Thread: Stanley FatMax 400 Stud Sensor...

I have a black and decker stud finder, and have had no problems with it.

On a side note, when we built our house, I took a lot of photos, inside and out, to show where all the studs, pipes, power, etc were. I check the photos to get a rough idea of what I am looking for, and then use the stud finder for the rest.

Originally Posted by Batpig

And the obvious Big Question - what did you get instead that actually works? (or is this as good as it gets with Stud Sensors...)

I use my knuckles & ears, occasionally followed by a very small drill bit in the real "is there/isn't there?" situations.

I've tried quite a few stud sensors and I've yet to find one that works well. They can all find electrical wiring & plumbing OK, which is all I use mine for now: so I know where not to go.

But finding studs? They're OK for internal walls in modern houses with plaster sheeting, but as soon as you try using 'em on canite, masonite, fibro or even external plaster walls over a metallic insulation/damp-proofing...

It should work alright finding the joists on a plasterboard ceiling though! One hint is to get into the ceiling cavity and clean away anything lying on top of the plasterboard in the area you'll be working before you start... it's amazing how little it takes to start giving phantom readings.

Thank-you for the replies Gents...

I've taken the "Toy" back , and to their credit the BigB was very understanding about my dissatisfaction. I'm now considering something in the Zircon range (of which they carry a few models), but with an eye to obtaining the following key differences to the Stanley in the modes of operation:

1) The FatMax was a "Centre-Finder", and I've got a sneakin' suspicion that the technology in such units is not yet equal to the task of picking up both sides of a stud accurately enough in a single pass in one direction so as to be able to identify the centre of the stud. I think that an "Edge-Finder" is probably still a safer and more consistent bet, and will give you some idea of the width of your Studs and Ceiling Joists to boot.

2) I'm not fussed on the LCD screens on the various upper-end models of the different brands - the FatMax included. LCD seems okay when working on walls, but is not quite as handy for ceiling work, where there is not as much light and you don't have as much control over how close your eyes are to the unit. Little LED lights seem like a better proposition to me for dealing with ceilings.

I was therefore thinking of the Zircon StudSensor Pro SL-AC (link here: http://www.zircon.com/products/edge_ss_pro_slac.html, photo below...), but the BigB doesn't carry them. Has anyone perchance seen them in a shop anywhere?...

Best Wishes,
Batpig.

I've just picked up Zircon StudSensor Pro SL ($49.74) from North Rocks BigB. They have 3 models in stock. StudSensor i65 OneStep, StudSensor SL and StudSensor Pro SL.

I've tried a few myself over the years, and concluded that they're all little better (and sometimes worse than) useless. What I have been really need is something to locate joist centres in secret nailed flooring

I've now resorted to using neodymium magnets to locate nails, screws or steel battens with more success: fridge-magnet style for plaster walls and ceilings, and ball magnets for flooring. They have to be really powerful magnets though, otherwise they won't work either.

I see Bosch has a new-tech ultrasonic scanner available, but at $1000+ I think I'll pass.

hey mate
we use the same stud finder at work, the trick is put it some were you think there is no stud then push the button untill its s tops beeting repeatedly and is just a constant beeb, then with the button still held down move along the wall and when its goin nut obviously theres a stud but the edge not the centre hope that helped
cheers jack