6 best hidden wiring detectors

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

During repairs in a house or apartment, deep drilling of walls or ceilings is often required. However, there is always a high probability of getting into the electrical wiring. On the one hand, this is a danger to the employee, on the other hand, there will be serious additional problems associated with the restoration of a damaged wire. A hidden wiring detector will help prevent a negative scenario. A small device is able not only to find wiring in the thickness of concrete or under drywall, but also to point the owner to steel reinforcement or a wooden structure. After reading the recommendations of experts, you can go to the store for this useful device.

How to choose a hidden wiring detector

1. Detection depth. One of the main parameters of a hidden wire detector is the detection depth. In the technical specifications, the manufacturer indicates the maximum value for electrical wiring, wood, ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The optimum detection depth for a live wire is 5 cm. Serious devices on the display indicate the depth of the found object.
2. Accuracy. In order to minimize damage to the wall or ceiling during the repair process, it is important to accurately determine the location of the electrical wiring or water pipe. Professional devices show an error of no more than 5 mm. For household devices, an accuracy within 10 mm is considered normal.
3. Definition of material. Since not only an electric cable can be located in concrete or under drywall, but also fittings, a damaged wire, a plastic pipe or a wooden insert, it is important to correctly determine the type of object. Each manufacturer equips the device with light and sound indication, which may differ when an object is located. Instructions for use will help to decipher the signal. For example, non-ferrous metal is identified by a red circle, while live wiring is identified by a blinking red circle.
4. Auto-calibration. A useful option, especially for novice users, is the auto-calibration of the instrument. The owner does not need to manually enter information about the base material and the type of object to be detected. The detector will do this work on its own, minimizing the preparation time.
5. Auto power off. Most hidden wiring detectors are battery operated. To save battery power, many devices are equipped with an automatic shutdown function. It is triggered if the device is inactive for a certain time, for example, after 5 minutes.
6. Backlight. It is not always necessary to work with a hidden wiring detector in good lighting conditions. The display backlight becomes especially important when repairing electrical wiring in the evening.

Rating of the best hidden wiring detectors

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Rating of the best hidden wiring detectors	1	Bosch D-tect 150 SV Professional	RUB 33,450
	2	Elitech D 100	RUB 3,196
	3	Bosch GMS 120 Professional	RUB 5,235
	4	ADA instruments Wall Scanner 80	RUB 2,479
	5	Zubr Professional DX-750 45260	RUB 2,899
	6	Resanta DM-2 61/10/521	RUB 3,240

We have selected 6 of the best hidden wiring detectors for our review. All devices are approved by the expert community and have received positive feedback from domestic users.

Bosch D-tect 150 SV Professional

Rating: 4.9

A serious search tool for professionals is the Bosch D-tect 150 SV Professional detector. This German specialist in the detection of rebar, non-ferrous metals and other objects in concrete is equipped with 3 operating modes. The maximum detection depth for steel and non-ferrous parts is 150 mm. Electrical wiring is detected at a distance of 60 mm from the surface, and wooden elements are fixed with a detector at a depth of 40 mm. Once turned on, the device does not need to be configured or calibrated. The accuracy of the instrument is approximately 5 mm.

The device has helped out professional wiring installers more than once when they had to look for wiring under plasterboard panels or in concrete. Of the minuses, only the high price can be noted.

Advantages

• determination accuracy;
• ease of customization;
• large detection depth;
• high-quality assembly.

disadvantages

• high price.

Elitech D 100

Rating: 4.8

An excellent device for detecting various communications is the Elitech D 100 detector. The Russian development was made in China, due to which it was possible to achieve a competitive price. The device can detect ferrous and non-ferrous metals, wooden structures or live electrical wires hidden in concrete or behind drywall. To save battery capacity, the manufacturer has provided an automatic shutdown when the device is idle for 5 minutes.

The model loses to the winner of the rating in the depth of detection of ferrous metals (100 mm) and wood (20 mm), as well as in the accuracy of measurements (10 mm). Users praise the detector for its availability and quality assembly, ease of use. The disadvantages include the fuzzy definition of the tree.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• high-quality assembly;
• color display;
• ease of use.

disadvantages

• inaccurate definition of a tree.

Bosch GMS 120 Professional

Rating: 4.7

The Bosch GMS 120 Professional detector has a high accuracy in detecting hidden wiring. The maximum detection depth for steel is 120 mm, color – 80 mm, electrical wiring – 50 mm and wood – 38 mm. The device takes 3rd place due to its affordable price. The search result is fixed on an informative display, a special scale indicates the center of the detected object. The device can be worn on the wrist thanks to the ergonomic strap. The presence of a backlight allows the owner to work in conditions of limited visibility.

Some users criticize the detector without reading the instructions in detail. Therefore, it is not possible to detect even wiring at a shallow depth. Perhaps the manufacturer should simplify the description of the operation of the device.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• high-quality assembly;
• defines metal structures well;
• good alignment scheme.

disadvantages

• problematic repair;
• incomprehensible instruction.

ADA instruments Wall Scanner 80

Rating: 4.7

Its compactness and lightness (120 g) stand out against the background of competitors, the Chinese hidden wiring detector ADA Wall Scanner 80. At the same time, the device is sold at the most attractive price. The device is designed to detect metals, wood and electrical wiring, but the detection depth looks more modest than that of the leaders of the rating. So the detector is capable of detecting non-ferrous metal in a concrete layer up to 60 mm thick, wood – up to 20 mm, and steel reinforcement – up to 80 mm. When an object is detected, a light signaling occurs, the time for reading the results is 10 s. Continuous operation time is limited to 6 hours.

There is no consensus among users regarding the performance of the device. Some praise it for its accuracy and sensitivity, while others have not figured out how to use it.

Advantages

• lightness and compactness;
• small price;
• clear interface;
• high-quality assembly.

disadvantages

• difficulties with setting.

Zubr Professional DX-750 45260

Rating: 4.6

The Zubr Professional DX-750 detector is capable of detecting hidden electrical wiring at a depth of 50 mm, and steel reinforcement up to 100 mm. The experts included this device in our rating for affordability and good performance. When objects are detected, multi-colored indicators appear on the display to facilitate material identification. The device is equipped with a discrete meter, thanks to digital indication, it is possible to accurately determine the depth of the wiring.

However, the detector has a number of drawbacks that did not allow it to rise higher in the rating. It emits a very faint sound, the case has a cramped battery compartment, and the LCD has a small viewing angle.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• good detection depth;
• multi-colored indication;
• discrete meter.

disadvantages

• faint sound;
• small viewing angle of the display.

Resanta DM-2 61/10/521

Rating: 4.5

High interest from domestic consumers allowed the Resanta DM-2 detector to be included in our rating. In just 2 months, more than 10 thousand people were interested in the device at the NM. First of all, the device looks attractive in terms of price. At a good depth, the detector finds ferrous (100 mm) and non-ferrous (80 mm) metals, electrical wiring (50 mm). Compared to the closest competitors in the budget segment, it looks a little more massive (weight 240 g). The uptime is 6 hours, with no activity for 5 minutes, the device automatically turns off.

Users love the comfortable grip provided by the embossed rubber grips on the plastic housing and the easy to read display. The disadvantages of the device include the lack of backlight and batteries included.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• good detection depth;
• comfortable grip;
• high-quality assembly.

disadvantages

• no backlight;
• great weight.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.