Choosing a Laser Level (Ed.)

Joined
24 Nov 2021
Messages
51
Reaction score
1
Country
United Kingdom
Evening All,

I am looking for some advice on Laser levels, I am just about to start fitting my new kitchen and was looking for a decent quality laser to assist me.

Like most on this forum I undertake most projects so a laser than can handle multiple tasks is a must.

Budget is probably going to be something that is asked, but to be honest providing it does what it says on the tin then and I will have years of use then I’m happy to pay good money for quality.

any help advice and recommendations much appreciated. I presume a tripod is also a great addition when doing a kitchen fitting.

Thanks again
 
Lasers come in 2 "flavours", red and green. Green lasers are easier to see in brighter light, red lasers are cheaper. A tripod isn't always a necessity - in fact you wont often find tradesmen using them, partly because they tend to get in the way and are easily knocked or kicked over. If the walls are to be repainted it is often easier and faster to fix a wall mount to the wall (a single screw or nail, even into just PB), and attach the laser level to that (many attach magnetically), sliding it up and down to the required level. Most modern laser levels are self-levelling - so avoid laser levels which need to be manually levelled using a pair of bubbles... Lasers use quite a bit of battery power, so be prepared to use a lot of AA cells (most use these) or opt for a laser with a rechargeable battery (there are also rechargeable Li-Ion AA cells on the market as well). A laser cross line is probably the most useful device for your needs as it gives you a horizontal and vertical line to work to

Because I'm trade I'll demur from recommending a particular laser level straight off - I'll let others argue that one through first - but trade tools are generally a lot more robust and a bit more accurate, not that you should ever throw a laser around
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks guys for your detailed replies and the first recommendation of the night. I will check that one out. I like the idea of a rechargeable battery option and I like the idea of a trade one for more accuracy.

keep the recommendations and experiences coming, really appreciate it.
 
I've currently got an Imex LX3DG, but used to have a PLS180.
Bought the Imex a couple of years ago but if I was to have to replace the Imex I'd do so with something from PLS again.
 
Not heard of that one, will check that out for sure. Ah just seen it is part of the Fluke range. Interesting.
 
Last edited:
Not heard of that one, will check that out for sure. Ah just seen it is part of the Fluke range. Interesting.
Is that Imex? Thought they were Australian (with manufacturing subbed out to China). Some of their smaller stuff bears a resemblance to Heupar (Chinese) as sold by Amazon.

Ah, just checked - PLS (Pacific Laser Systems) were bought by Fluke in 2015 (started in 1990).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I got the 12v dewalts but if I'm honest no difference between them an the imex if anything I find the imex lines sharper
 
95D4D9C7-0488-41F0-8419-BEA2CDA3AA50.jpeg 26DC2122-E273-4195-A454-2D8EBB09A3C5.jpeg I can only recommend what Ive got and extensively used and thats in the pic.
Its water and dust proof and , supposed to stand a drop from 2m high.
Ive not found a problem with line width, one marks from the centre of it anyway.
 
Like @lostinthelight I too use a deWalt DCE089G (the green version, as opposed to the cheaper red version). Mine displaced an earlier 3-axis Bosch GLL3-80P red 3-axis laser, which these days is still my backup.

deWalt DCE089G and Bosch GLL3-80P Laser Levels.jpg


As you can see neither is pristine.

I chose the DW because it had a replaceable battery system, as opposed to AA cells, which I have always found to have a tendency to leak in long term storage, or built-in batteries with a USB charger port which always run out of power (on me) when I am trying to finish a job, that and because it was a green line laser, so better visibility in brighter light conditions than red line lasers. 3 x 360° was simply replacing like with like. When I looked at a new 3-axis small green Bosch I simply couldn't justify the expense at the time (The GLL3-80CG is currently about £500 as opposed to £400 for the DW).

The DW has been a good choice because as LITL says, they do the job and are very robust; mine has had the inevitable few tumbles onto concrete on site, so far without incident and without the level going out at all. Please don't take this the wrong way, but when I posted I just wasn't sure about recommending a £400 laser set to a DIYer who may be on a tighter budget than a tradesman, and who might not benefit from all of the features

TBH the 3rd axis isn't useful all that often, but it is invaluable for tasks such as installing jib doors (the type of doors you see in public buildings which swing both ways and are mounted on a spring box in the floor), for installing bulkheads and for tasks like drilling holes for soil stacks - however, none of these are things a DIYer would do, surely? But I can see how a tiler might be able to use a cross line on the floor or a sparky could use projection of crossed lines on the ceiling to set-up lights (especially those multiple miniature LEDs which are used in kitchens these days). TBH a 2-axis 360° laser gives me all that I need for 95% of my work and before I had the Bosch GLL3 I actually had a Leica Lino L2 cross line laser, which was a bit less convenient, but more than adequate for installing kitchens, bathrooms, floor joists, etc. And before that I worked with a spirit level, plumb bob and chalk line for decades. So before you buy a 3-axis laser I would ask yourself just how much use you'll get out of it

In terms of the lasers you see around on site, I'd have to say that DW are the most popular brand by far - I bought my DCE089 having seen the dry liners on 3 jobs using them and been suitably impressed - and many joiners I have worked with over the last 10 years had DW cross line lasers (the DW088 especially). The next most popular brand seems to be Bosch (blue). This is probably because they are widely available and offer some backup should you need to get them recalibrated. PLS lasers were popular in shop fitting a few years back, but proved a tad fragile if dropped, as well as unrepairable (USA made and no service facilities in the UK back then - in any case PLS classed the pocket lasers as non-serviceable "consumer items") - most of the guys I recall having them have moved on to either DW or Bosch


 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top