The StudBuddy Magnetic Stud Finder

Product Information

That cuts down on confusion or ambiguity as to whether you’re drilling into the heart of the stud, or perilously close to the edge. And, as well as detecting studs inside walls, the best stud finders can detect live wires, electrical ducting, and metal or plastic pipes, too. Bosch’s Professional Stud Finder is far from the cheapest, but if you’re looking for a fully featured unit that you’re going to use frequently, it’s the one to have. Cheaper, less sophisticated stud finders are essentially small metal detectors, or even simply magnets, relying on finding nails in studwork. Stud walls are part of the fabric of today’s buildings: whether you live in a new build or have an older property that’s been altered over time, the chances are you’ve got a stud wall or two.

There’s no screen though, so you’ll have to watch the LEDs and listen for the buzzer – as you move closer to the target, the beeps will sound more rapidly, and the left and right arrows light up to show where the nearest stud is. 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.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.

Second, it relies on magnets to hunt down nails or screws in studs, rather than any electrical capacitance, which means you need to take extra care to be sure it’s finding a nail and not a metal pipe.It also comes with a wrist strap and a drill marker, plus a protective case, even though it has an IP54 dust protection rating. Unlike the other stud finders here, the DeWalt doesn’t show you the entire stud, just the centre of it.