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Multi-detectors for stud/metal/AC

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Is there one that actually works?

Being a cheapskate I'd like to buy a cheap one, of course. But all the reviews say they are a waste of time and that you "get what you pay for" etc.

But then it seems the expensive ones don't work very well either. I watched an online review of a Bosch one costing about £60 and that, too, was rubbish. And read a DIY forum, where people were complaining about theirs being useless, but they'd paid £70 for it, etc.

If they are all hit and miss I may as well get a cheap one and take my chances.

But I just wanted to know: does anyone have one (cheap or expensive) that actually works?

Thanks
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Comments

  • metal detecting is fairly easy because they have been around for many years. I had a real metal detector for outdoor use hunting for treasure........the best I found was loads of aluminium cans and one silver St Christopher.

    I have a cheap one from Woolworths many years ago and it detects metal okay and joists behind plasterboard but it's not easy to find the exact spot so I wouldn't say they are totally reliable and indispensable.

    Power cables I have a lot of doubts about because they should be covered with cable protectors in walls so I doubt whether electric currents could be reliably detected. The metal cable protector is easy.

    I have read similar things about the ones from Bosch.

    What exactly do you need to detect?
  • Hi A Penny Saved.... I just want to drill holes in walls to hang pictures and mount wall cabinets and things and I don't want to drill into cables or metal.
  • stargirl04 wrote: »
    Hi A Penny Saved.... I just want to drill holes in walls to hang pictures and mount wall cabinets and things and I don't want to drill into cables or metal.
    Don't drill directly horizontal or vertical to sockets/switches, leave a 150mm gap from socket/switch centre and you'll be fine.
    Understeer is when you hit a wall with the front of your car
    Oversteer is when you hit a wall with the back of your car
    Horsepower is how fast your car hits the wall
    Torque is how far your car sends the wall across the field once you've hit it
  • Thanks Quietspark, your advice has just saved me about £70.
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,551 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Don't drill directly horizontal or vertical to sockets/switches, leave a 150mm gap from socket/switch centre and you'll be fine.

    Unless you live in my house where some wag ran the cables vertical, horizontal, diagonal and in ever decreasing circles. :(
  • Unless you live in my house where some wag ran the cables vertical, horizontal, diagonal and in ever decreasing circles. :(


    Permitted Cable Route Zones
    Understeer is when you hit a wall with the front of your car
    Oversteer is when you hit a wall with the back of your car
    Horsepower is how fast your car hits the wall
    Torque is how far your car sends the wall across the field once you've hit it
  • Ruski
    Ruski Posts: 1,628 Forumite
    And another thing to look out for is buried central heating microbore pipes......

    Russ
    Perfection takes time: don't expect miracles in a day :D
  • Thanks Quietspark for that graphic - it's really helpful.

    However, the previous owner had some dodgy electrics in which he took out before the flat was sold to me and I wonder what else he's done that I don't know about yet?

    Russ - which part of the wall would be most likely to have central heating pipes?
  • stargirl04 wrote: »
    Thanks Quietspark for that graphic - it's really helpful.

    However, the previous owner had some dodgy electrics in which he took out before the flat was sold to me and I wonder what else he's done that I don't know about yet?
    I don't know if you have an RCD in place or not as you haven't said, but if you use a drill with a plastic body (preferably battery operated) then the worst you can expect (other than kissing goodbye to the end of the drill bit) is a few sparks accompanied by a loud bang if you should inadvertently hit a cable that you weren't expecting.
    Understeer is when you hit a wall with the front of your car
    Oversteer is when you hit a wall with the back of your car
    Horsepower is how fast your car hits the wall
    Torque is how far your car sends the wall across the field once you've hit it
  • Avoriaz
    Avoriaz Posts: 39,110 Forumite
    edited 16 September 2014 at 5:40PM
    stargirl04 wrote: »
    Is there one that actually works...
    My fairly cheap and cheerful detector works just fine and has never let me down.

    It finds studs, metal and voltage.

    It has no brand name on it. I think I paid about £12 for it about 8 years ago.

    It has sensitivity adjusters on it for stud and metal/voltage. The key to successful use is to adjust the sensitivity every time you use it.

    I have the manual for it somewhere. if I find it and it gives the brand or make I will post again.

    Edit: I searched on eBay and found this one that looks exactly like mine.
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