The StudBuddy Magnetic Stud Finder

Product Information

Cheaper, less sophisticated stud finders are essentially small metal detectors, or even simply magnets, relying on finding nails in studwork.

The LCD screen is crisp, and clearly displays the type of material you’re detecting, how close you are to it, the depth, and when you’ve landed at the centre of it. Depending on the device, it will tell you the type of material that it’s found – magnetic or non-magnetic metal, or non-metallic. It comes close to the Bosch on specification, and only loses the overall top spot due to the lack of a case and, more importantly, no hole through which to mark the drill holes. While it’s usually fine to tap a hook for a sensibly sized picture frame straight into the plasterboard, if you want to hang something heavy such as a large mirror, or install a television wall mount, it’s essential you locate and drill into the studs.A word of warning, though: as good as stud finders are, you need to take your time and exercise caution.

The DeWalt also continually calibrates, meaning it’s good to go as soon as you switch it on, while some of the others here will need the odd bit of manual calibration as you’re scanning. There’s also the more expensive StudBuddy Plus, which incorporates vertical and horizontal spirit levels. It has three scanning modes to detect wooden beams and joists at different depths, and two more to scan for either metals or live cables. It’s important to use other signals to determine the likelihood of drilling into something you shouldn’t, and you mustn’t assume that ducting or pipework will always run in a straight line, so check wherever you’re planning to drill or cut. It magnetises itself to the wall when a stud is detected and will hang there like a plumb bob for ease of marking.Once you’ve found the stud, there’s a channel in the centre of the device to mark the drill hole with a pen, scribe, or centre punch. First, it’s designed to work on plasterboard – not plastered walls or on lath and plaster – which could limit its usefulness, particularly in older UK homes. You press the power/mode button to switch on and cycle through the modes, and there’s a well-positioned scan button on the side of the handle to recalibrate the device and start detecting. Unlike the other stud finders here, the DeWalt doesn’t show you the entire stud, just the centre of it. First, work out where you want to drill holes for the mirror, TV, shelf or whatever other item you need to hang – it will cut down the time you spend unnecessarily scanning parts of the room.

The problem with these stud finders is that it can be hard to distinguish between those nails and other metalwork, such as cables or water pipes. It also comes with a wrist strap and a drill marker, plus a protective case, even though it has an IP54 dust protection rating. It has a three-colour display that illuminates green when nothing has been detected, yellow when you’re close to a target, and red when it’s detected something. Despite its professional label, it’s straightforward to use even for an amateur, with modes to detect metal – magnetic and non-magnetic – live wires, and those all-important studs behind drywalls. Then remove rings, watches and other jewellery, as well as any electronic devices from your pockets, to avoid interference.There’s even an indicator to show when you’re at the centre of the target, while a hole in the unit allows you to mark the drill hole using the tool supplied.