how important is slope on laser levil

[Billrog]

I've never had a need for a slope level and as for seeing the line there's no need with a receiver . It all boils down to what you feel your time is worth. Good lasers aren't cheap for a 1 time shot but that's a choice you have to make.

 

[boggen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-I_bTYvBCA good short video of a water level, showing just a clear house, then a jug with a hose, and then a jug with multi hoses tee'ed together.

if you can find a tri pod (3 legs), with an adjustable rod up/down in center. they can make nice stands for water levels. camera tripods for example. some of the old music stands for sheet music has kinda of a fold-able 3 legs, if you can weld, some rebar could work, with some sort of adjusting butterfly screw on a rod.

get yourself a couple sledge hammers (2 to 4 feet long handle) weight on bottom and a handle that sticks up in air. to help hold ends of water level. with some sort of duck-taped on scrap of wood for a brace so handle does not fall over.

i have taped water level a 2foot x 3foot square before. (( L shape thing with ruler measurements on it, and to check if you have a 90 degree corner or not, along with help ya figure out slope for say cutting lumber and like))

in some odd ball situations... i have ran hose through pipe i was installing. due to wall of house / shed i was not able to go through. and see other side. so i just ran the hose through pipe i was installing. and instantly able to check level-ness / slope i wanted. ((measuring down from water level to see if i had run rise figured out for slope correctly set))

a few times distance was an issue. and the clear hose is rather costly. so i bought a couple garden hose ends and adapters for the clear hose. and installed a garden hose or 2 into the center of the clear hose.

ya water level is a pain dealing with the hose itself. and getting the ends of the clear hose attached easily. so you can move around and place them as needed as you do work. but i think i have seen more 'water levels' than i care to remember. sometimes seeing a jug with clear hose tossed into back of a pickup truck or like at local hardware stores. already knowing someone been using a water level for something.

 

[rmk700]

I use a lazier level all the time and it has a slope on it but I never use it. If I need to check slope grades I use a engineer grade rod and just figure it with engineering measurements. Example: a 2 percent slope is 2 tenths in 10 feet.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Thanks guys, I am looking at a Bostich set from lowes for $600. I will use it on these projects and am hoping to get a little hoe for my Massey and do some more with it then. I have a lot of things in mind down the road. The way I see it a water level would be fine for my own hoe but to rent a big hoe and fiddle with a hose does not make sense to me.

 

[LD1]

I got a david white sight level.

Nothing fancy, just a scope that you level mounted to a tripod. Then a stick with measurement on it. Yes, its easier with 2 people, but taping or zip-tying the stick to a shovel, or stake, or whatever makes it a one person job. Can usually find this style for ~$100 or less

 

[Egon]

First, make a plot plan, then get a bundle of lath and a piece of keel(crayon) , a hand held level and a one by two by eight Foot stick marked of in feet. Then go out and stake all the significant points showing depth of cut/fill.

For trench level an eight foot board with carpenters level has worked for years.

 

[jenkinsph]

I use a slope laser for grade work because most of my work is changing the property to a specific grade for flood irrigation. This is handy because I can set the grade slope I want and follow it without having to measure the distance and fall across a field. A stick with a mark on it or receiver can stay fixed as I work across a field.

For building pads and concrete forms a water level is very accurate and a much cheaper way to go. A self leveling laser level is good for most jobs and are usually less costly than the slope lasers. Before I had a good slope laser I used a non self leveling laser for my slope work, I would adjust it to the slope I needed ( setting it out of level) by measuring out the distance and adjusting for the fall or rise I needed. After the slope is set you don't need to do the math at each check point. That is good enough for most grade work on the homestead in my world.

For more accurate grading and easy repeatability a good slope laser allows you to set the grade to 3 decimal places and offers more precision. Works great with automatic machine control systems.

 

[Deere Dude]

I got a david white sight level.

Nothing fancy, just a scope that you level mounted to a tripod. Then a stick with measurement on it. Yes, its easier with 2 people, but taping or zip-tying the stick to a shovel, or stake, or whatever makes it a one person job. Can usually find this style for ~$100 or less

I got a Sears scope with tripod 25 years ago and I either have my wife hold the pole or I made a stand for it when I am by myself. $125 and I built a couple houses and garages and it works well.

 

[CurlyDave]

...as for seeing the line there's no need with a receiver...

You are right in that it is not 100% necessary, but it is real convenience. IMHO worth the money for a green laser, especially for a new user.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Thanks guys I'm listening and learning. Ed