A stud finder tells you what is behind the plasterboard before you drill: timber studs, steel track, water pipes and live cables. This collection holds magnetic stud finders from Kreg and electronic detectors and wall scanners from Bosch Professional, for electricians, plumbers, TV and shelf installers and homeowners hanging anything heavy.
Choosing a stud finder or wall scanner
- Magnetic. The Kreg Magnetic Stud Finder KMM1000 finds the screws or nails in a stud with no batteries at all. The Kreg Magnetic Stud Finder with LASER-MARK KMM1000LZ adds a laser line to carry the mark up or down the wall.
- Electronic multi-detector. The Bosch Professional Detector GMS 120-27 senses wood, metal and live cable through plasterboard and marks the centre of the stud. It is the everyday choice for installers.
- Deep scanning. The Bosch Professional Wall scanner D-Tect 120 reads deeper into brick and concrete for rebar, pipes and conduit. The D-tect 200 C goes further again and shows a visual readout for renovation and coring work.
- Seeing inside. The Bosch Professional Inspection Camera GIC 12V-5-27 C is not a detector but a camera on a flexible probe for looking inside walls, ducts and engine bays once you have found the void.
Magnetic vs electronic stud finder
A magnetic finder is simple and never needs calibrating, but it only finds the fasteners in a stud, so you sweep until it grabs. An electronic detector reads the density change and gives you the stud edges and centre. In a South African brick house with plaster, a magnetic finder will find nothing, and you need the D-Tect range to detect pipes and cables in masonry. For more Kreg layout tools see Kreg tools.
Stud finders and detectors are in stock at Power Tool Services in Claremont, Cape Town, with nationwide courier delivery. Our staff use them on installations daily and can advise which one your walls need.
