Recommend a Laser Level

[Steve H Graham]

I'd like to get a laser level, but when I looked into them, I found out they go from about $19 to over a thousand, and I have no idea which one I need.

I figure that if I completely lose my mind, I might blow $150 on one, but $100 or less would make me much happier. I want to be able to hang stuff on walls; that's most of it. Right now I'm putting a shelf up across a garage corner, and it's going to be a real pain with my tiny Sears level.

Suggestions?

[Peter Scoma]

I'm generally not a huge ryobi fan but will buy their stuff when it is a tool I know I wont use that often. I needed a laser level to hang a drop ceiling in my basement and bought the ryobi for 50$. Gives you level, plumb and a crosshair. It has a vaccum in the base which suctions to flat surfaces, however, most of the time you will use the small pins that come with it. I've only used it once since hanging the ceiling but its definately a decent unit.

Whatever you choose, make sure to get one that is self-leveling. The others are a PITA.

PS

[Frank Trinkle]

For your application, either Ryobi (at Home Depot in the tool department and inexpensive), or Black and Decker (either at Lowes, HD, Amazon, or a BD Outlet store).

Your application is the easiest of the many potential apps for a laser level, so you don't need much.

Cheers,

Frank

[Bill Houghton]

from Home Despot or somewhere like that. About $70.

It would be useless outside, and you have to hand-level it, but for a weekend worrier, it's great. With this, and a bundle of shims, I got my kitchen cabinets so level the counter installers were singing my praises all day.

I resisted these for years, but I have to confess they're great for remodeling.

[Bruce Page]

Steve, I bought the little Craftsman Laser Trac. At $35 it’s cheap, can be mounted to a tripod and does what I need.

[Eric DeSilva]

+1 on the little Ryobi. I actually find for painted surfaces, the vacuum attachment works really well.

[Alan Greene]

+1 on the little Ryobi.

[Steve H Graham]

Thanks. Wish I had had one this morning.

[Larry Edgerton]

Water levels go around corners, are cheap, are never wrong, do not require batteries, and are just kind of fun to work with. I made my industrial model for about $13.

[Cary Falk]

I have the B&D Bullseye laser level/stud finder. It works great for me.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
One Sunday morning a couple of years ago I was in Lowes.
The manager announced that for the next hour, they were marking down the close out stock of B&D laser levels an additional 50%.
I'd never seen any reason prior to that to get one.

One set came with a free battery screwdriver.
IIRC, it was around $10.00 for the final cost.

Self leveling w/a lock feature - goes around inside corners like a charm - is actually bright enough to use outside w/fresh batteries.
I use it quite a bit for things like curtain rods, drop ceilings, shelves, backer boards for crown, wallpaper border, chair rails - and a lot more.

Laser levels are kind of like pocket hole jigs.
Once you use one, you wonder why it took so long to get around to buying one.