Lumber Wizard 4.2 Woodworking Metal Detector

After destroying an almost new Freud blade by cutting into a nail in a brand new piece of pine, I decided it was time to get a professional woodworkers metal detector. The day after I bought this I found a staple in a new piece of walnut and a hidden finish nail in a reused piece of trim. It works very well and has, so far, saved me half of the purchase price. If I had purchased it BEFORE I ruined my thin kerf glue line rip blade, I would have already paid for the detector. My advice is to GET ONE and USE IT. Even if you are 100% confident that your wood is new and free of FOD (foreign object debris), you could find that staple that would dull your blade or trim nail that could take off a couple blade teeth.It's too easy to use to not scan your wood before it runs through the saw or the planer.

I wish I could like this thing more. It does find metal in wood, but it just narrows an area down to search for the actual cause of a detect. If you use it on plywood, you'll get a lot of false positives.It's not very sensitive and needs regular re-tuning. Once I have it tuned it needs to be within an inch or so of the wood to detect any metal. That close to the wood, the laser beam can't even be seen. When the device is that close to the wood, the laser beam only shows about a one inch line. A piece of metal might detect under the accordion section, but the laser line displays about three inches away.When it does detect, I get one beep and one blink of the red light, so it takes a lot of passes to determine where the metal is actually located.*********Update - I sent a copy of this review to the vendor and got an immediate response. He allowed I could post his response here. After reading his email, I determined that I might be using the device incorrectly or my expectations were incorrect. I went back to my test board and played with it some more, using some of his answers as a guide. By the using the wand with his recommendations and some pencil marks, I can now find nails or screws or any metal in the wood rather quickly.I am updating the star count, also. Primarily because of the vendor response and his suggestions showed me how to make this thing work. A company that works with the customer or users for a successful use of the product is a company that I will deal with and recommend. Since I won't be using the wand that often (I don't use recycled wood every day) I'll probably have to retune it before each use, but that is survivable.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hi Tony,Thank you for the email. I'm sorry you are not satisfied with the product. We stand behind it 100% and are always here for you.Your review is a bit unusual as it seems you are looking for a detector that is much different. I will do my best to try to help you with your detector and if it is not functioning correctly we are here for you 100% with replacement or refund. We're a small 20 year old company that cares for each customer 100%.Here's some answers and suggestions for you:"It does find metal in wood, but it just narrows an area down to search for the actual cause of a detect".--- This is true for all metal detectors. They isolate an area where metal may be found. An affordable detector that can accurately pinpoint an exact location is not made. There are very costly industrial types but they are very limited in use as they do not also do wide scan areas.If you use it on plywood, you'll get a lot of false positives.--- Possibly as many plywoods come from recycled materials and metal can very often be found in plywood. The Wizard 4 is intended for boards and small timber.It's not very sensitive and needs regular re-tuning. Once I have it tuned it needs to be within an inch or so of the wood to detect any metal.--- The detection is always contingent on size and depth so in the case of a small piece of metal such as 1/6"x1" the range would be about an inch. Larger metal can be found from greater distances depending on depth.That close to the wood, the laser beam can't even be seen. When the device is that close to the wood, the laser beam only shows about a one inch line. A piece of metal might detect under the accordion section, but the laser line displays about three inches away.--- The accordion section is wire harness space inside and has no detection capabilities. The detector coil is from the top of the accordion section to about 1/2" from the end of the wand. The laser is a simple secondary method of alert. It's true that it can be hard to see if the detector is very close to a surface. The laser is simply an extra way to see location in some instances.When it does detect, I get one beep and one blink of the red light, so it takes a lot of passes to determine where the metal is actually located.--- This is also correct.... We once made them that beeped continuously but consumer users and focus group users asked for us to make it beep only once when over a piece of metal. We suggest multiple scans at different angles and compare where the detection location is when it beeps. This method helps for better detection locating.Edit - I should have noted that I got a Lumber Wizard 4, not the Lumber Wizard III as shown.Yes... We upgrade orders to the Lumber 4.I'm hoping this helps you understand the function and purpose of the product. I created it about 20 years ago back when only security scanners were available. My goal is to make certain you are happy with the purchase. If you feel your detector has an issue we can always send a replacement or refund. We also warranty the Lumber Wizard far past the one year period so even if years down the line you have an issue we're here to help.I appreciate your review and feedback. It's always a help to hear comments and reviews even if they don't reflect well for the product as it's important for us to know how the detectors are working for each customer. Your input is appreciated greatly.Please know I'm here for you 100%.Thanks a ton, and happy new year,Billy Carmen---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In a later email he added -- When tuning, be certain to turn the tuning screw very slowly from left to right and stop right at the point where beep stops. Also be sure battery has at least 8.4 volts. That will ensure more precise tuning. It should stay tuned for a couple days or more typically depending on temperature changes and humidity. If it does not stay tuned please let me know as I can send out a replacement right away.

Works well and has saved my saw blade. Very sensitive and needs to be re-calibrated with every use. Would be nice if you could just turn it on without the fiddling.

It ok

Our guy who cuts are live edge slabs and de-nails reclaimed beams uses this after our last wand went out after several years, from another company. Bought this since it showed it was made for lumber and should be very accurate. He has had problems getting it to work and also it does not read very far down so noting will beep and then he will hit a large nail messing up $100 slab chain. Also, the laser, which I thought would be nice, doesn’t really help much. If you are close to the wood you can’t see it. We were “upgraded” to a wizard 5 although we ordered the wizard 4 so maybe they just sent this to clear out inventory of a bad product.

Received the updated Lumber Wizard 4 instead of the older version. Very quick delivery ordered on 2/24 and was delivered on 2/27. Will use it this afternoon. Very happy customer!

Worked like promised, save me money on sawill blades

I am glad I got this product. It has saved my planer blades