Laser Level for Workshop Construction

[Jefferey Scott]

Hey guys,

I would like to purchase a rotary laser level to assist in laying out the building pad for my impending workshop and house, along with the septic lines, slope, etc. I'm looking at 3 models, mainly due to price (below $600). Does anyone own any of these, or have thoughts on them or others? Here are the ones I'm looking at:

Johnson 40-6516 @ $379 in a kit (Amazon 99-006k)

Johnson 40-6526 @ $599 in a kit (Amazon 99-008k)

Dewalt DW-074K @ $439 in a kit (Amazon DW-074KDT)

I'm sure any of these would do the trick, just wanted to see if there's any personal experience with the Brands or Models.

Thanks!

[Greg R Bradley]

Any of those would be OK. First one is really marginal.

If you can fudge your price just a bit, this one is excellent: http://www.amazon.com/PLS-Laser-PLS-.../dp/B0058FSNU6

[Walter Mooney]

Since you can only be in one place at one time, skip the rotary laser and get a line laser -- with both vertical and horizontal lines. Put it on a tripod and point it towards your work area. Since you'll be using this outside (until you get indoors), get a green laser if at all possible. It will be MUCH easier to see outside. With a red laser you'll most likely need a sensor to put on your tape measure or surveyor's rod or whatever you intend to use to measure down with (to your footings, slab, pipe, etc.). I have a lot of experience with lasers on the jobsite, both indoors and out. I'm a construction supt for commercial work, but have also built a dozen or so homes. The vertical line (in a line laser) will come in handy down the road for plumbing up your walls, door bucks, door frames, etc. Horizontal lines for blocking, cabinet layout, etc.

Finally, protect your benchmark. Make it solid, keep everything and everyone away from it. Put it someplace close yet out of the way!

[Tom Deutsch]

You can buy 100' of clear tubing for $12 and make yourself a water level - nothing more accurate than that. A water level will even account for earth curvature - which is cool, if a bit academic. Plus, you can mark points around corners with a water level; lasers only do line of sight.
I've used laser levels and the one main advantage is that you can easily use them alone, whereas it's simplest to have 2 people with a water level.

[Mike Heidrick]

Walter what is a good line laser model? Ive seen some cheaper line setups and nothing has compared with the PLS and Bosch rotary setups the crews used on my building. Just wondering what a pro would recommend for a line setup?

[Bill Adamsen]

You can buy 100' of clear tubing for $12 and make yourself a water level - nothing more accurate than that.

Anecdote from a job site a millenium ago. A young fellow was using a water "tubing" level for siding, but was having trouble seeing the fluid, so added antifreeze to provide color. It apparently didn't get mixed very well, because when you held the tubing ends next to each other the levels were several inches off. So much for the laws of physics! Recalling the reactions of the crew from young to old puts me in hysterics to this day.

[John Stankus]

Anecdote from a job site a millenium ago. A young fellow was using a water "tubing" level for siding, but was having trouble seeing the fluid, so added antifreeze to provide color. It apparently didn't get mixed very well, because when you held the tubing ends next to each other the levels were several inches off. So much for the laws of physics! Recalling the reactions of the crew from young to old puts me in hysterics to this day.

Laws of physics are just fine, thank you very much. With the fluids not being well mixed there was a density gradient, which was reflected in the different heights of the fluid at each end.

[John K Jordan]

Jeff, years ago I bought an older Dewalt that looks similar to the one you mentioned, although not nearly as compact. I also got a graduated rod, tripod, and very important, an electronic laser detector.

This has served me very well. I used it when grading, forming, and measuring for the beams for my 24x62' shop, for leveling gravel before pouring concrete, framing lean-to sheds on several out buildings, rebuilding the roof in my old barn (whose posts had some how settled in 80 years, imagine that!), grading for a new barn, grading a driveway, and other tasks. The electronic detector gives very precise indication even in direct sun and over long distances when there is no possible way to see the beam - slow and fast beeps tell you if you are low or high. The level has a bump detector and alarm. I suspect the newer model would also be as valuable. Since you are limited by the length of the rod and to some extent how high you can reach you can't handle much slope except over short distances.

i haven't personally seen a line level that would work as well over long distances but I haven't seen everything.

[Greg R Bradley]

Hmm......
Rotary Lasers are specifically made to solve the problems of working distance with line lasers. A laser beam is limited to a certain power. If you spread it out in a line you use the same power to cover the line as you used in the dot of a beam laser or a rotary. I love line lasers but mostly for inside work. My PLS 90 is a line laser designed for a specific job that is mostly outside but not over long distances. It is specifically made to be really good at foundations. Another example is my PLS360 which is a dedicated horizontal line laser. It partially works around the power issue by using FIVE lasers, each covering a narrow angle, to cover the entire 360 degrees. It doesn't even attempt to cover the distance of true rotary lasers because that is not possible due to power limits of each individual laser beam.
NO laser is visible outdoors over long distances, at least not in what we call sunlight in SoCal, which I have to believe looks a lot like the daylight in the OP's Oklahoma. They do work lots better in what we call overcast cloudy days, which people in Minnesota may call summer. They probably work great in what they call daylight in Scotland. Green IS more visible than red but the only company even attempting to sell a green outdoor laser is Agatec. In actual daylight, you will be using red lenses at anything over 20 feet and detectors at anything over about 30 feet. It varies a bunch by your daylight.
The problem with lasers for outside is that daylight is just SO unbelievably bright even compared to late afternoon or early morning. One of the reasons I suggested PLS is that their detectors are so good. If you are doing just your own outside work, perhaps you can make that compromise but in general line lasers are limited to inside or very short distances outdoors. The only line lasers that are seriously made for professionals for outside work are PLS, the 90 made for production 90 degree corners, the 360 made for horizontal only over short distance inside and outside, and the new 480 which combines all the features of the 90 with one horizontal laser of the 360. Bosch does have a "pretend" rotary that is a line laser with their cone mirror technology, but that is designed to appeal to a cost limited market that thinks they are buying a rotary.

Water does work great for accuracy but it sure is a lot of work..... Just depends on how much time you have compared to money.

[Jefferey Scott]

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and experiences with this subject. Very well thought out responses guys! I have to pull the trigger soon so I will consider budget and performance of the various lasers and methods mentioned and make the best choice I can.

I'm looking forward to begin building this shop and finally have some room to do my woodworking avocation. I'll start a build thread to be sure when I break ground.

Thanks again!

Jeff

[Ole Anderson]

Working outdoors in the daylight you definitely need one with a sensor. My experience with rotary lasers was with construction grade units costing a grand or more.

[Tom M King]

I'm still using my David White auto-leveling Builders Level that I bought new in 1974, and have kept very good care of, for all sorts of building uses. It does require a helper. I like lasers for laying out septic drain lines.

[Walter Mooney]

Walter what is a good line laser model? Ive seen some cheaper line setups and nothing has compared with the PLS and Bosch rotary setups the crews used on my building. Just wondering what a pro would recommend for a line setup?

I see a lot of DeWalt lasers on my sites. They are rugged, accurate and not pricey. Pretty good value for the money. DeWalt has a green line laser, the DW089LG. I also see the PLS lasers and some made by Stabila as well on my sites. I'm pretty sure Stabila has a green laser also.

I have a PLS (red), mainly because I needed one to shoot a vertical point, both up and down simultaneously, and theirs was the only one I could find/get in a reasonable amount of time back when I needed it. I was building an eight-story stair in an office building!

[Michael Zerance]

This is the DeWalt line laser I use: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o07_s00

It has three lines for laying out all types of projects level, plumb, and square.

It has been bumped and dropped numerous times and it is still dead on.

I use it only for interior work so I cannot comment on how well it works outdoors.

[Michael Zerance]

This detector can be added to extend it's capabilities outdoors: http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW0892-...D1AP8PM1M5821N