Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
The Ryobi ESF5002 stud finder works simply and quickly to locate studs behind drywall. Felt pads help it slide easily across the wall, though it gets bumpy on some rougher textures. It's also light, compact, and runs on two AAA batteries. For the money, we think you get a truly accurate and reliable stud detector.
You probably know a guy that tests the limits of well-worn jokes by holding a stud finder to himself and saying, “beep!” Maybe you are that guy…or maybe I am that guy. The Ryobi Whole Stud Detector won’t cut down on the bad (Dad) jokes, but it could help you quickly locate studs behind drywall. Having used the Franklin Prosenser T6 and other similar products, we wanted to see how the Ryobi ESF5002 stud finder stacked up against the best stud finders.
The Ryobi Whole Stud Detector (or Ryobi Stud Finder as I’m sure some will call it) uses 7 green LED lights to indicate the entire width of a 2×4 stud. We find this much more accurate than stud finders offering a single LED. Those tools leave a lot of ambiguity regarding exactly where the stud begins and ends. When you want to drill and drive a 1/4-inch fastener to hold up a TV mount or wood storage rack, you don’t want to end up right on the edge of a 2×4.
Ryobi replaced their former wide-oriented stud finder with this new detector. Just as light, it now ergonomically fits your hand with an upright orientation. Where the last stud finder felt like a two-handed tool—the Ryobi ESF5002 definitely works one-handed.
The side-mounted button both calibrates and activates the stud finder. Place the stud finder on the wall, press the button, and slide it left to right to find the nearest stud underneath drywall. The green LEDs both direct you to, and confirm, the center of a stud.
With this model, Ryobi did something really cool. While the top-mounted green LEDs direct you left or right to the stud, a center button lights up when you find the exact center. With this feature, you never have to worry about sliding too far to the left or right. The Ryobi whole stud sector removes all of the guesswork from the process.
Reviewer’s Note: Because these stud finders use capacitance, you want to keep your hands off the wall while detecting. Also try and keep your hand low on the tool to avoid interfering with the sensor.
The Ryobi ESF5002 whole stud detector marks the company’s second smart tool in this area. The first one, a horizontal model really took two hands to operate. It also included AC detection. While the new model lacks AC detection, the ergonomic improvements make it a better tool. We also have very little success with AC detection as false positives make the feature less than useful (or consistent).
We needed to hang our new Youtube award—given to use for passing 100,000 subscribers on the Pro Tool Reviews Youtube Channel. It was the perfect opportunity to test the Ryobi Whole Stud Detector. We could also easily gauge the accuracy of the tool since we had a pretty good knowledge of the exact stud locations (having recently drywalled the entire shop).
Once you roll the Ryobi whole stud finder across the wall you quickly begin to see the LEDs direct you to continue or retreat in a direction. It navigates you until the center LEDs light up and the side arrows do not. At that point, a ring of light around the center marking button lights up as well.
At this point, you simply press that button. This pushes a sharp plastic tip into the drywall, making a mark so that you can know where to drill and/or drive your fastener.
This Ryobi stud detector, along with just about any electronic stud finder, measures capacitance. Since it uses this method, it can have difficulty getting accurate results with wallpaper that has metal foil or fibers in it. Plaster backed with metal mesh also presents a problem.
You should also note that Ryobi only mentions the detector’s ability to find studs behind drywall. While they don’t specifically rule out other materials, it’s clearly been designed with drywall in mind.
The Ryobi Whole Stud Detector (or Ryobi Whole Stud Finder, if you prefer) has the helpful design of seven green LEDs that indicate both boundaries as well as the center of the stud. Many stud finders simply offer an audible alert or an ambiguous stud area. There’s no guesswork with this detector. It shows you both the left and right edges and lights up clearly upon locating the exact center of the stud.
It’s easy to mark the center of the stud on the wall by pressing the center button. The Ryobi ESF5002 stud finder works simply and quickly to locate studs behind drywall. Felt pads help it slide easily across the wall, though it gets bumpy on some rougher textures. It’s also light, compact, and runs on two AAA batteries. At $30, we think you get a truly accurate and reliable stud detector.
When he's not remodeling part of his house or playing with the latest power tool, Clint enjoys life as a husband, father, and avid reader. He has a degree in recording engineering and has been involved in multimedia and/or online publishing in one form or another since 1992.
Clint’s career has covered nearly the entire realm of audio and video production. After graduating at the top of his class with an Associates Degree in Recording Engineering, he began working for the famed Soundelux studios in 1994, one of the largest post-production companies specializing in audio for feature films & television. Working on a myriad of feature films, Clint honed his skills as a dialogue editor, foley editor, and sound designer. Years later, he moved into the expanding area of video editing, where he served as the company’s senior AVID video editor for three years.
Working for such clients as Universal Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment, NASA, Universal Studios, Planet Hollywood, SEGA, NASCAR, and others, Clint dealt extensively with client management as well as film & video editing, color correction, and digital video & MPEG compression. He also carries several THX certifications (Technician I and II, THX Video), and is ISF Level II Certified.
After founding the CD Media, Inc. publishing company in 1996, he went on to help start or grow several successful online publications, including Audioholics (as Editor-in-Chief for 12 years), Audiogurus, and AV Gadgets. In 2008, Clint founded Pro Tool Reviews followed by the landscape and outdoor power equipment-focused OPE Reviews in 2017. He also heads up the Pro Tool Innovation Awards, an annual awards program honoring innovative tools and accessories across the trades.
Crediting his excellent staff for the success of what is now the largest power tool review publication in the industry, Clint DeBoer hopes to see continued growth for the company as it rapidly expands its reach. Pro Tool Reviews critically reviews hundreds of hand tools, power tools, and accessories each year to help inform users about the best and newest products in the industry. Reaching everyone from the construction industry professional and tradesman to the serious DIYer, Pro Tool Reviews helps tool consumers shop better, work smarter, and stay aware of what tools and products can help put them at the top of their game.
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You don’t have to have both hands on the stud finder. You can use one button, one hand.
I returned mine because of the 2 handed operation, I like one hand free for a pencil. This seems to be an imitation of the Franklin (which does not need to be constantly calibrated) with old technology underneath.
Can this locate rafters on a comp shingle roof?
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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros