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Hi folks
I am guessing this could be a question that has been asked before, BUT sorry I couldn't find one. Old~timers maybe.
I would like to purchase a new Stud finder and struggle with a reliable one. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction.
I haven't had any luck with stanley or Ryobi, just not as reliable as I would like. Out of desperation I got a retired builder in to help me with some overhead cabinets in my Craft room.. In the end he just started taping v-small nails in the approx. area... SADLY I ended up with dozens of holes all over the well. NOT Impressed! and certainly won't be getting him back.
My dilemma is that I wish to put up some solid shelves in my lounge room, bedroom and family room to hold hanging plants. So I would really prefer to go into the stud not just the gyprock, as there will be some weight on them.
I would also like to hang some Macramé planters from the ceilings, so would rather find the ceiling beams than use plugs and hope they don't fall down one day.
I have had a few mishaps so a little apprehensive.
So really need a foolproof way of dealing with this as I've been procrastinating for the past few years.
HELP. Please..
Oldgal-24
Hi @Old-gal24,
Can you please tell us a little more about why the stud finders you have used have not been reliable? Is there something unusual about the construction of your house?
Let me also tag @MitchellMc for his thoughts.
Thanks,
Jason
Hi @Old-gal24,
Using and becoming familiar with your stud finder can be a bit of an art. If you run into issues, it is pretty frustrating, as you can't see behind the wall to know what's going on.
Many units have a calibration mode. This sets the plaster's density and gives the unit a constant. When it travels over a denser material, like your timber stud, it senses it and alerts you. If you accidentally calibrate your unit over a stud, it won't detect studs or anything in the wall, for that matter. Additionally, if there are pipes or cables in the area, it can become all the more confusing. It's essential to read the manual and follow it exactly.
The best way to get used to your stud detector is by finding a location where you know a stud is present. Often you'll see a row of clouts holding the plaster to it. You can then practise locating and marking either side of the stud. This will help you get familiar with the unit. You can then move on to finding a stud where you don't know its location.
Of course, this isn't to say all stud finds are perfect, and they can have their faults or misreadings. I'd suggest you go with this Ozito 50mm Stud Detector since you haven't had much luck with Stanley and Ryobi. Follow the instructions and perform any necessary calibration steps before locating studs. If you get weird results or it's showing no studs anywhere, recalibrate on a different area.
If you fail to get the expected results, post back here, and I can run you through the steps and calibration. We'll have you spotting studs in no time, even if it means me running out and grabbing one so we can work it out together.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi Jason,
Ummm maybe it's the nut behind the wheel here... Standard Brick /timber frame home, just seem to have odd distances between studs in some parts of the house, or so I've discovered so far... House is approx. 25-30 years old from what I've been able to find.
Anything else I can let you know, please ask..
Old timer here remember.. 
Super keen to help you out with this @Old-gal24. Let me know if you'd like to work with the same detector together. I'm sure many of our members would also like to know how to use a stud detector, so it would likely be a great article we could put together.
Mitchell
Basically I just ran the three I tried over the wall slowly, until lights came on or flashed.. I tried a Ryobi one that my SIL lent me, lightly tapped a v-small nail into the area. No go - went right through the gyprock. 
Did much the same with a Stanley and I think the other one was an old Bosh.. Non were 100%.
I have also tried the tapping on the wall method.
The magnet method - don't think my magnet was strong enough.
Gently tapping small nails into the wall after tapping, in the hope that I hit a stud.
The last room to be added onto the house *(also prior to my purchase) I got a retired builder to help me put in upper cabinets and I ended up with 100's of holes all over that same wall, as the studs weren't the same distance apart. Which was very frustrating to say the least.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Old-gal24
Hi @Old-gal24,
You'll likely find a bit of negative feedback on all brands and types of stud finders. By nature, they can be quite tricky to use, and if they don't give the expected reading, it's easiest to blame the machine. I've done this myself, so I understand how frustrating it can be, especially when you find a ghost stud and it then disappears and reappears. The number one reason I've come across relating to a machine not functioning correctly is that they weren't calibrated according to instructions. Very rarely, if ever, have I come across a machine that did not work at all. If you can't recall going through a calibration step with the machines you've used, this might be the case with some of the issues you've experienced. I've added the Ozito's calibration steps below. Note that the machine needs to be calibrated every 60 seconds in order to reduce errors. If this calibration is not completed, you might as well use the machine as a hammer to knock on the wall to find the stud. You'd get better results from that than running it un-calibrated. 😂
Do you have any stud detectors that I could help you troubleshoot at the moment?
Mitchell
Oh, I thought I'd mention that your experience with the builder is similar to a story my mother likes to tell. She offered free accommodation to my uncle in exchange for his carpentry services when renovating her first home. She came home from work one day, and nothing much had been done since the previous day. She found my uncle sitting back, having a beer in the lounge room. On seeing her, he jumped up, whipped out his hammer, and started whacking the plaster as he walked down the wall. She exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing? You're damaging the wall!", his response was, "I'm looking for the studs, don't worry, the plasterer will take care of the dents.". She was the plasterer and was furious. Let's just say his time there was short spent.
Mitchell
