Stanley FMHT77407 FatMax Stud Sensor 300

I love it, and its very quickly become an extremely important and reliable go-to tool anytime I even think about touching my walls. However this was not until I really put some time into learning how to use it properly. The instructions that come with it are superbly lacking. There aren't any actual words on them, just pictures. If you're a first time user of these kinds of stud sensors (where you want to start making sure no pipes/wires are behind the wall) then you're going to struggle at first like I did.However, like all good DIY projects (and DIY types of people) its always worth putting time into learning to do something new... properly. There are youtube videos put on by the manufacturer that do a really great job of teaching you how to use it, I highly recommend watching those and putting some time into practicing to use this properly. Test what you've learned by looking at where your wall outlets are and "finding" wires that you already know are there and do the same with studs. Get comfortable with it before you plan to rely on it to venture into territory you aren't familiar with. Its a safety device and the research/practice time is totally worth it. Now that I'm familiar with it, I spend just a few seconds using it anytime I need to, so I didn't dock any stars for the learning curve because I probably would have had to learn this stuff with any electrical stud sensor I bought.Also really great tip I learned that is vital to anyone using these types of stud sensors... firmly place your open hand on the wall right next to the stud sensor to see if wires are really there or not! this thing is really super sensitive to electrical signals, and the walls are full of static electricity. This thing will go off warning you of electrical wires all over the place and I've found that most of times, its just static electricity (think about it, your rubbing this thing and its furry little wall pads across the room and making even more static as you use it.) So if you want to clear the false positives from the real signals, put your hand literally right next to this thing firmly on the wall and your hand will absorb the static and you'll notice the electrical warning beeps immediately stop. If its still alerting you to electrical wires with your hand on the wall then you've got the real wires right there and you better not make any holes there!Also keep in mind how it beeps when you're near a wire, vs when you're on top of a wire. I've used this to help me hang things very close to where I knew wires were because I could tell if I was a few inches away vs right on top of them. You better practice and really know what you're doing before you do that! but this thing does actually have what it takes to do it.Also, another reviewer posted the strong earth magnet wall stud finder and I bought that thing too. He's absolutely right, that thing works fast, great and 100% of the time and I really love that one too. I routinely use BOTH of these stud finders for all projects and together they make a very fast, safe accurate system. The magnet one finds me a stud really fast and alot of times even allows me to hang stuff without even making a pencil mark on the wall but its the stanley unit that I always also use as a safety measure. The magnet one doesn't tell you anything about pipes or wires in the wall so it really cant be used safely alone.

Let's get this out of the way right off: Yes, the ideogram (id-iot-ogram?) instructions are useless but as there are text-based PDF instructions to be found on the web, the point is moot. (http://www.stanleytools.com/xhtml/literature/FMHT77407-Stanley-Stud-Sensor-300.pdf)The major flaw I found with this tool is its utter unreliability. I have a Zircon International that's so old it has no identifying numbers on it other than a patent number. It has served me well for better part of thirty years but has begun to falter. I thought I'd get something a bit fancier so opted for the FatMax S300. Turns out the old Zircon runs circles around the new FatMax at least as far as sensing standard wooden studs through 1/2" sheet rock.First thing I noticed about the Max is its counter-ergonomic feel. It's way narrower at the palm side than the base so it tends to be difficult to grasp; it slipped out of my hands a couple of times in the first few minutes. Grrr... Next, the display shown in the LCD window cannot be seen when one's viewing angle is higher than the unit, i.e. if you use the unit at waist/chest height, you must bend over so your eyes are level with or lower than the display window. Kind of reminds me of the early LCD laptops that you had to view straight on or else everything was washed out. Didn't spend much time looking at the glide pads, but suffice it to say that it does not go across a textured wall very smoothly and I doubt it would pass over a knockdown surface at all.Actual performance is where this thing really bombs. I had opened up a wall in my house earlier this summer for a remodel job so I know exactly what's behind the rock; I even took pictures. Beginning with the Zircon, I found the first four studs I passed over exactly where I knew them to be. Using the FatMax, first thing it sensed was power cable nearby. Bzzzt! Wrong answer...not within three feet of where I was testing. Strike one. Next, I had to attempt the first stud more than once and I never could find more than two in a row. The whole time the red lightning bolt kept illuminating telling me there was power nearby. Strike two. Finally I tried to trace the Romex that was there, also knowing exactly where it laid. This I was able to sort of do but it would still indicate the cable even when I was not very close to it--I'd hate to rely on its accuracy for that! Strike last.I don't often review things I buy (this is like my third review) because that would belie the apathy I have for most things mediocre which is...most things. But this is an item that doesn't even rate a poor; it's pure junk. Don't buy it.

I hope this stud finder lasts for forever because I never want to have to use a different one. Generally, I have found stud finders to work terribly. User error, poorly aligned planets, or static interference from my cosmic-being-turned-house-cat, I don’t know, but they’re always terrible and nonsensical. Not this stud finder. It is so easy to use. It is compatible with different stud materials. It ACTUALLY IDENTIFIES the stud boundaries and delivers consistent responses upon repeated trials. Absolutely bonkers, I know. It is one of my most prized tools in my collection and it’s all thanks to a coworker who let me borrow his after hearing of my stud finding frustrations. I returned his to him with cartoon stars in my eyes and promptly found my own on Amazon.

The reason this doesn't get five stars is because the "instructions" that come with it are completely done in graphics - NO WORDS AT ALL! I had to go online and watch a video to learn how to calibrate and operate the device. Lazy and stupid on Stanley's part. Beyond that, the device seems to work as promised.

I did everything as instructed and watched the you tube instruction video still having false signals.

I especially like the arrow so you know exactly where to draw the line, and the proximity alarms it has so you know your getting close. I like to draw lines on the wall indicated the sides of the stud, not just where the middle is.