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Franklin vs. Bosch Stud Finder Review: Which One Is Actually Worth Buying?
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Franklin vs. Bosch Stud Finder Review: Which One Is Actually Worth Buying?
Writtten and Edited by: Benjamin White
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Somebody in the comments told me that my stud finder video sucked. Okay… maybe that’s dramatic. What they actually said was that my lineup was invalid because I didn’t include the Franklin. Apparently, it’s the stud finder. The industry standard.
So I finally picked one up, and today it’s going head-to-head against the reigning champ from our last test — the Bosch. By the end of this review, we’ll find out if the Bosch keeps the crown, or if the Franklin really is the king of stud finders.
If you’d like to see the video of us testing these stud finders watch at this link:
The Stud Finders We Tested
The Franklin ProSensor 710+ came in at $54.95 on Amazon at the time of filming. It features 13 patented sensors designed to detect studs more accurately across a wider surface area.
One thing people love about this model is how simple it is to use. There’s no calibration required — just press and hold the button and start scanning. The wide LED display shows both the center and edges of the stud at the same time, which makes it easy to visualize what’s behind the wall.
Key Features:
- 13 sensors for wide detection
- No calibration required
- Built-in bubble level
- Simultaneous edge and center stud detection
- Wide LED display
The Bosch GMS120 came in at $103.38 on Amazon at the time of filming. Unlike the Franklin, this tool is designed to detect more than just wood studs. It can also identify metal and live electrical wiring behind drywall.
What makes the Bosch stand out is its display system. Different icons appear on screen depending on the material it detects, and the red center circle helps pinpoint exactly where the object is located.
Key Features:
- Detects wood, metal, and live electrical wires
- LCD display with material indicators
- Center-finding detection circle
- Audio alerts
- Multi-material scanning modes
The Test Setup
For this test, we brought in a handyman who built a mock wall with multiple materials hidden behind drywall. Inside the wall were:
- Wood studs
- Copper pipe
- Gas line
- Sewer pipe
- Flexible ducting hose
- Live electrical cable
This gave us a much more realistic test than simply locating studs in a standard wall.
The Test Setup
Wood Stud Detection
The Bosch delivered a wide and accurate reading when locating the wood studs. It clearly identified the general stud location and gave a reliable center point.
The Franklin, however, gave a tighter and more defined reading. The LEDs created a very clear picture of exactly where the stud started and ended.
Wood Stud Test Results
| Stud Finder | Detection Accuracy | Ease of Reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin ProSensor 710+ | Excellent | Excellent | Very tight and defined stud reading |
| Bosch GMS120 | Very Good | Very Good | Wider detection area but accurate |
Winner: Franklin
Gas Line Detection
The Bosch immediately recognized that there was metal behind the drywall. It beeped and flashed its indicators, although the center point was slightly off.
The Franklin recognized that something was behind the wall, but the lighting spread was extremely wide and inconsistent. It seemed confused and never provided a precise reading.
Gas Line Test Results
| Stud Finder | Detected Material | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch GMS120 | Yes | Good | Slightly off-center but reliable |
| Franklin ProSensor 710+ | Partial | Poor | Wide and unclear detection zone |
Winner: Bosch
Sewer Pipe Detection
This test produced one of the biggest surprises.
The Bosch suddenly displayed a warning symbol indicating electrical detection, even though there was no electrical cable near the sewer pipe. That false positive caused the Bosch to fail this test.
The Franklin didn’t react at all and showed no detection.
Sewer Pipe Test Results
| Stud Finder | Detection Result | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch GMS120 | False electrical warning | Poor | Incorrectly identified electrical signal |
| Franklin ProSensor 710+ | No detection | Poor | Failed to detect material |
Winner: No Winner
Electrical Wire Detection
The Bosch struggled here. It did not properly detect the live electrical wire hidden behind drywall. The only time it responded was when the cable was placed directly against the tool itself, which defeats the purpose of scanning through a wall.
The Franklin also failed this test and never recognized the electrical cable.
Electrical Detection Results
| Stud Finder | Detected Live Wire | Passed Test | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch GMS120 | No | No | Only worked when cable touched device |
| Franklin ProSensor 710+ | No | No | No electrical detection capability |
Winner: No Winner
Ducting Hose Detection
This was one of the few tests where both stud finders performed equally well.
Both devices accurately identified the location of the ducting hose behind the drywall.
Ducting Test Results
| Stud Finder | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch GMS120 | Excellent | Accurate location |
| Franklin ProSensor 710+ | Excellent | Accurate location |
Winner: Bosch
Copper Pipe Detection
The Bosch once again showed why its multi-material scanning is useful. It successfully recognized the copper pipe and gave a mostly accurate location, although the indicator shifted slightly left.
The Franklin failed to detect the copper pipe entirely.
Copper Pipe Test Results
Winner: Tie
| Stud Finder | Detected Copper | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosch GMS120 | Yes | Good | Slightly off-center but reliable |
| Franklin ProSensor 710+ | No | Poor | No detection |
Overall Results
Final Scorecard
| Test | Winner |
|---|---|
| Wood Studs | Franklin |
| Gas Line | Bosch |
| Sewer Pipe | No Winner |
| Electrical | No Winner |
| Ducting | Tie |
| Copper Pipe | Bosch |
Which Stud Finder Should You Buy?
After all the testing, the handyman helping us with the build said he would personally buy the Bosch.
And honestly, that makes sense.
The Franklin is fantastic if your main goal is finding wood studs quickly and accurately. Its display is easy to read, requires no calibration, and gives very defined stud edges.
But the Bosch proved to be far more versatile overall. Even though it wasn’t perfect, it could recognize multiple types of materials behind drywall — including metal and copper pipe — while the Franklin struggled outside of wood detection.
Final Verdict
Buy the Franklin if:
- You mainly need to locate wood studs
- You want the easiest tool to read
- You prefer fast scanning with no calibration
- You want a lower-cost option
Buy the Bosch if:
- You want multi-material detection
- You work around plumbing or metal often
- You need a more professional-grade scanner
- You want more detailed wall information
For basic DIY homeowners, the Franklin may honestly be all you need.
But if you want the most capable all-around wall scanner, the Bosch keeps the crown.
| Test | Winner |
|---|---|
| Wood Studs | Franklin |
| Gas Line | Bosch |
| Sewer Pipe | No Winner |
| Electrical | No Winner |
| Ducting | Tie |
| Copper Pipe | Bosch |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Franklin stud finders really the best?
Franklin stud finders are extremely popular because they provide very accurate wood stud detection with easy-to-read LED displays. However, they are more limited when it comes to detecting materials like copper, metal, or live electrical wiring.
Can a stud finder detect electrical wires?
Some stud finders claim to detect live electrical wires, but accuracy varies significantly. In our test, neither model reliably detected electrical wiring behind drywall.
What’s the difference between a stud finder and a wall scanner?
A traditional stud finder is mainly designed to locate wood framing behind drywall. A wall scanner, like the Bosch GMS120, can also detect metal pipes, electrical wiring, and other materials.
Why do stud finders give false readings?
Stud finders can struggle with dense materials, uneven drywall thickness, moisture, or overlapping materials behind the wall. Calibration issues and interference can also cause false positives.
Is the Bosch worth the extra money?
If you only need to find wood studs occasionally, probably not. But if you work around plumbing, electrical, or remodeling projects often, the extra material detection features can absolutely be worth it.
