Zircon Stud Finders

[David Rose]

Tom,

How about designing a Toothpaste Color Separator?

David

Boyd, thanks so much for this post. I thought I would keep my secret buried deep in my shop: I can't get the stud finder to work!

Now I find there is a support group, right here on the Creek.

That device, notice I don't distingush it with the term "tool", is the most unreliable item in my shop. I too often fall back on a few taps on the wall and a 1/16" drill bit. Toothpaste also fills the holes if you can still find plain white!

Tom, in Houston, relieved to know he's not alone.

[Larry Conely]

I threw mine out a couple weeks ago. Absolutely useless. I was beginning to think it was just me.

Larry

[Tom Hamilton]

Hummm, David, an opportunity knocks! Let's see, a pressure application device to empty the tube, dividers to separate the colors, some type of container to catch the white.

Do we sell the other colors as well, or just discard.

Maybe we could put the red/blue/green back in the tube and offer speciality toothpaste without the white. Opps, that doesn't sound like a good marketing strategy.

This has potential, but not much OT content.

All the best, Tom

[Dick Rowe]

I have trouble purchasing those things 'cause every time I walk past the stud sensor displays in the store the damn things keep going off!

Actually I had an old Zircon (probably 15 years old), that was marginally useful as others suggested.

I recently had a need to hang a shelf where patching an oops wasn't an option, and I didn't trust the old unit to accurately locate the studs on the first try, so I went to my local BORG and bought a fancy new Zircon with 'deep' scanning and electric wire sensing.

Not much better to be honest. It did seem to locate the electric wiring every time which was nice, but as far as stud location, I ran the new and the old side-by-side, and both were erratic.

I finally found a stud that both said was there, measured back in 16" increments and was able to find what I needed on the first pass.

My experience now is that it appears that 15 years of technology advancement didn't seem to help with this particular tool.

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... (Part 1 of 2)


.... I went ahead and tried the Mfg's (ZIRCON) suggestion with the heavier piece of cardboard under the unit as I scanned. It did seem to improve it's performance, somewhat, but nothing to write home about.
.... What I did to find the TRUE stud position is I used a plywood blade set to a depth of 1/2” on my circular saw and scored the wall horizontally about where I figured the stud should be and compared the penciled marks from before. A STANLEY variable adjustable hand held square with a very thin knife-like blade was used to probe the saw slot on both sides of the stud and marked it with a heavy long black mark on both sides of the stud and with a tiny black mark as it's center. Here are the results (see pics)

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[Boyd Gathwright]

.... (Part 2 of 2)

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[Kevin Beck]

I had an older Zircon (10 - 12 years old) that worked pretty good. It quit working one day and I purchased a new Zircon unit and it is totally useless. It never works, ever, and it hasn't since day one.

Kevin

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... Just catching up to things, time has a way of getting by.


.... Update: Recently I purchased the STANLEY IntelliSensor (stud finder) and though I did not go to the same extent in comparing, I got about the same results.


.... Now to sum up the commentary from a quality and durability point of view, which I think is getting to be as rare as hen's teeth here in the good old United States, I don't know about you all but my disposable income (that which is left over after all the other bills are paid) is meant to buy non-replaceable, high quality products because that disposable income is NOT that easily renewed. Consequently, I CANNOT afford to make TOO many mistakes. But, there are a lot of minds out there figuring out how to loosen YOUR purse strings so their budgets and profit margins will increase regardless of your desires or philosophy of life. COST is the God of creation from a manufacturer's point of view. Times have long past where the seller is considerate of the buyer's needs over money. Most people today, in my option, are thrown to the wolves. They do not have the background nor insight to make the decision they are contemplating, hence large credit card debt. There's just too many dollar-conscious people working against them. And even for the experienced, it can be difficult.


.... On to the basic heart of this commentary (STUD FINDERS). From most everyone's experience here, including my own, it appears what we have is another ideal product that may work correctly under ideal conditions.. maybe. Apparently, and for the most part, the practical everyday application of this product is non-existent and non profitable for the user. But, good enough for the advertising department to declare it a winner. After all, it did it once and therefore it should be able to do it again... we have a seller. The Bible of manufacturing is ADVERTISING, if there is a legal way (not necessarily morally) to claim a product works it is saleable. Once again, if the hype implies, but does NOT necessarily produce the end result that's just considered innocent, noninvasive advertising. After all, it sounds good doesn't it. In the meantime, your money has changed from your hand to theirs!!


Anything to show a profit and make money and YOU get go back to work to make some more money.


If you have a constructive point of view of this post please share it.

Thanks

Boyd

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[Pete Brown]

I have the funky stud scanner that has the odd articulated head and the button you push to draw a pencil mark (also came with a DVD I never played)

It has done really well in my house, which is all 1/2" sheetrock. It had a bit of a hard time on one wall where the mud was really thick on the joint. I just moved it up or down until I got a good read. Previous small stud scanners couldn't pick up anything useful.

The zircon didn't do very well on electrical or pipes. I suspect the electrical is because (d'uh) the breaker to the kitchen is off during the renovation

Pete

[John Kain]

Well, I bought the i700 with a gift certificate this holiday season.

I worked well identifying studs on three separate occasions.

I suppose, I can't ask for anything else.................

[John Timberlake]

I have cheap Zircon stud finder that works great. Only time it didn't was on a wall that was painted black - too much carbon black in the paint, I suppose. Just have to make sure I activate it where there is no stud.

[John Schreiber]

Guys, I've been using one of these for years and it works just fine. I've always felt like a poor cousin since I didn't have one of those Zircon units or something else with LEDs and beepers and what not, but now I feel like I am wise beyond my years.

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If you haven't used one, it's about an inch and a half wide, and the yellow thing is a ballanced magnet that swings toward the nails or screws that hold the drywall to the stud.