Bosch Professional Stud Finder Gms 120 (Drill Hole Marker, Max. Detection Depth Wood/Magnetic Metal/Non-Magnetic Metal/Live Cable: 38/120/80/50 Mm, In Cardboard Box) – Amazon Exclusive Se
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Metal Setting
The standard detection setting, the metal setting provides the best detection for magnetic (≤12cm) and non-magnetic (≤8cm) metals and can detect live wires up to a depth of 5cm on various wall types.
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Live Wire Setting
While all settings detect live wires, the Live Wire setting provides best results when detecting live wires is the focus and can accurately detect them up to a depth of 5cm on various wall types.
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Drywall Setting
Specialized for use with drywall, and can detect wooden and metal studs ≤ 3.8cm deep and live wires up to a depth of 5cm. This settings should only be used if the detection of wooden studs is needed.
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Apply Voltage
Make sure voltage is applied to the cable being searched for (i.e. by turning on the light)
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Remove Interferences
Remove jewelry and gloves. Turn off nearby electronic devices that could interfere with detection
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Choose a Setting
Turn on the device and select the correct detection setting for the application
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Start Detection
Hold the tool by the rubber grip. Place the tool flat against the wall. Move 3x in each direction
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Record Results
Transfer detection results to the wall by using the marking hole
Product Comparison
 GMS 120 |  D-tect 120 |  D-tect 150 SV |  D-tect 200 C | |
| Max. detection depth | 120mm | 120mm | 150mm | 200mm |
| Metal | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Live wires | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Non-live cables | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Plastic Pipes | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wood | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Material classification | Live-wire/Metal | Live-wire | Live-wire/Metal | Live-wire/Metal |
| Bosch Radar Technology | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Spot measurement | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Depth indication | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Display max. drilling depth | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Display object depth | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
Why does the signal change when I move along a live wire?
Twisting of leads of live wires causes variation in the strength of an electric field on the surface up to complete extinction. In case of a 3-phase live wire, the different phases of live leads cancel each other out.
Why do I have problems detecting a wooden stud in drywall?
Make sure to measure on homogenous drywall (e.g. no hidden holes or OSB walls). Choose the drywall setting before positioning the device on the wall, then wait until the LED ring turns on and start moving the device 3x over the area of interest.
Why does the device indicate live wires everywhere?
The device detects live wires by capturing the signal emitted by the live wire. If a wall has a high conductivity, this signal can be spread and over whole wall. Or, if a live wire runs parallel to rebar, all rebar might be shown as live wires.
What should I do if the device displays different results for the same measurement?
Follow the step-by-step guide when using the tool and make sure to do all the measurements the same way. In particular, move the tool 3x in each direction and keep the outer conditions constant.
Why does the device indicate metal objects on the whole wall?
The tool detects aluminium foil on underfloor heating systems and on thermal glass wool insulation as metal, and likewise detects brick reinforced w/steel fibre as metal due to the high iron content. It may show a yellow light w/red bricks or tiles.
| Weight: | 270 g |
| Dimensions: | 25.8 x 16.7 x 7.3 cm; 270 Grams |
| Model: | GMS 120 |
| Part: | 0601081005 |
| Colour: | Blue |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | Yes |
| Batteries Included: | Alkaline |
| Manufacture: | Bosch Professional |
| Colour: | Blue |
| Quantity: | 1 |
The whole package is good ie nice case and marker . The stud finder is OK only used a couple of times though so time will tell
Great product and from Amazon warehouse
Bargain and I’m much safer with my DIY
Got this for my bf for Christmas he said it’s good
Get used to it by testing on surfaces where you know what it should find. Take it slowly and once you become used to the way it works you’ll have confidence that your work is safe or not.
Bought as a present for my brother, who does use it and is very happy with it. It works and that all that matters.
It comes with its own carry case very well made produc
My new toy is really great light easy to use and saves a whole lot of time no more knocking on studs walls it’s easy now slide the detector across the wall to find your studs even has o hole in it so you can mark the Center well worth getting
Read a lot of negative reviews before making the decision to get this. I read some reviews on another site and found that it was mainly user error that may have led to the bad reviews.
I find that you need to ignore the audio sensor and go by the meter guage in the display.
Well made, comes with a case and battery. Expensive compared to other brands, but definitely get what you pay for.
I bought this device despite all the negative reviews as I know Bosch make quality stuff and in any event if it’s really an awful piece of kit, Amazon will let you return it for a full refund.
In the first few minutes of using this device I found all the problems people had been complaining about, so I decide to read the instructions. Once I had done so and followed other guidelines I found on-line, I found it worked perfectly. The cure for some issues are not obvious — like removing your watch and any rings together with any external interference from mobile phones, tablet computers and any metal objects in the vicinity that don’t need to be there. The device is very sensitive and using two hands instead of one to move the scanner can lead to false readings.
I found the indications from the device to be very informative for example if it finds a metal source whether that be a nail, screw or metal stud attaching the plasterboard to the stud it will tell you if its magnetic or not, which may give you an idea of the source. It will also detect plastic pipes containing water when scanning in the bathroom so you need to be alert as to what you are looking for. In my case I was looking for wooden studs so that I could install a particularly heavy bathroom cabinet. It easily found the studs despite scanning through quite thick porcelain tiles on top of the plasterboard.
All in all I found the device to be very useful and great value for money.
Initially, I thought what a pile of junk, it seemed wildly inaccurate on electrical cables, but after watching a few videos on you tube, and reading the manual, yes reading the manual. I could identify cables, beams and what ever I needed correctly.
When I first started to use it, lots of false readings, but now I know its limitations, mainly user error. I like it much more. once you realize how to stop false readings, it’s accuracy is quite good.
This appears to be a easy bit of kit to use, but don’t be fooled. It take time to learn, requires reading the manual, and watching a few YouTube videos, to educate yourself on how to get the best from it. Mine is good now.
I read a lot of reviews before buying and I’m glad I didn’t focus on the negative ones too much. This is a great tool to give safe and accurate information. I’m not a regular DIY-ER but this was easy yo use and well worth the price for the reassurance that I wasn’t drilling into cables etc.
Be sure to read the manual and take a bit of time to learn how to use it properly, or frustration and annoyance will fall upon you!
The device itself is well made and very capable, with good haptics and features. It’s perhaps a bit on the expensive side but otherwise no complaints.
It may just be me, but I have not found this product to be as reliable as I would wish. Perhaps it just takes a lot of practice, but I would expect a relatively expensive meter such as this one to locate known studs and wiring quickly and reliably. It doesn’t. Sometimes it pinpoints the centre of a stud or joist very accurately, other times it misses the same target completely. I find that I need to combine the readings from the meter with another more low tech way of checking the location of studs (ie drilling little holes) before I commit to identifying the outline of the stud. Consequently it is of limited use to me.
Wanted to put some holes in a wall that had pipes/cables, and wanted to be sure i didn’t cause myself some large bills for tradesman to fix my mistakes.
Read some reviews and picked this device, and glad i did.
I’ve used this to find cables and pipes in walls, and concrete floors, and its worked brilliantly, and (touch wood) i havnt caused myself any expensive bills since,
80 sounds expensive, but is far cheaper than fixing any issues this prevents.
I have used Cheaper scanners in the past that seem to beep all the time and I could never be sure where to drill. I used this scanner over known wires/pipe areas on my interor (plasterboard) walls and I always got the results expected so I have confidence in this scaner
I watched a few YouTube videos before hand on usage and always make sure my phone is no where near it.
So far for me a great bit of ki
Great tooldoes exactly what it says it will do and with a good degree of accuracy too found it great for locating items buried in walls, and this saved my neighbour from going through a load of cables running everywhere in the walls of his kitchen well worth having this in your tool box I’ve had a few locators over the years, but this is the best I’ve ownedwell pleased with i
This is a good stud / electrical / pipe finder which has several very helpful features. I chose it after some really good reviews on it. I have found its not a solution straight from the box though where you need to use it and understand how it reads the wall / floor etc. Good contact with the surface is very important to this tool and if not kept tight to the surface can give some unusual readings. I have to be honest and say I am still getting used to it!
Works well for finding studs and buried metalwork (pipes), but not so good on live cables as it often beeps in any position on a wall, even a wall where I know there are no cables. This makes it difficult to accurately detect where a cable actually is. Some walls worked well and some didn’t, so I guess it is probably picking up interference from elsewhere. Placing your other hand on the wall (in the instructions) does help. The centering works really well although you do need to read and understand the instructions on how to do this.
but solid walls not so well
must take your time and check lots of times to make sure
I’ve had a few of these over the years and they sort of work and sort of don’t. So I use other methods to check what I’m drilling into. Having had an extension built, I got the urge to put up various shelves and pictures in the house. So, knowing exactly where the cables and joists were in the new annexe, I thought I’d give this a go to test it in a known situation. It was accurate in each case. I like the way it clearly shows the distance it is away from the object, with the circle detecting just where the object is. So now I’m going to use it on the older parts of the house with confidence.
Thought this would be great, however no better than the cheaper ones on the market really I think. Easy to use though!
It has a great central hole to mark the point to drill, but depending on the direction you place it onto the wall it sometimes gives mixed signals, this may be to some structures or re-enforcement in the wall, but it then cannot differentiate easily between life wiring and no wiring. I wonder if this could be improved or this is a limitation of the coil system. Therefore 4/5 stars.
I bought a cheapo stud finder, which was next to useless (all alarms went off everywhere!). We then had some curtains fitted and the fitter had one of these Bosch SFs and he showed me how it worked, so I bought the same. It has proven reliable every time and I’m very happy. As ever you usually get what you pay for!
Bought for my partner, he is happy so I am happy
Wanted this as completely renovating a house. on the plus side finds electrical cables brilliantly, but for copper pipes a bit hit and miss at the moment, but still trying to calibrate it so works perfect, not sure if going to get there but will try.
May review my review at the end of this job!
I nearly didn’t buy this, because of the negative reviews, but I am so pleased that I did. I was even more concerned when I saw that the product box had been resealed by Amazon Prime, which to me cried out ‘Return’, but inside, it all seemed like new, so hopefully, a false alarm. Anyway, the main thing is how it works and in that respect, it’s brilliant. It correctly found pipework behind my plasterboard and I was able to map where everything was before drilling. My old detector didn’t show anything there at all, by the way, which I knew must be wrong, hence this purchase. For me at least, this detector did what it was supposed to do and I’m well pleased with it so far.
I see a lot of people complaining that the device shows “a wire when pointing it at their hands”.
Well – its not idiot proof and it takes some practice to operate it well.
Also its possible to confuse the sensor by moving it around any surface like a maniac.
If you want accurate results – follow the manual carefully (dragging it around the area several times to allow it to calibrate etc)
It does show some weird readings now and then but it gives me the idea where I can drill without a possibility of being electrocuted.
If you want to know where EXACTLy your cables/pipes are please buy a product in a different price range or call the professionals
easy to use and accurate and at a fair price
Any one with a new build you need one of these
Using this one straight out of the box was very disappointing.
It took several days in different situations to develop any confidence in what it was indicating – or not!
It would register ‘no cable’ in a situation where there was obviously a cable. It was necessary to understand that if the embedded cable was covered by a galvanised steel channel, then this would mask the presence of low current in the cable. It was necessary to have a heavy load (electric heater) connected to the outlet to cause enough current to make the sensor respond. The unit would respond to the metal channel on the ‘metal’ setting. It was necessary to use both settings to identify the location of cables with any confidence. (i.e.) Locate the metal channel first, then try to narrow down the cable routing within that zone with the ‘electric’ setting..
I should have treated myself to this well designed product many years ago
Present for my husband who says seems to do the job well and is much better than previous detectors. Stud detection still not perfect.
A great gadget although its larger than I was expecting but that’s only a small gripe. With its audio signal and backlight screen its an easy gadget to use. Batteries will last for ages. Shop around as there are some deals to be had on this mete
it does what it was intended for and does it well. this item detects the faintest voltage and deeply entrenched metal stud.
The detector is easy to use and works well. Extra, unexpected benefit/ use – detecting shot in prepared game, works really well
looks like a good durable device, i have been struggling to find wood beams accurately, but for wires and metal works pretty well
Excellent product if you get it at a good price
Works perfectly.
It’s a little bit difficult to understand at the beginning, but it’s a great tool to have at home.
It does what it says and it is convenient.
I strictly put 4 stars because of the temporal use.
I bought it because i have already had two accidents, although i had quite an experience in drilling walls.
Before that i used a mobile app that was a similar solution (only if a magnetic sensor is built in the phone). To be honest BOSCH GMS 120 is much accurate and easy understood how to use it.
Concluding
POSITIVES: Easy, Quick, Accurate, Option for using in the night.
NEGATIVES: A little large (bigger than you expect it), maybe in small corners you cannot use it (3 cm distance from hole to the top corners)
This is an excellent product. there are many inferior versions on the market. Risk free drilling into your walls is worth the cost.
I am not particularly a fan of Bosch tools but the build of this is 100%. Before use you will benefit from some “practice runs”, I found the product accurate, nevertheless I was relieved to miss the mains cable!
Would I recommend the product? Yes, but don’t forget the “practice runs”!
Just moved house and this has been invaluable for detecting hidden cables and pipes.
Great top quality product that does exactly as meant to.
Highly recommend along with watching an online event tutorial for produc
I expected problems as the floor was reading 40% moisture content after raising the fitted carpet.
The unit was remarkable, by slowly dragging the unit over the floor the light changes from Green to Yellow and then to Red as it comes close to a copper pipe that’s at least 2 inches below the surface. Still moving the in the red across the floor the scale closes and over the pipe is closed with a dot in the centre. I made further tests following the many pipes under the floor and the only problem I found was it stayed in the red longer where I believe the pipes cross.
It became a yellow light when reading between two parrallel pipes that I know are only about 3 inches apart. So it was able to differentiate when more than one pipe is present. I am very pleased with this unit and more so when I found that the GMS120 that does more than the GMS100 but was cheaper at Amazon.
This product works well all I would say is read the instructions well
Despite some reviews and some more expensive competitor products I have to say I am impressed with the use and accuracy of the tool. Great product.
Tips for use. (1) Do not expect to get an accurate reading by putting straight on the wall and doing a simple single pass. It has some kind of auto sensitivity (instead of the wheel you turn on the cheap models) which means you need to run backwards and forwards a few times. (2) Look for the second meter to show the centre dot as it passes over known wires. Get used to when the meter starts sounding/flashing verses the location of known wires and when it just shows a solid Red/Amber. Look for the centre-dot to appear as you move across the wall (2) keep going over the area – at least three sweeps; and note that as it approaches something it detects it further away than the reverse when moving away the other side (e.g. the signal fades quicker than it builds up) (3) Hold it properly on the grips and not the head. Holding on the head seems to affect it and lose accuracy (4) put your other hand on the wall. This is a key one as it seems to be affected by static build-up giving more false alarms. I found it was a lot more accurate when I had my other hand resting on the wall I was detecting.
If you are prepared to work with it over time then it will give you a lot of confidence, but this is no instant “x-ray” tool. Given all of these tools are just small metal detectors (with, in this case, some microprocessor logic helping you) I would go as far as to say this only gives you a 15% greater knowledge of your wall than a 20 detector, so it’s the value you place on that extra 15% knowledge verses paying thrice the price. If you want more than this you’ll need to find tools that work very differently – this is model is as good a tool as any using this technical approach.
Very useful gadget, it works fine for me, finds stuff hidden inside the wall so you dont knock nails into your wiring or water/gas pipes.
This was overkill for putting up a cupboard, justified by the idea that it’ll be useful in the future. Awesome tool, really straightforward.
Excellent product, very easy to use, even for a rookie DIY’er. Has prevented me electrocuting myself!
A really great piece of essential equipment for diy in and around the house. Easy to use and has helped me avoid several potential issues with metal pipework. Certainly recommend.
its not for me its a xmas present so i can not comme
Helped with my project. Saved money for gas engineer and electrician before start drilling wall. Accident could happen ufffff
Returning to this after a few months, I find it’s not so great. I now wonder if it requires a nearly new battery to work well. That might explain the very varied reviews.
This device errs on the side of alerting you too much to nearby electrical sources (which is a minor problem in modern houses with plasterboard walls), but other than that was a much, much better buy than the cheap Black and Decker BDS200 which I’d purchased previously, and simply doesn’t do the job at all. This Bosch GMS 120 has some good, sensible features too, such as the hole that you can use to mark the wall in pencil. Very happy overall, and its encouraged me to buy other mid-range Bosch products for other jobs around my house.
Well priced and quick delivery. Takes some getting use to but does work.
I read all the reviews but have to say good quality product that in the main works well.
I haven’t tried it too much so far, but it test fine and it does what it says on the box.
I was realy pleased with the product just what i need so that i knew where wires where etc to put shelves up and pictures on the wall
The biggest problem with these types of detectors is understanding how thy work and gaining confidence to use them. Otherwise they are very useful.
Easy to use and detects wires, pipes and stud work. Will really help me to fix down my floor boards without drilling through pipes and wires.
Easy to use. A few false positives but repeated scanning gets you there. The hole is useful.
So far seems to work well..well made. reasonable price.
A bit pricey but you only get what you pay for, accurate and it does exactly what you want it to do.
I was able to map exactly where the pipes are (not where I expected them to be), drill two holes and fix the threshold.
Yes, you need to play with the detector to get to know how it works. It is a machine with artificial intelligence that learns about the environment every time you switch it on, and adjusts sensitivity.
To those writing negative reviews – it is not a hammer, you need to read and understand what you see.
The fist detector was stolen a couple of months ago, and I have just ordered a replacement, the very exact same one.
Excellent item, works a treat, packaged well and delivered very promptly
Had a few other brand detectors that proved pointless- at last, one that works for a sensible price! 🙂
spot on with detection of water pipes 3.5 inches deep through wood floor and concrete , practice first where you know pipes etc. are .great produc
Once I’d used it….. I wish I had had it for a pile of other previous jobs that had had wee “mishaps”…
Excellent device – I highly recommend it.
If you have a fair understanding of how buildings are constructed and how services run then you can use one of these to establish where steel joists, rebar and wiring is.
If not, then perhaps you need a professional to come and help out. For example “the whole of my wall is detected as metal” is probably due to foil backed plasterboard, especially if it’s on an external wall. In those cases, you’re a bit stuck, although I’ve usually found that a small hole and a wire coathanger helps immensely with probing.