Zircons are cheap but those are hideous.
Hey that’s incorrect, not all zircon brand detectors are the same and while the lower end ones I would say I agree with you the ones tested are represented accurately. I’m assuming you’re saying the Bosch requires a larger calibration area comparatively? Either way I have used all of these many times and the results are still exactly as shown.
waste of money. Get yourselfs a couple of magnets instead. Knock on the wall and listen where you think the studs are. Bring out your magnets and move them up and down left and right on the wall. Eventually youll find the screws, thank me later.
Magnets and your knuckles won’t verify wire location. I carry both they each have their place. I included a magnet in my second video against different detectors.
![Best Stud Finders 2023 [watch before you buy]](/img/n.gif)
Thank you for making this video! It's nice to actually see these in action instead of just reading a vague review about the detectors online. Your video helped immensely!
Thank you for this video. I have used Zircon center finder stud finders for over 15 years. I have several. They are very accurate and sometimes they may give readings that are confusing. As a back up I use CH Hanson or stud buddies. Zircon stands behind their products. I’ve had great experience with them. If you watch the DVD that used to come with them or watch or read the instructions they explain most scenarios that you may get a false reading. They are my favorite. Enjoyed the video very much
Thank you for your timing to record all these tastes !Very useful!
My pleasure hope it helps
Sounds like I need to get myself a Zircon M1. Seems like it might be a bit more accurate than my current method of rapping my knuckle on the wall.
But the knuckle is accurate 100% of the time haha
Thank you for this video… just picked up two Stanleys. Actually, I think they’re Dewalts, but they look identical.
No problem, and yes Stanley, Dewalt, craftsman etc. are all made by Stanley black and decker and a lot of them are the same just different colors
Great straightforward video !
Thank you
Great video as usual. That said, no review of stud finders is complete if leaves out the STUDPOP magnetic stud finder. I've been using it since it came out 10 years ago. Unlike every other stud finder---electronic or magnetic---it is able to find studs (via the metal fasteners) in any kind of wall: sheetrock, tile over sheetrock, plasterboard, wood lath and plaster. It's actually...fun? to use, if that's possible : )
Yes really any magnet is a classic option
Do you have a link for that?
@@danthechippie4439 for a stud pop?
Yes thats good for just that, finding studs, these scanners are really more than stud scanners, in Europe they are usually just called "wall scanners" rather than stud finder/scanner/detector.
Nice but would like to know how they performed detecting at depth👍
Zircon M1 is $35 at my local Home Depot.
Yeah now it is. At the time of the video pricing was different
Thank you for making this video. What I'd be interested to find out though is to see how tests with N>1 hold up; you might have gotten lucky with one model and unlucky with another.
I'd be interested to know the variance for each model - say you test *10* units of the Zircon M1, do they all give he same results or do you just have to be lucky to get the right unit?
Hey you are correct you may get one unit better than another. They are supposed to be calibrated at the factory so in theory they should all function the same. Each detector is used several times off screen to make sure the results are accurate across multiple attempts but there is no way to know if I had a lemon or not using only one like you said.
Awesome! I’ve always had a love hate for these things. May just need to upgrade since I’ve got a 10 year old zircon like that Stanley.
Yeah I’ve always been works good enough but there is definitely better for not much more money!
Which would you purchase? The Zircon M1 or the Bosch stud detector? They both seem to perform similarly.
I use the M1. The zircon costs less than half the Bosch and performs the best.
Thanks for the video. Would have helped the accuracy of your tests if you had masked out previous locations for each device. It's clearly influencing your positioning of the marks on later devices (e.g., the zircon m1)
How so? The devices indicate the edges I can’t control or influence them in any way. You should be able to see the screen on each detector. It’s not something I can change the outcome of nor do I try. All detectors are checked after the test multiple times to make sure the ranking is accurate as well.
The bosch requires 2 - 3 passes back and forth which increases the accuracy something a lot of reviewers miss.
That being the case only lowers it in my rankings. All of the detectors can be zeroed in more accurately with several passes but it should be how accurate the detector is right away. In real life an end User isn’t checking each stud using 2-3 passes. Bosch having that as a requirement is another reason their detector is overpriced.
It also picks up electric and timber studs in solid block walls
@@heathbirkett2182 almost all of them did electrical (see second test in video) if you have solid block walls you would be looking at a different line of detectors and in that application this is the wrong video.
@@ToolsThatBuild Im real life, yes I'm using multiple passes. Why would you risk error?
@@alistermunro7090 I wouldn’t, my point is all of the detectors use multiple passes. The more you do the more accurate the results. However it doesn’t change how well they work on first pass and it doesn’t change the ranking of any of them. To say the Bosch requires multiple passes to be accurate isn’t an argument for it being better it’s an argument for it being worse.
I have that 10 year old Stanley. In fact, mine is closer to 15 years. It sucks.
Agreed but may as well throw it in the mix for comparison
We always go back to the 10 year old stanly. It’s the most accurate. I’ve had the newer Stanley that he tested, an expensive Stanley, a dewalt (looked like the Stanley in the video with the small hole for marking), the yellow zircon. All junk. Either returned or tossed them all except the 10 year old Stanley. It finds a stud every time. The zircon found plumbing a couple times which was really fun too...
Provding your house is made of wood this is great in the UK we have walls made of brick, how do they all work on chased cables in walls made of brick and cement?
The only one in this test that does an ok job on brick/cement is the Bosch but there is better detectors meant for that. These tests aren’t really that relevant to brick.
@@ToolsThatBuildplease reccomend for cables in concrete/plaster wall?
excellent review
!
Thank you hope it helps
Is the zircon m1 still on amazon because i cant find it to save my life and i even tried taking a screenshot of the stock photo from the video and doing a photo search 😅
I bought mine at Home Depot, my local store still has lots in stock. Both home depot.com and homedepot.ca show it available to order as well if that helps
Does the electricity have to be ON so the detectors can find it?
Yes the wire has to be live
Could you please talk about the best scanner of a concrete wall for (electrical wires) and (plastic water's pipes)?
I’ll have to put together a separate video for that
@@ToolsThatBuild waiting for this video concrete wall electrical wires most of the common things in daily life of a construction worker
@@BarbaryStudio I’m on it, this will be a much larger under taking so it will be a while.
@@ToolsThatBuild in my research the gms 120 detect the newer model of the gms 120 is the best buy for the money i have seen many test
@@BarbaryStudio depends on budget there is some pretty incredible detectors for that application but cost is a factor
The stanley ac detector is saying my entire wall is electric arghh
I’ve been using the stud finders I correctly my whole life.
I find most stud finders work well until u got water, gas and electrical running through a wall. Then they go off over everything and simetimes i find some detectors are very vague with detecting electrical or not finding them at all. Would also to like to add im usually using these on 100+ year old hones so sometimes there is just random shit in the walls like gas lines for old gas burning lamps that were never taken out.
Ya they have limitations for sure. This is meant as a guide to help people get there moneys worth when buying one for their specific use. I’ve never tested one that didn’t have a flaw one way or another.
Thank you for doing this
Hope it helps some!
How to find a caoxial cable inside a wall and not confiue it with electrical cable usig these or other tools / techniques ?
You need a wall scanner not a stud finder, do you know generally where in the wall it is?
Have you tested these through tile & backer board?
No I have not
Can any of these finders locate studs through stucco walls?
No they can’t. The problem with stucco is it’s put on a metal wire and that wire can have air pockets both those things cause even the most expensive detectors not to work. Further if your referencing an exterior wall the wire is usually over plywood which it also can’t detect through.
@Tools That Build thank you for the quick respond and explanation
The voice sounds like the one in Cold fusion.
Thank you?
Can it be used to find gold like big metal detector?
If you have gold in your walls skip the detector and just start smashing!
@@ToolsThatBuild in the upstream river, in soil
@@beautyandthesimp then unfortunately no they will not
Do these detect metal?
Metal studs/channeling or what kind of metal?
@@ToolsThatBuild Like metal plumbing .
@@-sol-8350 the Bosch GMS120 can the rest won’t. The Bosch is probably the only wall scanner under $100 that can.
@@ToolsThatBuild ok
I don understand, do builders like to be warned further away from a live wire, or get the location of the live wire?
Wouldnt you elevate a sensor higher up your list if it can detect the actual location of the wire and not close to it?
Early warning is always good it helps to keep end users from hitting a wire. however accuracy is most important. My ranking for the wire detection was based solely on accurately detecting the wire location not how early it alerted. The first marks are just to show how early the detector alerts of nearby power, the second marks are where the detector indicated the wires location if it had that option.
Okay, thanks for the reply.
Zircon M1 Vs M4
Hey buddy can a stud finder pick up gold 🙂 signal
Not what they are meant for no
Thanks, but the only thing I can take away from these tests is that none of them are worth a single penny. The bottom line is "accuracy"; we are blind through the drywall, so if it can't accurately mark where the edge and/or the center (actual, not just near it), then the tool fails! Isn't there any stud finders out there that actually works accurately?
I can only show what I find. But no there isn’t any that work perfectly every time, add paint to the wall and drywall mud and they become even less accurate. A normal magnet is tough to beat
@@ToolsThatBuild LOL, Right? Sometimes the best solutions are the good'ol tried and true, simple ones!
There ones that are extremely powerful and costs 200+ euros, there also the x-ray option if you are willing to spend 1000 euros on an x-ray scanner for walls.
most people don't know to calibrate it on the wall first, so find stud finders don't work for them. I use them nearly daily and they work fine for me. Just have to calibrate it on the wall first. Except for the Franklin, doesn't need to be calibrated. That is a my favorite one. They all work however.
The Franklin Sensors is the most accurate stud finders
holding a button down while standing on a ladder finding ceiling joists of a 12' ceiling sucks.
Ya sounds horrible
They aren't available anymore 😭😭😭😭😭😭
All still available locally where I live, which model are you looking for and what country are you in?
Think
You didn't test through plywood
That is correct
if Franklin was there it won easily
I did a second video with the Franklin and some others. You can find it on my channel and the results might actually surprise you
While I haven’t watched this yet, how is this a 2023 video if it’s 2 years old?
Not sure should be 2022 but all detectors are still available so doesn’t really matter
3 stanley's, 2 Zircon's, 1 bosch....... whats the point??
The point is I bought every in stock detector I could at two big box stores. It’s universally what people in NA should be able to pick up immediately. There’s no point in ordering detectors from all over the place just because they are different if no one can easily get them.
No detector can find it right once because it is against the working logic of the detectors.
Several detectors found it right once..
dood are you high? they all missed the board . You mean which one of these pile of junks is the least offensive waste of time?
I can only test what is available, a magnet is also a good option if you don’t like any of these. If you would like to see anything else tested I’m always open to suggestions. Thanks for the feedback either way dood!
i don't understand why so many people don't know how to use stud finders. If you calibrate it on the wall first before running it across, they work fine in most cases, sometimes double drywall over tile or a plaster wall can cause issues. But standard framing and drywall board they work fine.
Your video is quite misleading. The Zircon is an unstable product. Having used the Zircon on multiple walls, they were the most unreliable ones. I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. The BOSCH one was quite reliable so far if not the best. Just be aware that the Bosch has a bigger circle to mark the point compared to the other ones. So it is also down to the person to mark the point correctly. The Stanley's are the worst. Never understood why people buy any of their products. Sorry those Zircons are cheap but those are hideous.
Hey that’s incorrect, not all zircon brand detectors are the same and while the lower end ones I would say I agree with you the ones tested are represented accurately. I’m assuming you’re saying the Bosch requires a larger calibration area comparatively? Either way I have used all of these many times and the results are still exactly as shown.
waste of money. Get yourselfs a couple of magnets instead. Knock on the wall and listen where you think the studs are. Bring out your magnets and move them up and down left and right on the wall. Eventually youll find the screws, thank me later.
Magnets and your knuckles won’t verify wire location. I carry both they each have their place. I included a magnet in my second video against different detectors.