not strickly electrical - multi detecor

[gazdkw82]

I know its not strickly an dedicated electricians tool but can anyone recommend a good multi tester for locating metal, cables, metal stud etc...

think it would be a useful addition to my tool box prior to hacking away at walls/floorboards

 

[hightower]

Got to spend good money if you want a one that actually works. Never actually seen one used in the workplace, seem more like a DIY item to me. Think most people just tap for studs, set their circular saw to the depth of the floorboard, and hope that whoever wired the house up was sensible enough to use the zones.

 

[gazdkw82]

fair enough.

It was more the floorboard and drilling into walls situation that I was concerned about

 

[telectrix]

fair enough.

It was more the floorboard and drilling into walls situation that I was concerned about

walls are easy easy. if it goes bang, it's a cable: if it hisses, it's gas: and if you get wet, it's a water pipe.

 

[gazdkw82]

walls are easy easy. if it goes bang, it's a cable: if it hisses, it's gas: and if you get wet, it's a water pipe.

although this is useful info I would like to prevent this rather than waste time dealing with it

 

[telectrix]

and as for floors, if there's pipes underneath, the giveaway is mullered butchered boards.

 

[NDG Elecs]

and as for floors, if there's pipes underneath, the giveaway is mullered butchered boards.

Whereas if there is cable beneath the floorboards they will be nigh as good as the day they were put down! Bloody wetpants!

 

[amlu]

cut the floorboards with the multicutter, not circular saw, if you are careful you wont damage whatever is underneath.

 

[123]

cut the floorboards with the multicutter, not circular saw, if you are careful you wont damage whatever is underneath.

I'd be more inclined to go the other way and use a decent circular saw set to correct depth, rather than using a multi tool. If a pipe is notched into the floorboard you are going to hit it regardless of using a circular saw/multi tool/jigsaw/recip saw

 

[HandySparks]

Got to spend good money if you want a one that actually works.

I started off using a £10 cheepie. Then, about 5 years ago, I bought a Bosch DMF10 at about £50 which was better, but still not 'good'. Recently I splashed out on a Bosch D-tect 120 at about £170. It uses different technology to the other two (radar). It's very accurate at finding wooden studs, which the previous one wasn't. Possibly a bit better with electric cables (not so many false positives?).

 

[hightower]

I bought an 8 quid workzone special a few years ago (as a diyer). It works brilliantly, it saves me using my knuckles to tap for studs, now I just gently tap with the detector.

Oh, but it doesn't work the way it's designed to - brand new build I live in, reckons my walls are full of cables, pipes and studs

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[uksparks]

Bosch do a good one at about £500

 

[Brightspark2]

I've got a Stanley one, wasn't expensive and does the job fine.

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[telectrix]

cheaper to pay a plumber to fix the pipe you've cut through.

 

[PEG]

In reality,you will not get one tool,which will identify all of the risk items,you may perforate...unless you get a Hilti scanner,for 8 grand...

As for lifting standard boards,i use,when i have to,the same two tools i was instructed with,as a boy.

A knee ratchet saw,with a hand sharpened .5mm circular blade...( slip board back with 1mm kerf) and a Bahco slide nail-puller ...(will extract lost-heads,and allow refitting nail in same hole)

I have in my mind,a picture,of my pal,wreathed in smoke,as he attempted to go across 3 boards with a cordless circular saw,set at 18mm ,over 3/4" boards.

Above the joist,just off the board nails...but failing to avoid the eight t&e cables humped in the joist notch,and arcing into the scalloped out section,under one board...

A good impression of a katherine wheel,and proof that carbide does melt :yesnod: