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.

Stephen wrote:
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!


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?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Stephen wrote:

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've got one of these:
http://www.zircon.com/products/center_ms_i500.html
which 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

Stephen wrote:
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?

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 ;-)

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!

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

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm wrote:
Stephen wrote:
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 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?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:50:20 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

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 ;-)

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.

On Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:51:23 +0000, Stephen wrote:
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.

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.

Stephen wrote:
On Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:50:20 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

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 ;-)

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.

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.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/