Laser Level; use one?

[MountainDon]

I'm an long time user of the water level, started with a simple plastic tube with colored water many years ago and some time ago purchased an in expensive water level with an electronic "beeper" built in to make things a little easier. Laser levels have fallen in price since I saw my first one and lusted after it.

Who's using what and how do you like it? What's the effective outdoor range? (I'm mainly interested in outdoor use) And so on... :-?

Thanks

[glenn kangiser]

I use one all the time except when I get down to smaller areas then I use a fairly precision 4' level.  

I didn't want to spring for the big self leveling one but after my first one broke I did go for a pretty decent one from Home Depot.  Around $400 as I recall with tripod and sensor.  They are pretty useless without a electronic laser sensor in outdoor situations.  I used mine today setting up my concrete forms in the Underground shop.

I have the CST/Berger kit.


http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2FsearchResults.jsp&N=2984&keyword=laser+cst&x=36&y=7

[glenn kangiser]

CST/Berger
Dual Beam Rotary Laser Indoor/Outdoor Pkg. Range 800 Ft. Dia., With Rod

Model 57-LM30PKG
Price: $399.00/ea

First one on the search page I think.

[PEG688]

We have , the company , a PC RT-7690-2XPKT , tool crib $899.00 bucks   It has a remote , it got wet one job the guys didn't cover it in moderate rain it now only comes on the slow speed , which reduces it range and accuracy some what . It works OK , with the funkie glass outside you can see the line for 30 or so feet.  I'm not to impressed with it , the tripod is / was chinzy , so lil tightening deal got stripped right outta the gate cheap plastic $hit. And it goes thru battery's in no time , you can plug it into 110V which is the most dependable way to use it. All in all , like I said I don't like it   It has other issues .

 One feature which I really like that most lazer [highlight]do not have[/highlight]  is the ability to adjust the beam right to the spot you want it . One company lazer jamb from  Bellingham Wa. sell such a lazer if I where to buy my own I'd get it .

 

They have a attachment that goes on a 5 gal bucket when a door jamb or ceiling is not avaible , the carrage that the lazer sits in slides up and down the pole so the beam can be right on  the spot , no caculating how many inch's up or down you need to be from the beam .

 

 http://www.mytoolstore.com/lasrjamb/applicat.html

 Link : http://www.mytoolstore.com/lasrjamb/lsjindex.html?source=google&gclid=CPW717SB9ooCFR1Bggod4nkSpw

It works OUTSTANDING inside for setting cabinets , tile etc . I loved it when I was setting cab's  

In fact it will be one of my next buys , I just have to decide on which lazer I want with it.  In a catalog I got in Az. while buying a gargabe can pull out at a cabinet hardware outfit in Tempe , they have the set up I want , from Lazer jamb , the catalog is out in the shop , I can give you the details tomorrow if you want them,  Around $400.00 dollars IIRC.

 

[MountainDon]

 8-)  Thank you Glenn and PEG. I figured you guys would have some ideas on these. That's a good starting point for me.  A good detector is a must

[MountainDon]

Question: what does it mean if the specs say...

[highlight]Line Length        60ft @ 30ft[/highlight]

:-/

[glenn kangiser]

I'm not sure which one you are talking about - if it is the one I posted it may be when it is in it's oscillation cycle where it just sits and rotates a quarter turn back and forth.  If that is it then it must make a 60 foot line when you are 30 feet from the wall with the center of the tripod.  It has several modes fast rotate - slow rotate - oscillate and ??

There are also stationary ones that project a static line.  

[desdawg]

I use a laser level all of the time for septic work. We dig a 12" wide trench for leach lines and with the laser you can get your trench bottom level at the correct depth which for us typically 7-8' below grade. With a trench that narrow there really is no other good way. The sensor has both a visual screen and an audio alarm. It clamps to a regular grade rod like you would use with a transit level.

[MountainDon]

...it must make a 60 foot line when you are 30 feet from the wall with the center of the tripod.  

That would make some sense; probably what they mean.    Thanks

[Beavers]

Looking at getting the CST laser level you guys have been talking about.  It would be nice to not need a helper around to measure things.

The specs claim  it to be accurate to +/- 1/4" at 100 feet.  Have you guys found it that accurate, and is that for horizontal as well as vertical?

I've got all my piers staked out. Can I use a plumb bob and set up the laser over a point and then project a horizontal line to another point?  Basiclly just using it as a "laser string line". 

Thanks,
Beavers 

[MountainDon]

I never did buy a laser level. I decided to use my simple water level I've had for a couple decades. It did the job fine but took a little longer to do accurately. But I had the time.

You can set the rotary laser level up in the center anywhere and shoot each pier around the perimeter using a laser sensor on a rod or stake. Goes real easy; the concrete guys I hired for an addition here used one shooting through a window. Perfect.

I used the same process more or less on the cabin. My water level sensor was placed centrally and I went around the piers.

[diyfrank]

The company I work for buys cheap ones for everyone to keep with them. Not sure of the brand, Probably from harbor freight.
Mines beat up but has lasted me around 10 years.  The receivers can be triggered by other light sources so you can get a false beep.
I've had them trigger off a strobe light on trucks passing by and even the beam bouncing off tinted windows and returning at a different height.    They work well but you can get mistakes.

[glenn kangiser]

My CST is still working great.

It may be that accurate but is only as accurate as you set it on the manual one.  That 1/4" is not very detectable but if matching grade I would take a few readings on bench marks if you have them then fine tune accordingly.  I find it to be very close to perfect even on the old marks though if I use care in setting it up.

[davidj]

For my footings and foundation, I used a Fatmax CL2, which comes in at slightly under $100.  This gives you a horizontal line covering something like a 60 degree angle.  By setting a level block in the middle of my foundation I could rotate it around 6 or 8 times to get a level point around the whole perimeter.  However, it wasn't bright enough to work during the day, so I had to wait until dusk, at which point it had a >30' range and was easy to see.  This was a real pain on the days when the neighbors started partying at 6, my wife headed over to join in and I was still waiting for it to get dark enough to level my footing forms whilst hearing the fun in the distance!  The good news is that it was easier to use single-handed than a water level and seemed to work - when double-checking, everything was true to <1/4" over the 30x20 foundation.  I wasted maybe an extra hour or two over a rotating laser, but saved $300, so it seems like a reasonable tradeoff for a one-off job.

[Beavers]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Sounds like they are pretty accurate for vertical work.  Has anyone used theirs instead of a transit or stringline to set horizontal line? 

Glenn, is the laser on the CST bright enough for use in daylight without the sensor?

[glenn kangiser]

I don't think any of them are bright enough to use in the daylight without the sensor.  Maybe in a shaded area or indoors if you had an idea of where it should be but at least for me the sensor is a must in the daytime.

[tc-vt]

Don't forget about a water level.  Cheap, can go around corners, one person job, no batteries needed, can also be used to water your garden, and if you are building something really big, where the curvature of the earth matters, most accurate of all.  I used a water level for all the work I did including measurements for plumbing altitude when putting in the septic system.  The only disadvantage is it is a little slower, as far as the the time (10-15 seconds) you spend waiting for the water to stabilize each time you move it to take another measurement.

http://prolevel.com/overview.htm

http://www.zircon.com/products/leveling.html

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/WaterLevel.htm

And some hardware stores might sell the kits for around $8 which are short lengths of clear tubing with a garden hose connection.

Tom

[MaineRhino]

I used mine to set the horizontal lines on the posts, which were then removed, cut and replaced. I purchased mine at Lowes, although I can't find it on their website. It throws a laser up, down, and 3 horizontal lines at the same time. It does not spin, unless you do it manually. I think it was 200-300$ or so.



It was bright enough to use during the day as well.

[Beavers]

I scored BIG time on Craigslist!  Got a Sokkia LP3A laser level for only $300.
It's an older model of this level.  The guy is a small concrete contractor, and upgraded to a newer model level.  The price was very cheap, but I'm 99% sure it's not stolen. 

I tested it out when I got home, and found out it was off some, and needed calibration.  I calibrated it and now it's hitting between my benches dead on.  Plenty accurate for me!     

[Native_NM]

I've built a couple of projects using a laser level without the receiver.  First, buy a decent level - these days $40 will get a decent one.  Second, build a simple level plate using plexiglass or some other flat surface using fine bolts as adjustment screws.  Mine is two ~10" circles with three bolts that can be adjusted to level the top plate. 

Set the assembly in the center of your work area. It needs to be about in the middle height wise.  I put a brick on the bottom plate to hold it firm.   Use a 99 cent bubble level (the one that has one bubble exactly in the center) to level the top plate.  Do not touch this - this is your base.  Now place your level on the top plate - the plexiglass is smooth and allows the level to rotate easily.

Shoot the laser toward some desired target - say one end of a foundation form.  Place a 48" metal ruler, yardstick, or similar on the form.  Lets say the laser is at 20" on the ruler (20" up from the bottom of the form).  Now simply rotate the laser to the other end of the form.  When the laser is at 20", the form is level with the other side.  Essentially you have a transit - if you want your forms to pitch just add the distance as needed.  For example, if the top of the form is at 20", and you want 1/4" slope for a patio over 10', just lower the form until the line hits 22.5" at the bottom. 

If you are cutting off posts, just set it in the center so that the line or dot hits the post at cut-off height and rotate it around to each post.

I did this in the 90's when I could afford a laser level but not a complete system.  I built a couple nice decks, patios, etc. using this system.