Zircon stud detectors

[Stephen]

Hello,

I understand that Zircon stud detectors are recommended by this group. I've looked at the Zircon web site and see they sell two types: edge finders and centre finders. If you want to screw a shelf into a stud, I guess the centre finder is best but if you are trying to avoid cutting into a stud/joist, I suppose the edge variety is better?

What models do you use and do they work?

I'm having problems with a stud wall (that's another post) and I bought one but I'm getting a lot of false positives so I'm thinking about sending it back!

Thanks, Stephen.

[Huge]

I have a Zircon stud finder. I'm not sure which model because I inherited it (*). I suspect it's an edge finder because I find the centres of studs by searching for them in opposite directions. It's one of those tools that makes me think "I wish I'd got one of these years ago."

(* And it's in the garage, and I'm not!)

[The Medway Handyman]

Zircon have some horrendously bad reviews online, as have the Stanley Intellisensors.

I'm look for a new stud finder, mainly for pipes & cables Makita have a new one out, Ryobi seem to have some decent ones.

Any reccomendations?

[Lobster]

I've got one of these:

I bought last summer in the US for only about 20 quid (the dollar was only worth 50p then!)

This finds edges as well as centres... I expect all the centre-detectors must do that, as presumably they find centres by interpolating between edges? TBH I'm not sure of the advantage of a 'centre' detector; in practice when I'm using it I sweep it across the wall and plot the positions of the studs: you get a readout on the display which shows you where they lie.

I really rate it, anyway: I've had two cheapo versions of these detectors before which were complete rubbish.

David

[John Rumm]

Triscanner pro. You approach the stud from both directions and hence can mark its edges (and span). Finding the centre is left an an exercise for the user ;-)

Mine works well (except on foil backed PB), but I guess their may be variations.

[The Medway Handyman]

I was looking at a B&D stud finder instruction book which 'fell' out of the packaging and it mentioned that your other hand should be touching the wall when using it to detect pipes. Why would that be then?

[Stephen]

I was looking to buy a Triscanner Pro but I think they have been discontinued. I have the Multiscanner Pro SL which was the next nearest thing, I think. I had a problem with a lot of false positives, I.e. it telling me there were studs where there weren't any. In the end I ripped down the wall and found there were no studs at 60 cm or

40cm; only around the edges of the plasterboard! I guess the recommendations have changed since the house was built in the 1970s, or was it built by cowboys? ;)

The problem seems to be that if you press harder on the scanner or relax slightly, the microscopic movements towards and away from the wall cause it to think there is a stud where there isn't.

I suspect some of this is user error as I am not used to how to hold it yet but how would I know if I had a bad one?

Thanks.

[Jules]

That's probably the case. I bought one here, but we have a lot of walls that are almost finished like one of those artex ceilings (i.e. lots of bumps and troughs), and they seem to confuse the detector something chronic.

Thankfully I think I might be able to work things out from where there are nails sticking through into the basement.

[John Rumm]

If it is like mine, it does a calibration as you push the on button. Where it is when this happens makes a difference to the sensitivity. So try either pushing hard while it cals, or holding it away from the wall a few mm and see if that gets different results. I find mine works well on ordinary stud walls - even where they have been artexed - however it can't cope with foil backed plasterboard.