Laser levels around £200

[chippy1970]

Im about to buy a line type laser level , I have used the large expensive spinning ones and the small cross line ones. There are a couple I am looking at the PLS180 and the Dewalt DW087K. I have been using someone elses PLS180 this week and they are great very fine line and quiet bright. I used a Dewalt one a few months back but cannot remember if it was as good as the PLS180.

The Dewalt looks tougher than the PLS180 and is about £50 cheaper than the PLS180 but I dont want to buy the Dewalt if its not as good as the PLS180.

Has anyone here got either of these lasers can you help me decide ?

Cheers

Chris

 

[clewlowm]

pls 180 all the way.
far better than the dewalt, the pls is as tough as old boot's.

 

[SBJ]

pls 180 all the way.
far better than the dewalt, the pls is as tough as old boot's.

i've got a pls 180, it's very good.

 

[CNC Paul]

Chris,

How about the Leica Lino http://www.tradesurvey.co.uk/leica-lase ... no-l2.html

 

[clewlowm]

pls 180 all the way.
far better than the dewalt, the pls is as tough as old boot's.

i've got clewlowm's a pls 180, it's very good.

 

[RinkyDinky]

I have a Dewalt laser level and did have a PLS which was superior, but i have recently purchased an LP330 laser lever from http://www.laser-level.co.uk/erol.html#1177X0 which has proved to be superior both in accuracy and build. Only my opinion, and its only £85.00, very accurate and bright lines, as good build and accuracy as the PLS in my opinion and much cheaper. They also sell the rods for about £40 which are perfect for it.
Hope that helps.

 

[chippy1970]

Cheers guys pretty much what I thought, most of the ceiling fixers I know use the PLS180's.

Paul, yeah I did look at the Lino it does look good but I have never seen one being used, I spotted Screwfix are doing them for £180. I like the way you can lock the pendulum so you can use the laser at an angle could come in handy.

Do you have one Paul ? or know someone with one ? I have just been looking again at the Lino and it does look better, I better go and look at one I see D & M Tools sell them so I might take a look if they have one on display.

Just had a look at the lp330 the accuracy is higher but the range is low at 10m.

 

[mtr1]

I've had the dewalt for about 4yrs and have never had a problem with it, and its £56 cheaper than the pls180 here

http://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/cle...87k-self-levelling-line-laser-kit-dewalt.html

Look here too, some cheaper laser levels.

http://www.hobuk.co.uk/acatalog/TOPCON.html

 

[Eric The Viking]

On recommendation, I bought this cheap B+D one:

LZR5

It's been brilliant. Four things I really like about it:

1. it's adjustable, like a good spirit level. I've got mine to be about +/-1mm in 10ft, which is good enough for all practical purposes. and far better than a spirit level.
2. it's got a long pendulum, so it settles well.
3. it's just about man enough to be seen outdoors in daylight. Have used it for setting the fall on long guttering runs.
4. It wasn't expensive.

I've modded mine with a separate on/off switch, so you can use it as a straightedge without un-clamping the pendulum, and it gets far more use than I expected.

I also use it for setting joists for floors too, using an offset post to measure with.

Drawbacks: It's a bit bulky (but that goes with accuracy)

HTH,

S.

PS: As you probably know the 'spirit level' type are rubbish, as they're only as accurate as the bubble.

 

[chippy1970]

Now Im thinking of paying a touch more and going with this one. I already have a Stabila spot laser but its the manual leveling type and I always buy Stabila spirit levels. I like how it revolves so it protects the face from scratches when stored

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryGii9AGx2M

 

[Oryxdesign]

My friend has a lino, it gives a really bright line that can be seen in bright daylight. This isn't the case with the Dewalt or PLS.

 

[CNC Paul]

Cheers guys pretty much what I thought, most of the ceiling fixers I know use the PLS180's.

Paul, yeah I did look at the Lino it does look good but I have never seen one being used, I spotted Screwfix are doing them for £180. I like the way you can lock the pendulum so you can use the laser at an angle could come in handy.

Do you have one Paul ? or know someone with one ? I have just been looking again at the Lino and it does look better, I better go and look at one I see D & M Tools sell them so I might take a look if they have one on display.

Just had a look at the lp330 the accuracy is higher but the range is low at 10m.

Chippy,

No I don't have one, I do have a Leica Disto A6 which is excellent as with all things made by Leica they are top quality

 

[chippy1970]

Now another ones popped up the Hilti PML 32 -R these are 199 + vat and that includes a detector as well sounds very good anyone seen or used one of these ?

https://www.hilti.co.uk/holuk/page/modu ... Oid=424954

 

[Eric The Viking]

Now another ones popped up the Hilti PML 32 -R these are 199 + vat and that includes a detector as well sounds very good anyone seen or used one of these ?

https://www.hilti.co.uk/holuk/page/modu ... Oid=424954

Has anyone who has one of these ever checked them for accuracy?

I'm very sceptical: posh packaging doesn't necessarily mean better results in the case of the physically small ones, and I wonder how easily they can be knocked 'off' by being dropped, etc.

I know pretty much exactly how much my B+D one was out (over about 30 feet). It wasn't much (about 2mm) but it is better now! Beam spread accounts for a lot of it too.

Do they come with certification, and if so, how is it phrased?

Curious, as ever...

E.

 

[chippy1970]

Its not posh packaging its the quality of the internals that you are paying for and these are cheap lasers really I remember years ago when spinning lasers came out a guy I knew paid £14,000 for his laser :shock: well thats what he said anyway . They have come down a lot. I ordered the Stabila LAX200 in the end.

 

[mack9110000]

Its not posh packaging its the quality of the internals that you are paying for and these are cheap lasers really I remember years ago when spinning lasers came out a guy I knew paid £14,000 for his laser :shock: . They have come down a lot.

Yet still the water level is the most accurate and cheaper than them all.
mack

 

[Eric The Viking]

Its not posh packaging its the quality of the internals that you are paying for and these are cheap lasers really I remember years ago when spinning lasers came out a guy I knew paid £14,000 for his laser :shock: . They have come down a lot.

Yet still the water level is the most accurate and cheaper than them all.
mack

Which is how I set up my laser.

Of course it's hard for one person to use and set up, but it is still very, very accurate,

 

[chippy1970]

Exactly I have used water levels years ago but I would look pretty stupid messing about with those in a clients house :lol:

With the laser you can set a datum around the whole room in about 1 second flat how can anything compete with that.

 

[chippy1970]

My Stabila turned up today :shock: Only ordered it yesterday and selected 2-3 day service and one day later it was delivered on site. Only thing I wasnt too impressed with was the packaging all they had done was wrap the Stabila box with cling film type plastic no padding it turned up with city link and it was squashed. I took the level out and it didnt work OH NO but I found out the batteries in it were flat Few.

http://www.tooltrolley.co.uk/hand-tools ... 24411.html

This is where I got it if anyone else is after one.

 

[jack]

Its not posh packaging its the quality of the internals that you are paying for and these are cheap lasers really I remember years ago when spinning lasers came out a guy I knew paid £14,000 for his laser :shock: . They have come down a lot.

Yet still the water level is the most accurate and cheaper than them all.
mack

Yeah you are right there, and i remember being mocked by mates who were less knowledgable