Are Harbor Freight's Stud Finders Worth Buying? Here's What Reviews Say

Timber framing continues to be the most popular building method in the US, so if you want to hang a shelf, a picture, or a flat screen TV, it's handy to know where the upright studs are to ensure you've got adequate support. Fixing to drywall alone can be done, and there are special drywall anchors to spread the load, but finding those big studs usually guarantees the necessary fixing stability.

Traditionally, people would tap along the wall with their knuckles, waiting for a change in sound. Some suggest you can find studs using a magnet and a string. Both methods can be effective, but they are prone to errors. You could end up with holes where you don't want them, or worse, drilling or screwing into hidden pipes or cables.

Having a way to find wall studs without making holes is invaluable, and today's electronic devices should be fast and accurate. Harbor Freight offers three examples with varying features. Each has lots of positive feedback, with ratings running from 4.2 to 4.6 stars, and 85 to 93 percent of owners are happy to recommend them. So at first glance, reviews suggest that these tools are definitely worth buying. Let's look at each in a bit more detail.

All three of the stud finders are made by U.S. manufacturer Franklin Sensors. The ProSensor M10 Stud Finder is the entry-level model and costs just $11.99. It has three sensors with LEDs that go from red to green when it finds the center of the stud. It reads through up to an inch of thickness. Given that ⅝-inch and ¾-inch are the most common drywall sizes, this should be more than adequate. The vast majority of reviews said it was easy to use and worked well. However, almost 10 percent said it gave inconsistent results or didn't work at all.

The advantages of the ProSensor M50 Stud Finder are that it shows not just the center but also the edges of the studs, and it can detect live electrical cables. It costs $26.99, although it is only available in stores. An even higher percentage of buyers gave this model positive reviews, with comments focusing on ease of use, accuracy, and how nice it was to be able to find live wires. Comparatively fewer people were unhappy, but malfunctions or false readings remain an occasional issue.

Harbor Freight's top-rated model is the ProSensor M150 Stud Finder, which costs $36.99. It's a considerably wider tool and contains more sensors for greater accuracy, although it's by no means bulky and weighs under half a pound. Like the M50, it will also find live cables.

Reviews are outstanding, with several users saying this was the best stud finder they have seen. A number of buyers also commented on the precision it offered, and again, it was easy to use. Even if you're a complete beginner, tackling one of those basic DIY jobs every homeowner should know how to do, this Harbor Freight tool is the one most likely to help you be successful. There aren't many complaints, although they do echo what reviews said about the M10 and M50.

So all in all, reviews suggest Harbor Freight's stud finders are worth the purchase. A small percentage suffer problems, but it seems the more you pay, the less frequent the faults. It can be frustrating to discover the tool isn't finding studs the moment you're ready to get to work, but Harbor Freight's 90-day return policy should mean you can get a replacement without too much hassle.