# A Real Toolsaver



## mbs (May 8, 2010)

Some detectors are good at telling you there is metal in the wood but they aren't specific enough to indicate where the metal is. Does it do a good job of pinpointing the metal?


----------



## MarkDavisson (Apr 26, 2009)

mbs, it does a good job of it. I wave the wand over the surface of the wood. When I get a beep I note the "line" along which the beep is heard - that becomes, if you will, the X axis. Then I rotate the wand 90 degrees and wave it back and forth and note the "line" along which the beep is again heard - that becomes the Y axis. Where the two intersect is the location of the metal.

I should also note that the sensitivity is adjustable. The higher the sensitivity, the farther the wand can be from the metal and still beep. At maximum sensitivity, then, you have a wider area in which the metal can be. So I'll dial down the sensitivity once I'm onto something to narrow the width of the "iine" in which the metal can be found.


----------



## mbs (May 8, 2010)

You convinced me to get one. Do you know the best place to buy it?


----------



## mantwi (Mar 17, 2013)

Where is this tool sold? I have nicked my planer and jointer knives and considering the effort involved in sharpening and reinstalling them I'll buy that $35.00 insurance policy gladly.


----------



## MarkDavisson (Apr 26, 2009)

mbs, I bought mine at Harbor Freight. I believe I've also seen them on Amazon. They were designed, I think, with law enforcement in mind, so your neighborhood police supply store might also carry them.


----------



## doubleDD (Oct 21, 2012)

I agree with you Mark. I bought one of these a while back and it does a fine job. Never had any other to compare it to but never had any problems with this one.


----------



## mprzybylski (Nov 21, 2011)

I too have this as I got it on sale at one of their sales but haven't used it yet as I don't often work with recycled wood. It's one of those things for me that I want available when I need it and not have to go out and buy it that day for regular price . I never thought of some of the other uses you mentioned it for, very good ideas (especially finding metal objects in grass, I seem to always lose my nuts when working outside). Glad to hear it is working well for you. Thanks for the review.


----------



## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I've thought about one of these for a while. Think it is time. In-store only, so not available from HF online. Here's the link: http://www.harborfreight.com/9-volt-metal-detector-wand-94138.html


----------



## Maggiepic (Aug 26, 2010)

I also have had fantastic results with this. Being able to plane recycled material without tearing up planer knives was well worth the investment.


----------



## carver1942 (Sep 25, 2013)

I *NEVER* put anything over my jointer, or through my planner without checking it with a metal detector. Metal can be found in any wood not just reclaimed lumber. It's a quick and cheap test that can save you a lot of money and wasted time. If you can get a HF 20% off coupon, their model is a bargain.
regards
Ed


----------



## gsimon (Aug 12, 2012)

I can't believe I didn't think of this - I've been very careful to date but I've ripped a few nails in half
I'm getting one for sure
Thanks for the tip
Greg


----------



## EvilRick (Nov 4, 2013)

Norm uses one.





 (~4:40)


----------



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Nice to know there is another tool from HF worth purchasing, Mark : ) 
Thanks for the review and Happy Holidays !


----------



## Surfside (Jun 13, 2012)

It didn't cross my mind. I think I will need it. I'm officially considering to buy one.


----------



## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

I really need on of these. Thx for the reminder…


----------



## ramatsu (Dec 2, 2017)

I got one of those (instead of the cheaper one HF sells), but it wasn't reliable enough to trust blades to. Seemed to have a lot of false positives when just moving it around in the air, couldn't detect a wire brad through 2x dimensional, and couldn't detect a staple through 3/4" of Sapele.

There's an adjustment control hidden under the rubber handle sheath, but I couldn't get that off without possibly tearing it so I wasn't able to see if I could get it dialed in. Waving it over the same piece of wood at the same distance multiple times, it seemed like about half the passes had random results - sometimes not signaling where there was a metal, sometimes signaling where there wasn't.

Wouldn't be surprised if they varied a bit from unit to unit because, HF. But decided to come here to see if there was a gold standard for this, which I gather there really isn't. :-(


----------

