Franklin Sensors ProSensor M150/X990 9-Sensor Stud Finder, AC Wire Warning

It's only been a day since I've had it, but it's exactly what I needed. No frills, no fuss, no headaches, just works. Shows the left and right edges of a stud and of course, the exact middle of it. Shows where electrical lines may be, so you don't accidentally shock yourself. If there's any updates, I will post it.

Best studfinder I've ever seen. I tried a couple of others but they weren't giving repeatable results and weren't very good at actually finding studs, which is a problem. The Franklin ProSensor X990 gives me repeatable results every time. Another feature I like is that the leds will begin to turn red in the direction of the stud you're about to go over, and then shows the center led as green when you're in the middle of the stud. Works every time and only takes a few seconds to find the stud. Plus it also has two leds shaped like lightning bolts that light up when there's a power cable in the wall that you're going over. Since I had bought a Teslong Inspect-5ft borescope and had to drill holes in the same wall for drywall anchors, I used the anchor holes to inspect behind the wall and confirmed that in two different walls that there were indeed electrical cables behind the wall. In one case it was easy to expect power due to the wall switch being in that area, but in another, there was no clear outside indication that were was a power cable behind the wall so I was surprised when the Franklin's power indicators first came on. This is now my go-to stud finder since its so quick and easy to use and always on target. Very accurate and very sensitive, but doesn't give false positives, and is even ergonomically designed so it feels comfortable while moving it across the drywall.

I have used this stud finder multiple times throughout the house for DIY projects, such as mounting a stair rail to the wall, wire shelf bracket holders, and foldable brackets. It has, without issue, helped me find studs and reliably mark the middle of the stud for screwing or nailing. The multiple LED marks help easily determine where a stud is and where the center of it is. It also helps with finding potential live wires, as the electrical sensor will light up if it potentially detects a wire running near it. The only issue might come down to user error if you are not accustomed to finding potential stud locations and rely solely on the device. One should make sure there isn’t a possibility of something else being behind the wall, as it will detect but not identify the item it is marking. -Simple to use -Lightweight and portable -Accurate stud finder -Good value for the price; if you can find it under $40, buy it.

I have been using an old Craftsman stud finder for many years. It works well, shows approach to a stud, contact and then the departure via LEDs and audible signal for strength of the contact. I purchased this one while putting up a garage storage lift that would be holding 400 lbs. I was having issues locating floor joists reliably. Not sure if it was insulation density, duct work, pipes or what, but some areas just gave weird readings. This seemed to be the best rated item for the money, so I gave this one a go. It was definitely better in the problem areas. The false signals went away, and I was able to accurately identify the joists. Where it is worse is finding the center of the joist. With the old one, I would mark where the signal went to full reading and again when it started to decline and then split the difference. That was pretty reliably the center. I checked this new one by actually probing for the edges a few times to see exactly where it was and how close the ProSensor was. It was frequently off by about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, which seems significant for 2x lumber.

Works as advertised. It defines the extent of the wood studs. Very helpful!

Simple, reliable, priced right.

Stud finder’s are a tool every person should have in their toolbox, whether you are a tradesman, handyman, or DYI. As for myself, I am handyman and invested in about 3-4 of them. The reason I decided to try this brand is the previous brands would detect a stud but it was hard to find out where the center was. This is very important because when installing or hanging something, you want to be in the center because the item you are installing can dislodge from the stud and cause damage to the home. In my opinion, THIS BRAND IS THE GREATEST and you will not purchase another after using this product. I speak so highly of this product because of its consistent accuracy of detecting the stud and reveals the center. You actually see the light bar detect the edge of the stud, and then as you maneuver the device, it tracks the stud until you notice a green light, which is the center of the stud-mind blowing!!!! I built a simulated wall with studs, electrical wiring, and sheetrock. So, I did not conceal all of the studs with sheetrock, therefore I could witness exactly what the device is monitoring. I placed the device on the sheetrock and maneuvered side to side, as if I am looking for a stud on a finished wall. As, I reached the edge of the stud, the light-bar illuminated red, which indicated the device had detected the stud. As I continued towards and over the stud, the light-bar continued to illuminate and tracked the stud. However, as I reached the center of the stud, there was a green light in the middle of the device. This product revealed the green light 10/10 tries and every attempt was directly in the center….did I hear someone say marksman! Another impressive feature of the product, “MX150/X990 with live wire detection,” there is an amber lighting bolt on both sides of the device, therefore it can detect live wires. To test this feature, I wired an outlet on two different studs and on opposite sides (left and right), So, not only did the green light reveal the center but also the side the electrical wire was secured. Shockingly, 10/10 times, the amber lighting bolt was correct every time I maneuvered the device close to the wire or over the stud. The product arrived in a small box and neatly seated inside a plastic wrapping with instructions and a thank you card. The instructions were easy to read, clear to understand, and imprinted on the bottom of the device. Once, you remove the item from the box, there is a black cover, and on the left side, there are about 3-5 lifted lines. You gently push away from you and don’t go too fast because on the oppose side of the removable cover are slide inserts, which can break if you are not careful. The product is very durable and thoughtfully constructed. So, nothing should break unless you handle the product very aggressively. As the instructions state, the product does not get shipped with batteries, so you will have to purchase or if you have some around the house, you will need (2xAAA) batteries. After inserting the batteries, reinsert the battery cover, and you are ready to go. Above the battery cover, the handle has 3 wavy indents which are purposely designed for your fingers, typically the index, middle, and ring ringers. Below the handle is a small arch with lifted lines, which is designed for seating your thumb. Now, you have a full grip on the device and it will not fall. After, you have a comfortable grip position on the handle, compress your three fingers and you should notice the device do a quick flash of the led bars. After, you will have to test the device. Do so by compressing the device with your three fingers and with the opposite hand, not holding the device, way you index finger under. You should notice the led bar tracking your finger. Your finger simulates a thin space then density, just like a finished wall with studs-Genius! Once the device is able to track your finger, now you can test the device on the walls and find those studs. Just an fyi, the product was thoughtfully designed to operate ambidextrously (both hands). I was able to hang pictures, televisions with brackets, electrical outlets, and basically anything you want to hang on a wall which you will fasten into the stud. Each attempt, the device pinpointed the of center of the stud and I did not have any self doubt. Overall, I am extremely impressed with this product and very happy with the purchase.

Sometimes there are inconsistent results so double check for studs with magnetic stud kinder.

Why is Franklin products so hard to get a hold of in Europe? .. this device is everything I wanted for a stud finder

I’ve tried a few stud finders before and this one is much better and far more accurate. It detects the full width of the stud rather than just the edges, which makes it much easier to see exactly where to drill. Very simple to use with no complicated calibration, just place it on the wall and move it across. The display lights up clearly when a stud is detected. Overall a very reliable tool and a big upgrade over cheaper stud sensors.

Precise and very good price

Pas efficace pour toutes les détections (chevrons).

I've had a few studfinders (Stanley, Zircon) and they have been completely useless. So useless, in fact, that I would say it would be more accurate to just throw a dart blindfolded at the drywall and drill there. Every finder I have had has been a mess of beeping, calibrating, false positives, and not knowing whether what you've found is something you should or shouldn't drill into. Maybe I'm just too dumb to use them, and that would be fair enough. What I can say is that I recently had a wall built, and I took the time to photograph and measure where the studs were before the drywalling was installed: none of my existing meters came anywhere close to detecting where the studs actually were. Enter the Franklin Sensors device. No beeps, no calibration, doesn't seem to care if you happen to have a hand resting on the drywalling etc. You stick it on the wall and you turn it on. That's it. I tested it on the new wall that I had built, and it found every stud exactly where I knew it was because I had photos to prove it. I also found that the Franklin was able to detect the metal studs used to hang ceilings from with great accuracy, and that, together with wooden studs in the walls, is all I need. Finally, a real advantage of the Franklin is that it shows the exact thickness of the stud, and you can see where it starts and ends. None of this uncertainty about whether you are finding the start, end or centre of the stud. As I said above, perhaps it's my lack of competence with other units, but this thing just works and that suits me just fine.