Best laser for kitchen and french door installs?

[tbellemare]

I'm going to guess that you saw an intentionally deceptive display - one that was designed to make you think you were seeing a Stabila, but you were actually looking at a slick, inferior copy. Just as a lark, did they spell Stabila with two ells? (Stabilla)

That's just a guess...

Tom

 

[jmbfestool]

Leica Lino L2P5  is a good laser which does multiple things  or the Leica Lino L2 Laser Level I own my self which is the cheaper one  which I bought when it first came out in the UK and the Leica Lino L2P5 wasnt out in the uk till now which is annoying.

I did have a look at the PLS but I made my decision and bought the Leica Lino L2.  I have dropped it twice now well I dropped it once my self and a electrician knocked it of the kitchen top on to concrete flooring.  I dropped it out of my van onto the floor.  I have checked it on both times when dropped to see if its still level and it is still spot on trust me I am a person who gets very paranoid when something isn't perfect definitely if I caused it not to be perfect make me angry.

The one thing I don't like about the Leica Lino L2  is that the horizontal laser shines more down than up so your best having it some where high so its bright on the ceiling and the floor. As I know a lot of laser  shine up more than down  so when placed on the floor they will shine a bright on the ceiling more so than the floor.  Obviously the more expensive lasers have a much lager laser angle all round.

The tripod which comes with it I find of no use becuase their is not adjustment in hight so you might as well not use it. Also the magnet is very weak so a slight knock and it will let go.  I would recommend the Bosch BM1 Wall Bracket to replaced the tripod of the Leica the Bosch BM1 is brilliant  definitely one of the best wall brackets you can buy for the price.  The magnets are very strong  and  it has a 70mm hight adjustment in total and once you adjust the hight u want with the turn knob you can lock it which I find does nothing any way but it sits solid any way with out locking it off. For more stability two legs fold round to give it more support on the ground.    I havent yet got the bosch pole but I am going to buy one now because the Bosch BM1 can be connected to it.

 

[chelseaboy]

I had the PLS 180 for a few years, i do interior partition systems and ceilings and carpentry,

The PLS180 was a great tool but a few weeks back i had to do a ceiling which was over a large area 24 meters by 10, i had already put up the hangers and was turning them over following the beam.

Something seemed wrong and checked down the opposite end and started to put up the perimeter trim, i brought the laser down and closer to were i was working then followed the beam round and could see it running out.

i grabbed a spinning laser set it up, then set up the PLS180 over the longest distance which was 24 meters the PLS180 laser was 24mm out.

I have since gone for the Stabila STB-LAX200 Crossline Laser Level, it has an item which is invaluable, when turn it off it actually locks the pendulum in place, i think thats what happened to my pls over time it went completely out of calibration.

its also got a very good construction body.

http://www.stabila.com/main.taf?p=1,2,1,11

here is a youtube video of it,  Stabila LAX200 Crossline Laser

 

[jmbfestool]

I have since gone for the Stabila STB-LAX200 Crossline Laser Level, it has an item which is invaluable, when turn it off it actually locks the pendulum in place, i think thats what happened to my pls over time it went completely out of calibration.

Yeah but can it be locked in place and still be turned on??????  The Leica Lino L2 Laser can still be switched on and locked so you can use it as a straight line  so you can set it at any angle you want which is handy. Instead of using a string line or a separate laser

 

[Winchester]

I have since gone for the Stabila STB-LAX200 Crossline Laser Level, it has an item which is invaluable, when turn it off it actually locks the pendulum in place, i think thats what happened to my pls over time it went completely out of calibration.

Yeah but can it be locked in place and still be turned on??????  The Leica Lino L2 Laser can still be switched on and locked so you can use it as a straight line  so you can set it at any angle you want which is handy. Instead of using a string line or a separate laser

bosch can be locked on on as well.

>

 

[tbellemare]

I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons to "see it at any angle".

Can you please list some situations?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[jvsteenb]

Perhaps I can help. My Bosch has actually three switch positions: off ( locked ) , on ( locked ) and on ( unlocked, self-leveling pendulum ).
This allows you to switch on the laser while still locked, and use a tripod or any other angle adjustable mounting to project a line to the wall in any desired angle.
This is very usefull installing angled stuff, like for instance a stair handrail.
Since both lines can be used it may also be used to set tiles on a small slope, like for instance the siding of a wheelchair ramp.
You may not use it everyday, buit if it's available, it's very useful.

Regards,

Job

 

[Deansocial]

I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons to "see it at any angle".

Can you please list some situations?

Thanks,

Tom

set at 45 to tile a wall
transfer an existing slope
im sure there are uses for it, you just need to think about it

 

[Forrest Anderson]

I have since gone for the Stabila STB-LAX200 Crossline Laser Level, it has an item which is invaluable, when turn it off it actually locks the pendulum in place, i think thats what happened to my pls over time it went completely out of calibration.

Yeah but can it be locked in place and still be turned on??????  The Leica Lino L2 Laser can still be switched on and locked so you can use it as a straight line  so you can set it at any angle you want which is handy. Instead of using a string line or a separate laser

Yes, it appears from the Stabila LAX200 manual that you can have the laser on with the lines locked in place (ie they don't self-level). When you tilt the whole unit, the lines also tilt.

To do this, the sliding switch (marked 1b in the manual) is moved to the lock position, and the unit is turned on with the push-button switch on the control panel (1a in the manual).

Forrest

 

[jmbfestool]

I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons to "see it at any angle".

Can you please list some situations?

Thanks,

Tom

Just like jvsteenb said  like stairs and  I have used if for dado rail on the angle.    Its just a string line really  instead of getting a string line out  you just use your straight line laser really.

 

[mastercabman]

I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons to "see it at any angle".

Can you please list some situations?

Thanks,

Tom

I did a job that required me to build and install an entertainment center at a 15* angle.The same as the windows and ceilling.

 

[Chris Hughes]

WTF???  Thats just crazy.  Cool, but crazy.  God help you if you come home wasted.

 

[tbellemare]

I guess I was stuck on the kitchen, doors, window theme. Either that or I'm just too square...

Tom

 

[jvsteenb]

Its just a string line really  instead of getting a string line out  you just use your straight line laser really.

And best of all: contrary to a string line, a laser won't sag....

Regards,

Job

 

[jmbfestool]

Its just a string line really  instead of getting a string line out  you just use your straight line laser really.

And best of all: contrary to a string line, a laser won't sag....

Regards,

Job

Yes very true  but laser has a flaw also    if you don't have the laser square on  and the wall is twisted  so like one end is level and the other end is out of plume the line wont shine straight on the wall. 

 

[chelseaboy]

I have since gone for the Stabila STB-LAX200 Crossline Laser Level, it has an item which is invaluable, when turn it off it actually locks the pendulum in place, i think thats what happened to my pls over time it went completely out of calibration.

Yeah but can it be locked in place and still be turned on??????  The Leica Lino L2 Laser can still be switched on and locked so you can use it as a straight line  so you can set it at any angle you want which is handy. Instead of using a string line or a separate laser

yes it can, on the setting when used you get the crosslines, which is handy for doing ceilings when you put it on its back the crossline is a perfect 90 degree angle

 

[Winchester]

I'm going to guess that you saw an intentionally deceptive display - one that was designed to make you think you were seeing a Stabila, but you were actually looking at a slick, inferior copy. Just as a lark, did they spell Stabila with two ells? (Stabilla)

That's just a guess...

Tom

it's even on sale now

nobody believed me  :

i might consider buying it if it were $50 [tongue]

 

[jmbfestool]

Looks massive the stand what's that large black bit underneath the laser

 

[jonny round boy]

it's even on sale now

nobody believed me  :

i might consider buying it if it were $50 [tongue]

That's the one I've got. I really like it. I think I paid GBP80 for it, but it was a couple of years ago so not 100% sure.

Looks massive the stand what's that large black bit underneath the laser

The big black bit underneath is where the laser goes for transportation/storage. Keeps it protected. The stand isn't massive, though it looks it from that low angle!

The thing I like most about it is that the 3 tripod legs detach & join together, and there's a sprung foot that goes in one end. The result is a long pole that can be wedged between floor & ceiling, or in a door frame or whatever, and the laser clips to the pole. Keeps it well out of the way so it doesn't get knocked. When fitting kitchens I generally set it up in one corner & leave it there all through the fit.

The line can be quite thick (up to a millimeter) but for most applications that's fine. It's also quite bright, so can be seen easily in daylight.

 

[Forrest Anderson]

I was in a tool shop checking out lasers a couple months ago. They had a stabila and a dewalt on display on tripods.

I decided to fire them up and compare and the stabila one left a significantly "fatter" line @ about 50' away than even the dewalt, which surprised me. I felt it was very poor quality and guess where it was made? Be careful when you buy stabila because apparently they also make low-end lasers, though I didn't know that (I had never really checked out stabila lasers before).

Definitely wasn't that one. I can see the "made in germany" on that one. the one in the store was made in china

Yes, Stabila do make laser levels for the lower end of the market. There is the Stabila Pointerman which one tool dealer is selling for 19.95 GBP. It's a manual point level aimed at the DIY market, with an accuracy of 1mm/1m, so at 10m, it might be 10mm out (23/64" at 30ft).

In the automatic cross-line level range, the LAX 50 also appears to be aimed at the lower end of the market, with a typical price of about 100 GBP and with an accuracy of 0.5mm/m or 5mm at 10m (3/16" at 30ft).

By comparison, the more expensive cross-line automatic laser levels like the Stabila LAX 200, DeWalt DW087 and Leica L2P5 all quote 0.3mm per metre (7/64" at 30ft), with the DeWalt the cheapest at about ?150.

For larger construction jobs, relatively high-end auto-levelling rotary lasers like the Stabila LAR250 quote 0.1mm per metre, with the Leica Rugby 200 at 0.05mm per metre (1/64" at 30ft)

I don't have the LAX50, so can't confirm that it is made in China, but given their low price and accuracy, I suspect that Stabila's low-end offerings like it and the Pointerman may well be made there.

Forrest