Cabinet Install with a laser level question, please

[David Cramer]

Hello

I've installed over a dozen cabinets in the last year with no issues, but I'm wondering if the laser levels are worth it and how the heck do they work? Is the a bubble level that you eye, and then lock it and turn on the laser? I've always used an 8 foot level and more than once, the old water in a clear tube method. I saw a DeWalt a 0988 and 0987 model and am having trouble figuring out which one I'd be happy with for the occasional install. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

David

p.s. It's not my number one trade, but I've been installing them for a while now, when asked on the job site, and have never had an issue. Just curious about the laser benefits.

[Chris Parks]

I did not realise until I used one how much easier things become. Turn it on and leaving it on means you have a reference level for the whole work area that you can measure from at any time. Need to install a cab at a certain height, measure from the reference line, mark the heights and install the cab to the marks. On some building sites there is a laser working all the time and the workers use that as a level reference for what they do.

[David Cramer]

I did not realise until I used one how much easier things become. Turn it on and leaving it on means you have a reference level for the whole work area that you can measure from at any time. Need to install a cab at a certain height, measure from the reference line, mark the heights and install the cab to the marks. On some building sites there is a laser working all the time and the workers use that as a level reference for what they do.

Thanks Chris. Any advice on which model? I see the 088,089, etc...for DeWalt. One of them is around $200, which seems like a great deal for the time saving value...if I can figure it out

[Leo Graywacz]

PLS 180

Makes the job so much easier. You can see level in the whole room at the same time. You'll still need a normal level to make things easier.

[Sam Murdoch]

The great thing about the laser is that you can create an accurate reference line all around the room and into the center for an island too.

• You can wrap around bump outs and easily level from long walls to adjacent short walls. Easy enough to connect a 12" run with a perpendicular 74" run and then turn to a 42" run. Try doing that with 1 level.

• It allows you easily to check your floor and/or ceiling to see how they might run out of level.

• You can establish a line for your base cabinets and reference off of that for the uppers or add another line for the uppers.

• Often it is as important to be able to keep the tops of the uppers perfect around the room as upper cabinet heights can vary (from the bottom) - from the typical wall hung to those over a prep area to the cabinet on top of the refrigerator cabinet.

• Set windows and or doors heights too and switch plates/outlets centerlines, etc.

I could go on and on. There is no comparison for ease and accuracy to hand held levels. My level has a horizontal line, a vertical plumb line, and will create cross lines too. I use mine off a pole that stretches between the floor and ceiling - rather than a tripod. Easy to leave it in place once you start working and rotate it to create the lines all around the room.

[David Cramer]

The great thing about the laser is that you can create an accurate reference line all around the room and into the center for an island too.

• You can wrap around bump outs and easily level from long walls to adjacent short walls. Easy enough to connect a 12" run with a perpendicular 74" run and then turn to a 42" run. Try doing that with 1 level.

• It allows you easily to check your floor and/or ceiling to see how they might run out of level.

• You can establish a line for your base cabinets and reference off of that for the uppers or add another line for the uppers.

• Often it is as important to be able to keep the tops of the uppers perfect around the room as upper cabinet heights can vary (from the bottom) - from the typical wall hung to those over a prep area to the cabinet on top of the refrigerator cabinet.

• Set windows and or doors heights too and switch plates/outlets centerlines, etc.

I could go on and on. There is no comparison for ease and accuracy to hand held levels. My level has a horizontal line, a vertical plumb line, and will create cross lines too. I use mine off a pole that stretches between the floor and ceiling - rather than a tripod. Easy to leave it in place once you start working and rotate it to create the lines all around the room.

Thanks for all of the info Sam and Leo. Are they all pretty equal, or is the PLS 180 the standard? I'd rather pay more and get something that works versus junk. The DeWalt seems to get good reviews, but the PLS 180 does too.

[Chris Parks]

My level has a horizontal line, a vertical plumb line, and will create cross lines too. I use mine off a pole that stretches between the floor and ceiling - rather than a tripod. Easy to leave it in place once you start working and rotate it to create the lines all around the room.

Note the bold, very important that your level can do that. Fast cap do a pole for mounting the level on but I bought a cheap tripod (Bosch) because the Fastcap unit was not available in my country at the time. I can't recommend one as I know nothing about them apart from using one. Mine is a Dewalt either an DW 089LR or DCE089R. Both apparently come in red or green and mine has no model number on the level itself. Those numbers were taken from the docs in the case. Get one with a rechargeable battery if you are going to use it more than sporadically, mine uses AA's and they would not be a good idea in a level used a lot.

[Sam Murdoch]

Thanks for all of the info Sam and Leo. Are they all pretty equal, or is the PLS 180 the standard? I'd rather pay more and get something that works versus junk. The DeWalt seems to get good reviews, but the PLS 180 does too.

Not up to current availability. Have had my set up for a decade or more - a Hilti Line Laser and an adjustable laser pole that (I think) is no longer made. The pole is an important piece. Very nice to be able to get to 8' or more (sometimes). I just worked in a room with 14' ceilings and I made a 2x4 frame so that I could top out the pole securely. In this case one with a tripod base & some poles that extend well above the tripod would have been an excellent upgrade. This would be very useful working outside too, where the pole to the sky is pretty useless.

I know Chris emphasizes the 3 line ability but I find that I very very very rarely use the cross line capacity BUT I use the level and the plumb lines independently all the time.

[Leo Graywacz]

Mostly I just use a good photographic tripod. Pretty easy setup and able to move it around without a hassle. If you are installing Euro cabinets, it's a good idea to have two lasers, horizontal and vertical. Makes life even easier.

[Mark Blatter]

I just bought a Bosch for installing commercial fixtures. It is a GLL55. Self leveling, horizontal and vertical lines, which is all I needed. It is a tough model so should hold up to years of being bumped and dropped. I can see the lines out about 50' or so, but will likely still buy a pair of glasses to aid in seeing the line out further. While I could have done these installs without one, it saves me at least 4 - 6 man hours per job.

[Justin Ludwig]

I use THIS one mounted on THIS. It is quite handy. It will project horizontal, vertical or both lines. I mostly use mine to find high and low spots, make my marks on the walls then get after it with a 6' level. I turn it back on when setting islands.

[David Cramer]

I use THIS one mounted on THIS. It is quite handy. It will project horizontal, vertical or both lines. I mostly use mine to find high and low spots, make my marks on the walls then get after it with a 6' level. I turn it back on when setting islands.

Thanks for all of the responses, I greatly appreciate it. I'm going with the DeWalt as they all looked pretty close.

One thing I don't understand Justin, is after finding your high spot in the floor and marking it, why don't you adjust the laser level to that point on the wall and mount the cabinets to the level red line versus using a 6 foot level? I'm just curious, that's all

Thank you for all of the responses

David

[Justin Ludwig]

Because I'm extremely cheap and want to save the batteries and I'm comfortable using the levels. Seriously. Sometimes I'm ridiculous - okay okay - pretty much all the time.

[Sam Murdoch]

Also David, you'll find that the laser line is best marked over with pencil dashes that are more permanent. The laser line gets obscured if you (or job tourists) walk into the site line and can be bouncy if you are walking and jostling heavy cabinets around a room. You might even choose to fasten cleats at the laser line so that you can set your uppers on the cleat to help support them while securing the cabinets.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have a laser but use a water level more