Find Your Keys Buried In Six Inches Of Concrete
By Benjamen JohnsonCompared to the Milwaukee Cordless Detection Tool, your puny stud finder is only a toy. OK, we’re not sure about finding your keys, but it can detect rebar buried 6″ deep in concrete. It can also tell you the location and depth of wood, PEX, PVC, and metal behind gypsum, OSB, ceramic tile, and marble.
This pistol-grip cordless tool is yet another tool that uses Milwaukee’s M12 Lithium-ion battery. Gliding over surfaces on four wheels, it can differentiate between ferrous and non-ferrous metals and can even detect live wires. The white-on-black display with backlight will even show you the center and edges of studs.
If Google’s got it right you can pick up the Sub-Scanner starting at $200, but a more reasonable source like Ohio Power Tool has it listed for $310 without battery.
M12 Sub-Scanner [Milwaukee]
Street Pricing [Google Products]






















August 6th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
too bad it doesn’t see carpenter ants and termites.
August 6th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Apparently it doesn’t even have a laser.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I’ll believe it when I see it in action… I spent $100 on Bosch’s gee-whiz-bang stud finder and it’s the hugest piece of Bosch crap I’ve ever used. Can’t find a stud with this dang thing on a half-drywalled wall where you can actually see where the studs are. Total waste of $100.
I think it’d be worth over $100 to get a stud-finder that WORKS.
Julian
August 6th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
I wish i had one a couple months ago… had a sewer line leak under the concrete slab and we weren’t sure how the line had been run. Come to find out it was “of course” mostly wrong and not logical
August 7th, 2009 at 2:15 am
If it works as advertised, I’d make sure my installer team each had one. Each time some hidden wiring or plumbing is punctured during retrofit wiring, the cost of one repair job would make it worth it. THat said, I haven’t seen one that works as good as they claim yet … and I’m really waiting for those Xray Specs to arrive.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:49 am
How is it that it can find rebar in 6″ of concrete, but will only located a wood or metal stud up to 1-1/2″?
I haven’t found an effective stud finder that works with plaster and lathe.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
[...] Actually, it can tell you the exact position and composition of just about anything under concrete, gypsum, ceramic tile and marble. Of course, a tool like this is designed for professionals—and it has a price tag to match. Expect to pay $310-$350 in most places. [Milwaukee via Toolmonger] [...]
August 7th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
[...] Actually, it can tell you the exact position and composition of just about anything under concrete, gypsum, ceramic tile and marble. Of course, a tool like this is designed for professionals—and it has a price tag to match. Expect to pay $310-$350 in most places. [Milwaukee via Toolmonger] [...]
August 8th, 2009 at 2:01 am
[...] Actually, it can tell you the exact position and composition of just about anything under concrete, gypsum, ceramic tile and marble. Of course, a tool like this is designed for professionals—and it has a price tag to match. Expect to pay $310-$350 in most places. [Milwaukee via Toolmonger] [...]