Good stud finders

[electrofelon]

Anyone have any experience with some of the better stud finder / wall scanners? At the very high end, I have used the bosch 150:

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-D-Tect150-D-Tect-Wallscanner/dp/B005EM93R0

Very sweet. Will accurately find .trusses/rafters through shingles. Like 750 bucks though and probably overkill for what I need. I guess I would just like to be able to find studs through plaster and lath. I like to use smart boxes on the stud rather than old work boxes. Bosch has some much cheaper ones, are they up to the task?

 

[LarryFine]

I recently got one at my local Costco. I don't recall the brand or model, but it's green and has 13 LEDs instead of one. It has worked perfectly so far.

 

[electrofelon]

I recently got one at my local Costco. I don't recall the brand or model, but it's green and has 13 LEDs instead of one. It has worked perfectly so far.

Will it find studs thru plaster and lath?

 

[LarryFine]

I believe so.

 

[FionaZuppa]

i keep seeing TV commercials for the stud finder that shows you whats behind the wall, i think its a handheld sonic system, just forget the name.

 

[Little Bill]

I recently got one at my local Costco. I don't recall the brand or model, but it's green and has 13 LEDs instead of one. It has worked perfectly so far.

I have one of those but it is yellow. Mine is a Franklin Sensor brand. It has the LEDs and a level. What I like the most about it is you don't have to "scoot" it across the wall/ceiling. You can just pick it up and move it until you find the stud. I also like the fact that 3 of the LEDs will light when you're on the stud, you see both edges and the center all at once.

 

[electrofelon]

I have one of those but it is yellow. Mine is a Franklin Sensor brand. It has the LEDs and a level. What I like the most about it is you don't have to "scoot" it across the wall/ceiling. You can just pick it up and move it until you find the stud. I also like the fact that 3 of the LEDs will light when you're on the stud, you see both edges and the center all at once.

Does yours work well on plaster and lath? LookING for something better than the el-cheapo zircons that only seem to work on drywall.

 

[Little Bill]

Does yours work well on plaster and lath? LookING for something better than the el-cheapo zircons that only seem to work on drywall.

Don't recall if I have used it on that yet but have on some pretty thick stuff and it worked good.

 

[PetrosA]

Franklin makes both the yellow ones and the ones they sell at Costco. Short of a sub scanner, I don't think you can buy a better stud finder than the Franklin.

It has worked on wood lath plaster with varying success for me with browncoat thickness and lath thickness the two variables that throw it off easiest. With metal plaster it seems almost as good as on drywall.

 

[luckylerado]

I have a small neodymium magnet that I use. Has never let me down. I hunt for nails and screws to find the studs.

 

[FionaZuppa]

I have a small neodymium magnet that I use. Has never let me down. I hunt for nails and screws to find the studs.

it only finds nails & screws? never anything else?

 

[GoldDigger]

it only finds nails & screws? never anything else?

The magnet type only finds ferromagnetic material fairly close to the surface or large masses further back. You can tell the difference between the two by the exact nature of the response as you move over the spot.
No good on brass or stainless screws.
Electronic ones sense the energy absorbing mass of anything behind the surface of the wallboard. Hence harder to detect a dry wood stud behind lath, but still possible in some cases.