Hi folks,
Been using a cheapo level that someone gave me a while back and it seems to have been alright. Plastic body and vials that were not adjustable, four feet long.
I just moved and was digging around in the mini storage for a couple tools when I noticed that this had been placed in such a manner that weight/pressure has been exerted upon it at an angle for a long period of time and now I can use it around a corner, so to speak.
Any particular brand, style,size material I should look to for replacement? I don’t know how much use it will get but I’m currently having a new shop/garage built and I’ll be doing all interior and finish work and would like to have one I can trust.
thanks,
bum
…a bad day at the beach is better than a good day anywhere else… 🙂
Replies
box beam would be 1st choice...
rigid I beam 2nd grabs...
Stabilia is a fine choice.....
Jhonson or Empire can perform...
it's up to the budget now..
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Stabila is good. if it goes out of whack, you can take it to a store that sells them, and get a new one.
There was an excellent deal on stabilas from amazon a month or two back, I doubt it's still around, but it was a pack of a 4' level and a 16" level for 40 bucks or so. good deal.
zak
"so it goes"
Stabilia, or even better, Crick would be my first choice. However, being as it doesn't sound like this will get a lot of use over the years, you might be quite happy with either a Kapro or a Stanley FatMax. I've used both on several occassions and have been rather impressed. In fact, my six footer is a FatMax now that I think of it - hey, I kinda like the way that sounds - and I haven't had a bit of a problem with it. Just make sure when buying new to check the level for accuracy. It's simple, set the level so it's reading dead-on, then flip end for end. If the level is accurate it will read the same, if not, well you get the point.
Why not have the best?
Stabila
"It's always better to have regrets for things you've done than for things you wish you had done..........."
Why not look into Stabila levels? Precise, guaranteed, and good quality levels. They go out of whack and you take it back for a new one. No I don't work for them, I just own a bunch.
Sweet talked my wife into getting me a 7'-12' plate level and a 2' level for my birthday last month. Adds to my collection of 16", 32:, 48", 59" and 78" stabilas.
Just my .02 worth.
Michael
stabila. Ive seen them fall two stories onto concrete and still read true.
>>Plastic body and vials that were not adjustable, four feet long. <<
Maybe a dumb Q here.... do any levels have adjustable vials?
I work sometimes with a guy that owns a set of fairly nice lime-green aluminum levels. Each vial has a pair of small adjustment screws and you can tweak them if you want to. Never noticed the brand name but they're not old and the color is distinctive.
Sounds like Philter's Starrett level.
He thinks it's Cat's bum-side. I use Stabilas and Johnsons.Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
I got a stupid question. How do you read a level?
Left to right - just the same as you read this post
"I work sometimes with a guy that owns a set of fairly nice lime-green aluminum levels. Each vial has a pair of small adjustment screws and you can tweak them if you want to. Never noticed the brand name but they're not old and the color is distinctive."
Those are probably MasterLevels. Nice levels.
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
That's them. I've never seen them for sale anywhere.
I saw them once in a hardware store ( where I cant remember). They are available on-line though. I like them better than the Stabilas.Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
hey David,
try Harware Sales in Bellingham,
they carry the master level series, you can call them and they'll ship it to you.
If you've never been to Hardware sales it's worth the trip, great hardware store!
Rob
I've noticed that place, right by the freeway. I'll leave my wallet at home and stop in some time. For better or worse, my yellow levels, if lined up end to end, would reach to the moon. Maybe some lime green ones would look mixed in.
My old MD levels are adjustable. Can be a real PITA to get it trued up, and easy to go out of true. I'm keeping the 8' as a straight edge; you can have my 42" since I was able to take advantage of that Amazon Stabilla sale :-). I also have a Johnson. Same accuracy and warantee as the Stabilla. You can't go wrong with either.
"Maybe a dumb Q here.... do any levels have adjustable vials?"Not a dumb question at all. There is a company, I think it's called Master Levels that makes them. They are quality box beam types and like was mentioned above they are a lime green. The GC I work with has a set and he swears by them...he also beats the pizz out of them so it's a good thing they are adjustable. Buying a level is like buying a guitar to me. I have to go to the store and handle it and check it for plumb and level before I plunk down the dough. I got a nice set of box beam Johnsons....made exactly like a Stabila but without the tradeback guarantee. They were about 2/3 the price of the Stabila so you pay your money and take your choice I spose.
"Maybe a dumb Q here.... do any levels have adjustable vials?"
yup... just about all the cheap ones...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Here ya go. Good luck.
http://www.master-level.com/
Actually, I'm good on levels now. I was just curious about the adjustable vial thing... I gather that they are around but are somewhat rare. Sounds to me like they are more of a PITA than anything. I'm not really sure I need my levels to be extremely accurate anyway. If I have a situation like that, I'll use a laser.
With most levels I have been around, if there was something out of wack you could pretty much tell by looking at how abused it was. I was once on a job site and was having a lot of trouble plumbing up some walls. After some head scratching we found that the 4' aluminum level we had been using was off by more than a little. Later that level was found in some bushes beside the job site - it looked like someone :-) had tried to wrap it around a tree. One of the guys commented "what a waste. It could have been used for a straight edge or something"... I just smiled to myself. Not that I was just that POed or anything, I just can't stand wasting time with faulty tools and wanted to make sure on one else's time got wasted.
>> I don't know how much use it will get but I'm currently having a new shop/garage built and I'll be doing all interior and finish work and would like to have one I can trust. <<
As a Superintendent (construction manager) I always spot check the framers as they go along, and make sure I let them see me doing it. I use a 4' level. I could use a 78", but don't want to intimidate them... Gives them an idea of what I expect - not that I expect everything to be perfect... but I do like the rough door jamb faces to be somewhat close to perfectly plumb, and definitely not "cross legged". If I were doing the finish work, I might even be a bit more picky on the doors.
Back when I still built things for a living, one of the old "carpenters" I inherited used his level (called it a "plumb bar") mainly for ceremony. He'd slap it against a wall, grunt, and take it down without ever looking at it. I believe he must have thought that just the act of applying it made things plumb & level. Now and then I'd catch him sighting a wall against some trees, but that was likely more out of curiosity than any intent to make adjustment. For his birthday I took a 2x3, planed it down, routed a hand hole, drew vials on it, painted brass edges, gave it a nice mahogany stain, and inscribed it with the name "EVERPLUMB". He loved it, and never picked up his regular "plumb bar" again.<!----><!----><!---->
Nowadays the tools only come out for my own old house, and it's so wonky that plumb & level are just distant ideals always subservient to making things fit and look more-or-less decent-ish. Putting a new small thing perfectly plumb, level, straight & square into an old big crooked thing just makes the new thing look like the crooked bit. That's been my sole carpentry environment for so long now that I no longer take my ancient, battered level seriously. I know it's off by a good bit and I often swap sides & interpolate, but really that's more curiosity than adjustment. I think I'm ready for an EVERPLUMB.<!----><!---->
}}}}
Pertty funny story about the old guy.
Roar!
Good post.The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Good observation Ted!
blue
Doesn't look like you're needing a Stabila to replace your K-Mart level.
Go to HomeDepot & buy whatever your wallet sez looks good. Just chck it as explained earlier, it needs to read the same from both directions.
Ebay, $5 probably meet your needs http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Aluminum-Box-Beam-Levels-48-JOHNSON-6648-Shock-Proof_W0QQitemZ190029863076QQihZ009QQcategoryZ43589QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Joe H