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Need a gift for the wife. She’s a decorator, faux painter, muralist type and struggles with plumb bobs. straightedges, and levels, especially on ceilings. While watching her work, I know for sure that a rotary laser would save her a ton of time. Ultra accuracy is NOT important, in fact she needs to work “out of plumb” on purpose at times in the older homes.
Scanning the archives here, It seems most of you feel that any laser less than $1500 is not worth having. Has anyone used a “lightweight”, $300 or so rotary unit with any satisfaction at all? What brand please. Thank you.
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rich .. iwas impressed with the robo especially with the remote control so you could stop the beam whereever the remote was..
...i opted for the
b Tri-lite
((LeveLite))) because i wanted a plumb and right-angle.. no regrets (i keep calling it a PL-3 , but it's not even though it looks very similar..)
see Levelite
the $1500 lasers are for survey and excavation...
for carpentry and interior work i think u shud stay in the $300 to $800 range..
b but hey, whada i no ?
*I recently bought a RoboLaser for siding and have been very pleased with it. I have it in an old camera tripod with a 12"-14" crank elevator. Some forum members have reported problems with durability, but for a single user it seems to be fine.Dennis
*So the Robo has a threaded hole in the bottom for tripod mounting? Does it fit other standard Tripods? Is there any issues with seeing the beam during the bright daylight? At ~ $260 it almost too good to be true.I need something to level footings (never more than ~70'), light masonry, decks, maybe hanging cabinets, etc. A plumb line would nice but I really want something that rotates so I can use it unassisted.Any thoughts?Any recommendations for other low cost units for intermittent use?TIA
*Mike, I am intrigued about that tri lite. I know we've already discussed it's uses. Now...how much?blue
*Err mike, the trilite is a fixed beam? NO rotating?blue
*b TVMDCI've been using a Checkpoint 3D with their rotary base for some time and couldn't be happier. On a table top or tripod, you can use it level floors, set the height of, say, electrical boxes, etc.With the adjustable screw, you can use it to set slope like 1/8, 1/4 per foot.Furthermore, the laser rotates 180 degrees (from -45 to +135 from level) so you can layout your ceiling fixtures, purlins, etc., on the floor and shoot the layout onto the ceiling.For real accuracy, I will sometimes put my digital level on top and adjust the tripod base through its swing to 0.0 degrees level.About $300 for the laser, $180 for the base plus tripod.Great tool!
*blue... the Tri-Lite was about $650 a year ago.. i haven't priced them since..i'd do it again.. very reliable..very durable..the batteries seem to last for ever... and it's got auto-offset it on the ground or a rock or a brick or ...push the on button and u've got plumb .. level .. and square.... if the base is too far out of level for the self leveling.. the laser will blink
*Matt, The Robo has a threaded base that fits a standard tripod mount. It is amazingly accurate for the price. I got one as a gift and have found dozens of uses for it. You can easily see the laser dot outdoors. The main drawback of this unit is that it projects a DOT, not a plane of light. If you are shooting it onto a flat wall such as in or outside of a building, you simply mark the spots and connect them with a chalkline. If you are trying to find a level rod as you are moving around forms, forget it. You need a laser that spits out a plane of light for that type of use. It is self leveling and the remote is a nice feature. I typically use it outside for establishing level lines for siding around a house. You can move and setup 3 or 4 times and it will close dead smack on to your starting mark. You have to consider the limitations of the tool when buying one. As I said, it is perfect for establishing points that are connected by a chalkline.
*G.LaLonde: Re your statement "If you are trying to find a level rod as you are moving around forms, forget it.", that is definitely one of the things I want to do. Seems like what I need for my intended purposes, based on, what I saw at a tool store, the use of someone else's laser on site, a few articles I read (JLC, etc), and what I've read here at BT, is a rotating, self leveling, visible beam laser, with remote sensor & tripod setup... which I can easily find, but not for the price I wanna pay.
*Yes, That's exactly what you want. I've got one of those too, but it cost me almost $2000 !! They are getting cheaper by the day though!!
*mattg.. at the risk of beating a dead horse.........i was really intrigued with the robo.. but for the kind of work you do ( and i do ) the square /level/ plumb is more useful..you can mount it on it's clamp that comes in the case.. set it in the corner of your forms.. check square and shoot the two far corners.. the rotating ones will give you level.. period..want to ceck a fascia to see if yur gonna pitch the gutter? try that with a rotator...want to set batter boards ? pick a corner .. drive a two x set your tri-lite and you can instantly see where the other two batters are going........i think the rotator is great for leveling things like concrete slabs, or suspended ceilings..or leveling the bottom of a foundation hole...but most other things ... plumb/level / square..b but hey, whadda i no ?
*I've had one of the cheap ($300) rotating (spinning) lasers (Laserchalkline brand IIRC) but I returned it after a few hours use because the vials you use to determine level and plumb weren't good enough for what I needed. For use at less than 20' or so it would be OK, maybe 1/4" off if you were carefull. It worked great tipped at an angle but you will need to screw the mount to the wall or make something to hold it for big angles like 30 or 45 degrees. You do need to check it periodically against something, like marks on the wall, because the vibrations of the rotating motor would cause the adjustments to "drift" just a little and, depending on the distance, a little can become a lot. For level work I have a Robo-laser and I'm pretty happy with it. Don't forget to check the calibration if you drop one of these though, even if it is in the case! If I have another job come up that requires a non-level reference I will probably get another cheap spinning laser. They are OK for what they cost, just don't try to level a foundation with one.
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Need a gift for the wife. She's a decorator, faux painter, muralist type and struggles with plumb bobs. straightedges, and levels, especially on ceilings. While watching her work, I know for sure that a rotary laser would save her a ton of time. Ultra accuracy is NOT important, in fact she needs to work "out of plumb" on purpose at times in the older homes.
Scanning the archives here, It seems most of you feel that any laser less than $1500 is not worth having. Has anyone used a "lightweight", $300 or so rotary unit with any satisfaction at all? What brand please. Thank you.