Inexpensive (cheap?) laser level

[Dougeye]

Huepar Green Self-Leveling Laser Level 2X 36-Degree Cross Line Laser Level with Pulse Mode, Switchable Horizontal and Vertical Green Beam Laser Tool, Magnetic Pivoting Base Included -92CG: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

Instead of using a straight 2x4 and a four foot bubble level, I'm thinking of a laser level for doing drainage work around my place. Being old school, my first thought was an optical builder's level (does anyone else call them a "dumpy" level?), but then I'd need a helper and a lot of the time I'm on my own. Does anyone have experience with the sort of laser level in the link? Can you even see the light on a bright day? Seems like a low price for this sort of thing, but that's true of most electronic devices these days.

 

[mikester]

The general rule of thumb is when buying tools you get what you pay for. If you are hanging pictures in a room this might work well, if you are dealing with large distances and need accurate slope then pay careful attention with the results on this thing and compare it against a known sight level. It really sucks when you discover water wants to run in a different direction than your laser level indicates. Sometimes you can rent a decent laser and detector pretty cheap. Forget trying to eyeball a laser line outdoors.

Look at the Measurement Accuracy this device
$150 gets you ± 1/9 In. at 33 Ft. so basically you can get within about 1/4 inch in 33 feet, operating range???

$850 Bosch REVOLVE2000 Self-Leveling Horizontal Rotary Laser Kit - GRL2000-40HK Accuracy: ± 1/16" @ 100-ft. so you can get within 1/8 inch in 100 feet, Range: Up to 2,000-ft.

I'm not promoting the bosche, just picked out a slightly more expensive unit at random. More expensive units will also let you apply grade automatically, when the detector beeps you are done.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I bought a TOP CON at Tiger Supplies. Good People. Looked at used ones and the prices were too high. Figured I would just sell this one some day and recover a good chunk of my money. Does a thousnd feet or more as I recall, quite impressive.

 

[747driver]

I went to Ebay and got my mine. Its a Spectra LL100n. I got it used for $370 ! Very nice and not used much.

 

[Rustyiron]

I've seen a lot of pipe put in with a good 6' level with a proper thickness 2" long piece of wood duct taped to one end.
Sometimes, low tech is good when you work alone. Lasers can be a pain outside, without a reciever. Then that puts you working with a stick or rod and having to calculate the slope unless you get a n expensive laser.

 

[Doofy]

I still use my Fathers old Surveyors Sight Level. You can still get slopes and grades fairly accurate. I never did have a knack for using laser levels outdoors. Water levels are cheap and you can get audible alarms for working alone.

 

[3Ts]

I've never been able to get a water level to work for me. I have put in a lot of pipe with a level and spacer block on one end like Rustyiron says. I work alone now and use a laser level (Topcon) with grade capability. I delayed a long time because of the cost, but I now use it a lot more than I ever expected. You will not see the laser beam from any laser outdoors in the daytime. At night even cheap lasers can be seen a long way and the beam on cheap lasers get's wider and wider with distance. You get what you pay for in laser levels.

 

[skipperbrown]

Buy what you need and then sell it for about 1/2 price when you are done .... if you are ever done. I just bought a Johnson kit and that is my thinking.

 

[TractorGuy]

I did a packed gravel foundation for a metal building this year. The building had legs that went over stubs and they said they could compensate for 3 or 4 inches off level. I shot for an inch and got it to within 3/4". I was using the $26 Harbor freight level. It was a pain in the azz because you had to readjust for level each time you rotated it but it worked. If I were doing it over I would have bought something similar to what you are looking at.

My son in law had access to a Bosch unit so I asked him to bring it by and double check my results. The results were the same. The difference was after the area was within specifications it would take me an hour or so to set up and check what he could do in 15 minutes or less.

Sometimes cheap tools just take more time to get the same results. That said I don't think I could get within an 1/8" with the cheap level or any level for that matter but the 360* self leveling units are the way to go.

 

[repete]

I have two types of rotary lasers. My Topcon is self leveling for foundation and slab work and the other is manually leveled and I use that for drains and sloped grades. Both have their place.