Ryobi recently announced a new “whole” stud detector, model ESF5000. Like the Precision Sensors Profinder 5000 I reviewed 2 years ago, the EFS 5000 uses a series of LED’s along the top to show you where the entire stud is.
This stud detector also determines the drywall thickness, to better ascertain what’s behind it. The device can detect non-ferrous metal, wood, and AC wires behind drywall.
Advertisement
The EFS 5000 has another interesting feature, there’s a stud marker button on the front. When you are over the center of the stud, the LEDs on either side of the center will light up. Then you can press the stud marker button to leave a dimple to mark the stud center.
Unlike the Profinder, and like other stud detectors, this unit has to be calibrated every time you turn it on. You press both the button on the bottom and hold it over an area between studs until the LEDs light up in sequence and flash. The manual specifically says not to hold the stud detector over a stud while calibrating.
Interestingly, this stud finder uses only a single AA battery, which is installed under the battery cover on the front of the device.
Ryobi’s EFS 5000 whole stud detector is available online and in some stores. If you order online, spend $45+ to get free shipping, or you can also opt for in-store pickup.
Price: $30
Advertisement
Buy Now (via Home Depot)
First Thoughts
I’m a little puzzled by the operation of this stud finder. You have to keep both buttons pressed for calibration and during its entire operation, or the stud finder will error out. The only time you can release one of the buttons is to mark the center of the stud. If you move the stud finder without both buttons pressed, it will error out.
Why Ryobi designed it to work like this, requiring “two hands on the wheel at all times,” is confusing. Why not just one button activation? I can see no advantage and a number of disadvantages.
I also can’t tell if this device can detect multiple studs in different locations like the Profinder 5000 can. I suspect it can’t, otherwise they would have touted it.
The engineer in me is excited to see they are using only a single AA battery. This tells me two things: this is a low drain device, and they actually spent a few cents extra to implement a boost converter rather than forcing you to buy expensive 9V batteries.
Ed
If I am trying to FIND a stud, how the hell do I know where a stud free area is to calibrate? I have the same calibration issue with my 16 year old Zircon.
Stuart
Trial and error? Many if not most studfinders in this price range require similar calibration. My Zircon’s the same way too.
I don’t think there’s an easy way around it.
Benjamen
I’m guessing you are being somewhat facetious, but what I usually do is look for clues on the wall.
If there’s a vent in the wall, you can be pretty sure that there’s a cavity above or below it. Likewise if there’s an outlet or switch, you can guess that 2-3 inches away from it will be open. If there’s a chair rail you can usually still see the nail holes — assuming that the person that put it up knew where the studs were!
Of course those are just guidelines, there’s always exceptions.
You can always try the old knocking trick. I can never locate a stud very well using it, but it is easier to locate a void.
FishStick
2 handed design seems award also. Only thing I can think of is maybe they assume you’ll hold it straighter or go slower with two hands???
Farid
Sometime it even hard to keep a button properly pressed on a single button stud finder, let alone two. My Zircon had a finicky button, that’s why I bought the Profinder 5000.
Without seeing actual operation, I venture to guess the two button operation could have something to do with either technology licensing issue or patent differentiation.
Tim
True.
I was just going through this yesterday.
Jay
Wonder if that works over lath and plaster?
Randy
Can anyone recommend a stud finder that will work over lathe and plaster? This one does not seem too special after hearing some of the reports.
Derek
Looks like a Ryobi version of Franklin Sensor. I bought a Franklin Sensor a few years back, it still works great, and I use it weekly.
Doresoom
This stud finder is a definite dud. When I tested it, it didn’t perform much better than a traditional stud finder. I also looked up the patent for Franklin Sensors, and the Ryobi has to be using less than 4 sensors, since one of Franklin’s claims is 4+ sensors. So they’re doing some “guessing” for their 7 indicating LEDs.
Mine couldn’t detect multiple studs. In fact, when I tried it, the sensor gave indication that the gap in between the two studs was where the stud was located. My take is that Ryobi is capitalizing on Franklin’s design with a product that looks like it, but doesn’t perform nearly as well.
Oh, and forget trying to use it on textured drywall. Completely useless there. You’re better off with just running a rare earth magnet over the wall looking for drywall screws.
Koko the Talking Ape
I had a stud detector, but it kept pointing at me instead of the wall.
ca
Must’ve been broken.
Koko the Talking Ape
That’s what I thought! So I got another one. Same problem. (shrugs)
Pete
Are you sure it was a stud finder? Sounds like you bought a tool finder.
firefly
Lol you two 😀
Koko the Talking Ape
Either way, I’m happy with the purchase.
Nathan
I don’t get most of those. I have a zircom thing from probably 10 years ago, maybe 7 but it has an LCD screen that shows when it’s on edge – slides across the screen lights up on center – has a nice divit in the the top housing to press your pencil/pen across to make a clear center mark. Or hey – mark the side 1/4 of the stud if you want to go in at an angle – which I did once.
anywho – I forget what I paid for it but I don’t recall paying more than 40 – 10 to 7 years ago. I do think it needs 2 fingers to operate though.
anywho – on the battery thing – I sort of like the idea of using say 2 aa’s vs a 9v.
bruce
Better to buy the original. No calibration and can be used with one hand. The calibration was probably to get around Franklin’s patent.
http://franklinsensors.com/products/prosensor_710.php
Nathan
so how is the franklin better than the zircon? Or rather has there been a side by side test of them.
Pete
Im guessing the two handed operation is to increase the probability of the least amount of pressure applied to the wall needed to work accurately. If it senses power IN walls i could have used it a month ago when installing my wall safe lol…. i didnt count on some romex being in that spot. My father in law was borrowing some of my tools for his remodel so all i had to cut out the space between the studs was a jig saw. It worked and made clean cuts BUT the longer blade reached the romex and…. boom there goes the lights lol.
BUT my 12 year old super old cheapy blue ryobi stud finder with the same original battery still found the studs perfectly!
Mister Mike
I have the Zircon and another older stud finder which both use 9V batteries and have only one button. Both will work decently on modern construction but rarely produce accurate locations in antique plaster/lath walls. The BEST stud finders are the rare earth magnet types. No batteries ever and once stuck to an old nail, no hands or fingers needed.
Farid
I have one of the fancy Zircons that I bought a few years ago with the fancy LCD screen that has the deep scan setting and AC wire detection. I though it was an upgrade over my simple old Zircon from decades ago. However, After we moved to a new house, I had trouble using it to hang shelves and such.
In several walls, there are places were there are 2 or 3 studs joined together. Sometime there two studs slightly spaced apart. The Zircon had trouble with those. Sometimes it had trouble with double studs because one of the studs would be offset slightly from the other by a small amount (i.e. studs not completely flush with each other) . The deep scan worked better than the standard scan, only to be fooled by duct-work and pipes in the wall.
Luckily, I had taken photos of the walls before drywall was put up and used the photos to guide me to stud locations. Once I located one or two studs, it was easier to use a tape measure and locate them that way.
Soon after my first project, I went out and bought the Pro finder 5000. The first one I bought had an intermittent switch. Got it replaced and the second has been working fine. While not fool proof either, it has proven to be more accurate, especially with multiple stud configurations.
Finally, the reason I bought the fancy Zircon in the first place was due to a fluke that taught me a lesson. Like I mentioned, I originally had a simple Zircon that I bought around 25 years old. It worked OK for me for most projects. When I went to install a new closet after redoing the walls with wallpaper, the stud finder did not work. I thought it was broken. A couple of days later, I went out and bought a couple of them and decided on the Zircon with deep scan option. It worked somewhat, but sometimes I had to rely on tapping the walls and using magnets to verify. I did like the AC wire warning though.
In the end, it turned out that my original Zircon was not broken and the new one did not work any better than old one, using the standard stud scan. The reason the stud finder did not work in the first place was because the glue on the wall paper was not completely dry yet and it it takes several days to do so. Once all the moisture was gone after about a couple of weeks, both stud finders worked.
Spade
I can’t get this piece of crap to calibrate no matter where i have placed it … it looked like it calibrated once and then the red light went off no matter where i moved it tried recalibrating it and no dice…