Lynn Kasdorf
05-05-2003, 3:11 PM
I'll be building a barn, and other outdoor stuff this summer, and I want to pick up a laser level.
I see that you can now buy cheapies at Costco, and all over ebay, and it makes me wonder about whether these are worth buying. The "real" laser levels are rather pricey still.
So- I'm talking about the $20-$40 laser levels out there. I'm thinking that a 16" level with both spot and line ability woudl be the thing to have, but I wonder:
- how accurate are these, and can they be adjusted?
- If it puts out a line, this must be done via a lens or prism, and I suspect it would be hard to calibrate the axis of this line accurately.
- There are 6" levels as well as 16" levels. I'm thinking 16" woudl be better, since I'll be working with large wood, with irregularities, and the extra length would be better. Fallacy?
- I wonder about the collimation of these cheap diode lasers. How big is the dot at 100'?
Basically, I'm looking for advice on what type and brand to buy, assuming a small budget. I can see a rotary laser being handy, but they are very expensive still. I think a tripod mount laser would be a good substitute. Any good/bad experiences would be useful.
I have a nice gas laser (from edmunds Scientific) that is mounted in a machined aluminum case with a tripod mount. One option is to calibrate this unit so that the beam is parallel to the case (by aiming at a distant spot, marking the spot, and flipping the laser over. The spot should match the mark). Maybe I shoudl just use this. But a battery powered unit would be handy, and less fragile.
Thanks
Lynn Kasdorf
I see that you can now buy cheapies at Costco, and all over ebay, and it makes me wonder about whether these are worth buying. The "real" laser levels are rather pricey still.
So- I'm talking about the $20-$40 laser levels out there. I'm thinking that a 16" level with both spot and line ability woudl be the thing to have, but I wonder:
- how accurate are these, and can they be adjusted?
- If it puts out a line, this must be done via a lens or prism, and I suspect it would be hard to calibrate the axis of this line accurately.
- There are 6" levels as well as 16" levels. I'm thinking 16" woudl be better, since I'll be working with large wood, with irregularities, and the extra length would be better. Fallacy?
- I wonder about the collimation of these cheap diode lasers. How big is the dot at 100'?
Basically, I'm looking for advice on what type and brand to buy, assuming a small budget. I can see a rotary laser being handy, but they are very expensive still. I think a tripod mount laser would be a good substitute. Any good/bad experiences would be useful.
I have a nice gas laser (from edmunds Scientific) that is mounted in a machined aluminum case with a tripod mount. One option is to calibrate this unit so that the beam is parallel to the case (by aiming at a distant spot, marking the spot, and flipping the laser over. The spot should match the mark). Maybe I shoudl just use this. But a battery powered unit would be handy, and less fragile.
Thanks
Lynn Kasdorf