Using a stud finder can be a difficult task, and for beginners like me it is a nightmare. Last week when I wanted to install my brand new TV in my hall I realised I was fixing a very important piece of tool, and that was a stud finder.
I went to my nearest hardware store and grabbed myself a Craftsman stud finder. The excitement to use it went down the drain as soon as I came back home as I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t work. Fast forward to 2 years, I have mastered it like nobody else.
I also made a short video to help you better solve this problem. You can watch it below.
If your Craftsman stud finder isn’t working, it could be due to a low battery, you’re moving it too fast, you wrongly put it directly on a stud, you could’ve put it on a wrong angle, or its calibration failed.
Read: Craftsman vs Ryobi vs DeWALT Stud Finder Comparison
5 Reasons Why Your Craftsman Stud Finder Not Working
Here are 5 reasons why your Craftsman stud finder might not work if you are using it for the first time.
1. Low Battery, Replace The Battery – If your Craftsman stud finder is not turning on it might be due to low battery, replace the old 9V battery with a new one and try turning it on again.
I use my Craftsman stud finder on a regular basis which caused the battery to drain, replacing it with a new one fixed the problem for me.
2. Moving too fast – I only move my stud finder slowly in the direction of the stud after it stops flashing. Make sure to move it slowly across the wall to make it work smoothly and provide accurate results.
3. Putting Directly on The Stud – Sometimes by Craftsman stud finder would provide me with any beep or light flash and it took me a little while to understand why it was when I placed the stud finder directly on the stud.
This might happen by accident but always make sure to move the stud finder from side to side and not directly start from the stud.
4. Wrong angle – For a long time I thought that the Craftsman stud finder could be used in whatever angle I held it in, but I was very wrong.
It is very important to hold the Craftsman stud finder vertically straight while looking for studs behind the wall. Not holding it at the right angle will cause the Craftsman stud finder to not work and prove accurate results.
5. Incomplete Calibration – The Craftsman stud finder is used to locate wood studs or metal studs behind the walls. Moving it too fast would prevent the Craftsman stud finder from completing its calibration and finding studs behind the wall.
I always start by first identifying a smooth surface, then I place the Craftsman stud finder on the wall and let it calibrate first, once the top light is gone I know it’s ready to be used.
In order to avoid all the problems mentioned above you must know how to use a Craftsman stud finder properly. I have a short video about this and you can watch it below.
Place your Craftsman stud finder on a flat surface, press and hold the on button, wait for the calibration to be done, move slowly from left to right, and detect the left edge, lastly move slowly from right to left, and detect the right edge. The midpoint between two edges is the center of the stud.
