There are different types of stud finders that are out there. The name brand “Zircon” is the one we will be discussing today.

A Little History

Stud finders have been around since the 70’s with the first one basically being a magnet that detected the fasteners in the wall more than anything. If you missed a hole and just left the screw or the screw you drove just missed the stud, you would get a false reading that would just cause you to make another worthless hole in the wall. Another issue would be that you found a fastener but it was in a sister ed piece…. that would throw you off all together. Basically in a nut shell, you could ‘find’ a stud by simply using a small powerful magnet instead of spending money on a packaged one. (like in the finders of old). One thing further, if you have plaster that incorporates a metal mesh…. well you are simply out of luck there.
In 1977 Robert Franklin acquired a patent for an ‘electronic’ stud finder. For 20 years Zircon produced the only ‘patent protected’ electronic stud finder on the market until the patent ran out in 1998. Zircon still produces finders to this day. With the advances that have come with the years, stud finders have become more reliable and accurate while requiring little or no calibration.

Stud Finders

Stud finders have come a long way. You can still use a magnet as described above if you desire, but the finders that are on the market today are more reliable and accurate than ever. Usage only requires that you have good batteries installed and move the finder slowly across the wall until an alert sounds. This could be a light or a little beep depending on what finder you have. Stud finders today have plates or sensors that measure the density of the wall and let you know when you have found the most dense area. This is usually a stud. Then all you have to do is drive a pilot screw or nail to see if the finder is working correctly. After that you are good to go. 95% of the time it is right on and you can trust it from there.

Buying a Finder

Usually a DIY will be purchasing a finder that is going to be used for a few projects and then put up til the next time one is needed. If this is the case, a cheaper one will suffice. Usually around the $20 mark.
If you are going to use the finder on a regular basis, like a re modeler or cabinet installer, a $50+ finder is probably the best bet. They are more gauged towards the pro and not the simple project DIY. There are more features the could be useful to the pro who encounters many different circumstances while moving from house to house rather than just dealing with one house and building style. Zircon finders are one of the best that I have seen. They have the best track record and have been doing the stud finder thing for a while now. They range in price from $17 to $90 with a lot in between depending on what you are looking for.
I hope this little article was helpful in deciding which stud finder to use. Seeya!