Engineers TEST Stud Finders | Dewalt vs Zircon vs JAXWQ

WE TESTED 8 OF THE BEST STUD FINDERS WE COULD FIND From Amazon's best sellers to well know brands like DeWalt and Zircon. We measured their accuracy , their ability to detect live wire and their ability to detect PVC, Metal Conduit and Copper.

Product Links (No Specific Order):

Dewalt - https://amzn.to/3UY5PP0
JAXWQ - https://amzn.to/3y9hh0O
Craftsman - https://amzn.to/3RvUUJx
Franklin Pro Sensor - https://amzn.to/3UVLFW5
Stud Buddy - https://amzn.to/3C0ozFe
Zircon HD55 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zircon-St...
Zircon HD900 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zircon-Mu...
Hart - goto.walmart.com/c/3675674/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FHART-Basic-3-LED-Stud-Finder%2F502549653&intsrc=PRODUCT_UI_V2

0:00 - How do Stud Finders Work
1:39 - Test Setup
1:58 - Craftsman
3:10 - Dewalt
5:02 - Zircon HD900
7:05 - Zircon HD55
8:32 - Franklin ProSensor 710+
10:03 - Hart
11:13 - JAXWQ

Whether you are putting up some nice floating shelves you just bought, hanging some pieces of art or setting up your brand new TV, being able to determine where your studs are is critical.

Before the advent of stud finders, you had to hammer in a small nail into the wall until you found a stud.

There are two main technologies used in stud finders, magnetic and electronic ones. Magnetic ones like the stud buddy here, use a strong magnet to find the screws in the drywall.

To use magnetic stud finders, you simply zig-zag across the wall and hope that you find a screw. These types of stud finders are cost effective and easy to use. If you have the patience and your budget is tight, this might be the right stud finder for you, just make sure you find several screws to confirm this is indeed a stud.

Moving on… electronic stud finders are the most common out there. They detect changes in capacitance to determine the presence of a stud.

Within the electronic stud finder category, you have edge stud finders and center or whole stud finders. Edge stud finders utilize only one magnetic field; thus they can detect only one edge at a time and requires you to come from the other side to determine the other.

For a whole or center stud finder, engineers employed the use of multiple magnetic fields to detect several changes in density and thus detect the entirety of the stud or even two studs at the same time.

To test the stud finders, we built a wall with studs spaced at 16 inches apart on center. We installed electrical conduit, PVC, PEX and Copper piping. We added an electrical outlet and light switch to test the live wire detection capabilities of the stud finders. Finally, we installed 5/8 in drywall and applied 3 coats of satin paint.

One of the most affordable options we will be testing today is the Craftsman edge stud finder. This stud finder has a limited lifetime warranty and claims it can detect wood and metal studs up to 3/4 in. It also features a marking channel for convenience.

Next up we have the Dewalt center stud finder, this stud finder offers a three year limited warranty and it claims it can detect wood studs up to 1 inch deep, metal studs up to 1.5 inches deep and live wires up to 2 inches deep. Additional features include a convenient center marking channel, directional LED arrows for visual guidance and constant auto calibration, allowing you to begin on a stud.

We have the ZIRCON HD900. It offers a limited lifetime warranty and claims it can detect Wood studs up to 1.5 inches deep and metal ones up to 3 inches deep. It has an AC SCAN mode to detect live wires as well as a wire warning detection in any mode.

Also from Zircon, we have the HD55 edge stud finder. It offers a limited lifetime warranty and claims to detect wood and metal studs up to ¾ of an inch or 1.5 inches " in deep scan mode". It features live wire detection up to 2 inches and a unique arrow projection for ease of use.

One of the most expensive stud finders we will be testing today is the Franklin Pro Sensor. It offers a 1-year warranty and claims to detect wood and metal studs up to 1.6 inches deep because 1.5 just wouldn’t cut it.

The most economic stud finder we will be testing today will be the HART center stud Finder, at a low price of 9.88 at Walmart, It offers a 3 Year Warranty and claims to detect wood and metals studs up to 1 inch deep.

Next in line, we have the JAXWQ. It offers a 2 year warranty and claims to detect wood and metal studs up to 1.5 inches deep and live wires up to 2 in deep.

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