The 5 best stud finders of 2021 - Business - Insider

Many stud finders can also make the difference between you drilling a hole or hammering a nail into a water pipe, thereby turning a modest project like putting up a shelf or mounting a TV into a serious home repair almost surely involving pricey professionals.Many operate with the push of a single button and use easily interpreted lights to indicate the location of hidden studs. All that high tech, high accuracy detection requires nothing but the push of one button.Unfortunately, it's not equipped with AC power detection, but the Franklin ProSensor 710 certainly does its primary job with poise.Pros: Affordable, no batteries needed, features bubble levelCons: Misses some wooden studsThe C.H. Hanson Stud 4 Sure Magnetic Stud Finder is essentially a fancy magnet, but its performance is a great option for a once-in-a-while improvement project.It locates studs through attraction to a metal stud itself or to the screws and nails sunk into a wooden beam. But that extra work is easily justified by the small price tag of the C.H. Hanson Stud 4 Sure Magnetic Stud Finder, though.The addition of a bubble level makes it easy to keep track of the stud's position behind the wall, while the fact that the unit stays adhered to the wall hands-free allows for easy markings and measurements.Pros: Durable construction, center indication light, built-in center punch marker, sensitive AC detectionCons: Two-button operation isn't convenientI keep my Ryobi LED Whole Stud Detector in the top of my toolbox, where it nestles snugly among a couple of hammers, seven or eight screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, a box of nails, and all the other stuff tossed in as well. Even more helpful is the center indication function that clearly displays the middle of a stud for the most solid sinking of nails or screws by illuminating a circle of green light when you have hit the central spot.The tool also has an AC detection system that uses both a red light and a beep to warn when you are near active electrical current, a feature I've appreciated many times. It finds non-ferrous (i.e. iron-free and non-magnetic) metals like copper, helping prevent damage to pipes or conduit.Pros: Two tools in one, auto-leveling technology, wall pin for hands-free useCons: Laser beams are rather weakThe Black+Decker BDL190S BullsEye Auto-Leveling Laser with Stud Finder is on the pricier side, but this is a total two-in-one if ever I've seen one.As a stud finder, it easily locates wooden and metal studs and it even has an AC detection function, too. It even frees up your hands by sticking to the wall with a hanging pin, though of course using that feature will leave a small hole in the wall.Electric stud finders: Electric stud finders rely on the dielectric constant of various materials, detecting the density of the surface in close proximity to their sensor plate.