What type of laser level for walk install $<100

[Kevin_in_VA]

Well if you really want a laser, Home Depot has one on sale right now with case, tripod, goggles, and beam splitters for about 40 bucks. Just go to their website and type in laser in the search box. Its on the second page about halfway down.

 

[slowrev]

I like the Benford 2 terawatt laser leveler. It will level the ground not just indicate level /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[EastTexFrank]

When we were setting the piers for a new deck, a friend brought over his Black & Decker rotating lazer. I think they sell for about $150 at HD or Lowe's. It comes with a case tripod etc. I tried it out inside the house and it worked great ... absolutely magic little toy. Outside, in bright sunlight, was another story. It was just too difficult, almost impossible, to see the lazer line even with the glasses on. Maybe a lazer detector would have worked but we didn't have one. We had to revert to the ol' string method which worked just fine.

Perhaps a more expensive, higher intensity lazer would have worked better outside but for inside work I think it would real timesaver and besides ... it's really neat. I know that I love my lazer torpedo level and $40 Sears lazer plumbline/level but again they work best for inside projects.

 

[zuiko]

Whatever you decide I would get one that is autoleveling.

I have one of the regular levels with the laser diodes on it and I never use it for anything since the slightest error in levelling it will be amplified many times by the time the laser gets to where I want it. If I had an autolevelling one I would probably use it quite a bit.

 

[TC18guy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue">I realize now that I can set the unit on it's side and get my 90 degree corner. </font> )</font>

It doesn't look to me like you could set a 90 degree corner with this unit, unless there is some lock points built into the tripod, and I would question the accuracy of those. It looks to me like the unit can mount on the tripod in two different positions for creating either a plumb line or a level line depending on which you needed.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> The walk is 16 feet long X ~4' wide with a bump out at one end. I should have plenty of range from 1 set up. </font>

If it were me, with something that small, unless I REALLY WANTED the laser level, I would buy a six-foot carpenters level and pound a stake in every four or five feet.

A matrix of little stakes could be pounded in in no time, and you could lay something across them, or along them to check what you were doing at any time.

I have a couple cheap laser levels...they are kind of neat and actually repeatable too, but for small distances simple is often better and maybe faster too.

On the other hand... I certainly can identify with your possible NEED for that laser level... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[daedong]

The Romans build without lasers and were accurate, i find a straight edge and bubble, or string line does a good job. I set the pontoons for my housbout up level using both and then double checked it with a clear hose level, and that is accurate, costs peanuts.

 

[Dabota]

That's my vote too. The "Super High Intensity Terawatt" laser. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[hazmat]

walk is done. Boss worked me hard. Got to say, it is one of the better projects as far as "bang for the buck" in terms of actual cash outlay & time to complete that We've done around the house. Pics are in my gallery

As far as the laser level. It left a lot to be desired. It didn't come with an owner's manual so I'll be returning it to sears. As mentioned here - the lack of self leveling feature made it very inconvenient to use. Also on rotate mode it washed out at 5' in sunlight (even with the glasses & trying to shade it). Not worth the $90. Maybe santa will bring me a better one.

It was very cumbersome to lay out the 90deg sqaure. It worked well for measuring the depth of my excavation (I did that in the evening so sunlight wasn't a problem).

 

[beenthere]

Looks good. Clever 'design' to handle the offset steps and gate, with the wide pad at the gate.

I like the bigger projects that are 90% CUT and 10% labor. This one, was a bit lopsided the other way, but is a real improvement over the 'before' walkway.

Good job.