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Thread: Bosch Laser Levels

  1. #1

    Bosch Laser Levels

    I am fixing to buy a Bosch 360 Laser level are they dependable? I am going to use it for cabinet install or do you think another style would work better. They say they could be off by 3/16" at 30' that don't sound that good.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Payne View Post
    I am fixing to buy a Bosch 360 Laser level are they dependable? I am going to use it for cabinet install or do you think another style would work better. They say they could be off by 3/16" at 30' that don't sound that good.
    I wish I bought the Bosch, the Skill unit I bought is OK, but the top piece broke. It still works but poorly constructed. They are really handy though!

  3. #3
    I have a Stabila is accurate and I like it. Hindsight I would've bought a PLS model. They make a quality laser, and if it needs to be serviced, they're in California. If my Stabila needs service, it goes back to Germany.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Williamstown,ma
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    996
    I asked a LOT of tradespeople their preference, and read reviews before investing. I bought the PLS 180.
    Far and away the most popular and well reviewed when I bought it about 4 years ago.
    I do not buy anything Bosch that comes from Asia. Period.
    I have nothing against an individual country per se, but I have found that the big companies go there to save money, and in my Bosch experiences, they certainly save in the quality control department!!!
    My Bosch mitersaw had fences that were 1/16" out of plane with each other!!
    Either nobody is checking, or the ones that are checking are not properly trained to do so.
    I would still probably buy the PLS, but I certainly would look hard at the Stabila product.
    Every Stabila level I have is top notch, even after 15 or so hard years in the field.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Upland, CA
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    It is rare that you can say "this brand is good" or "this brand is junk". Companies like Bosch, who is also Skil BTW, make the entire range from junk to good.

    PLS only makes good equip and stands behind it. There are a few others that only make commercial equipment. Most Leica are excellent but even they make a few bombs like one of their line lasers that has a way-too-wide line.

    There is so much money in selling junk with a name brand that companies just can't resist. The "Snap-On" equipment at Costco, for example. Some low end junk company pays Snap-On for a license to put the Snap-On name on their junk and many will be fooled.

    I've never heard of a Bosch 360 but I can tell you my GLL 2-50 works very well. It is SO old that it says RoboToolz on it, before Porter Cable bought RoboToolz and then Bosch bought RoboToolz from Porter Cable. It's one of the few that will put a horizontal line only 1" off the floor. My GLL 2-80 works well but I think I paid less than one third the current asking price of about $375. It is one of the few that will put a line within 1/2" of the ceiling.
    I bought some PLS units for a heavy construction company and keep the extra/spare units in "reserve" for my own use . The extra PLS-360 were bought in 2008 and if heavy construction people don't break it, they must be good.

    Here is a really accurate and unbiased review of "affordable" line lasers for contractor use: http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/hand-...-line-lasers_o
    Last edited by Greg R Bradley; 02-16-2017 at 9:27 AM.

  6. #6
    Which Stabila would you recommend for installing cabinets?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
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    9,645
    A water level is more accurate than a laser level. It may not have the same sex appeal, but it works perfectly every time and needs no batteries. It also costs almost nothing to make one.

    John

  8. #8
    It is a Bosch GLL -2 20

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    A water level is more accurate than a laser level. It may not have the same sex appeal, but it works perfectly every time and needs no batteries. It also costs almost nothing to make one.

    John

    A bubble stick is always needed, but the laser is nice for finding things quickly like a high point in a floor, or chasing trim around in the field of a wall.

    Chris, I've got a lax300. I think that's the model number anyways. I looked on Amazon quick, and it looks like the same one.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
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    1,408
    I have a Bosch GLL3-80 that I bought on a whim. I love it. However, after I had already bought it I read some reviews online (maybe Amazon or HD) that these units cannot be fixed by Bosch if they go out of alignment. So if it happens within the warranty period, they will simply replace it. But if it happens after the warranty is out (a reasonably generous 3 years), you're left with a paperweight that even their service centers cannot be paid to repair.

    I should add that I don't know if this is true - just some experiences that had been posted as reviews.

  11. #11
    Thanks for all your comments I belive that I am going to order me the PLS 180 it sounds like a good choice.

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