Well, my trusty rotary laser finally bit the dust, literally, as it was dropped out of a second story window. (Long story, won’t bore with gory details and discussions of blame) Now I need another and the one I had was great but the company doesn’t make that model. The time I bought it there were only a few around now there’s so many I can’t turn around without seeing somebody else making one.
Who has what, recommends it, steers clear of it, whatever…need to do my research before dropping some money on another. We use ours as much inside as out, summer and winter, and all we need is mostly a horizontal rotary line, but vertical could be handy now and then. Thoughts? Appreciate it!!
Edited 2/7/2009 2:07 pm ET by scramble
Replies
Hilti.
I looked into the Hilti's. very nice. very respectable. very expensive.
PLS has come out with a green beam version. Much brighter than red.
yes boss, I need a new pickup, dont know what happen, it got thrown out a second floor window.
Well, kinda but I was on one end of that transacton and so saw it firsthand. Which end I respectfully choose to plead the fifth.
I've got the Robo Toolz RT-7690-2. $500.
I like it; it has an easy-to-use remote, and it's very accurate. As a test, I shot a line onto a wall about 120-130' away, picked up the laser, rotated it 180º, set it back down, and re-leveled it. It was off by about 1/16".
I'd like to be able to set up out-of-level, too -- parallel to an out-of-level floor, for instance, for setting chair rail.
And I saw a nice feature on one level (don't remember the brand, it was around $2K). It also could project a plumb dot, making floor=to-ceiling point transfers easier -- with rotate-only designs, it takes two set-ups, two lines making an X, to transfer a point.
The ideal X/Y rotary laser would spin three horizontal, and two vertical beams to make the two lines. Stop the rotation, and you'd have a five-dot laser.
Please don't ask me to engineer it, though.
AitchKay
One feature that all of these levels should have is the ability to work on their sides, to square up a foundation, for instance, or lay out interior walls square to on another.
I don't know why my RT doesn't have this feature.
i have the porter cable /robo tool one and it shoots up and down and horizontal i bought it to frame walls in a movie theatre and i cant complain definatly the width of the laser. that said it defiantly paid for it self many times over
Noah
Own 2.
Early version of the original ROBO lazer, still works and I love it's one man radio signal directional ability .
Second one is a Topcon, this is the second Topcan I have owned and both were good lazers.
That said the market is so full of different ones now that have so many features I wouldn't know what to buy.
Seems a lot of folks here use and like the PSL lazers.
'Nother vote for Hilti - played with a rotary for a little while in the Hilti booth at the Vegas Mine Expo. Very nice tool, i really liked the slope functionality, being able to set the receiver where you want the slope to be and having the laser find it - brilliant. Wig wag for visible line was a nice feature as well.I bought the Hilti PMC 36 dot and line laser last spring. With the reciver there is little it cannot do. The plumb dots are all in the same plane, no measuring back an inch like the PLS. Line is 150* vert and horizontal.I am looking at rotary models, I want to integrate grade control if possible but for now the combi laser is pretty close to a do it all unless you have a huge jobsite.I also really like the Stabila lasers, that would be my second choice. As much as you rely on the thing, you want it to be high quality.
I ruled out the Stabilas -- 5/16" @ 100'? Unh-unh.Wish Hilti had a better website -- I haven't run into them in the field or in the stores, so I've shied away, since you can't tell a thing from what they've got online. But I'll try to get a look at them -- it's good to know that people like them.AitchKay
A few HD's in my neck of the woods have (had?) a Hilti store on the premises. Maybe not one in your area? I can't tell because you haven't, ahem, filled out your profile. :o)
If you are serious about purchasing a Hilti laser or just want to talk more about them I have a college buddy who is owns a lumber yard in Colorado and is a big independent Hilti and Dewalt dealer. If you want his number let me know. He is who I purchased my PMC 36 from and has some guys on staff that know Hilti and Dewalt inside out.I also stand corrected on the Stabila lasers - 5/16" @100' is RIDICULOUS!!!
Doesn't the 5/16" error in 100' have something to do with the curvature of the earth?
Show me a slab that is perfect and then I'll worry about the laser. Somehow I doubt pulling a tape over 200' is going to be any more accurate.
The problem is that it’s harder for me to be perfect than it is for a laser to be perfect.So if I’ve got a laser that shoots within 1/16†or so per 100’, then maybe there’s a slight chance that I can get my work within 1/4â€.But if errors accumulate between my work and a Stabila’s accuracy, then I could easily be out by over 1/2â€. I don’t like that.If I’ve got a chance to spend my money just a little bit more wisely, and end up with a finished product that’s closer to perfect by a factor of more than two, I will do that. So I’ll pass on the Stabila.Makes sense to me.AitchKay
If I remember right, all the rotary lasers I have looked at have some claimed error in them... and I think the error has more to do with curvature of the earth more than a flaw in the tool.
Edit- just looked at PLS and they are at 1/8"
Edited 2/9/2009 10:06 pm ET by danski0224
Harbor Freight sells a rotary laser for $49.99
The accuracy is 1/4" in 33ft. but I think that is just because of position of China compared to the USA.
What's your budget?
DC
"Harbor Freight sells a rotary laser for $49.99The accuracy is 1/4" in 33ft."LOL.
I'd love to spend no more than 500-600, but I know a good tool like this is gonna cost me. seems like more in the $700-800 range is where I'm gonna end up.
Had the Porter Cable Robo, owned it for about 3 years. Maybe.....maaaaaaaaaybe 100 hrs or so of use in those three years.
The horizontal line dimmed so bad the remote wouldn't pick it up at 10'.
Vertical line just as bright as ever, for me it was then worthless.
275 to fix 150 shipping, new one was 500 passed on both
Now looking at a PLS
Rod
Hilti PR 20 on Ebay for 600 bucks:http://cgi.ebay.com/HILTI-PR-20-SELF-LEVELING-ROTARY-LASER-LEVEL-PACKAGE_W0QQitemZ110349583021QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Levels?hash=item110349583021&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50
I dunno. That Hilti looks like half of what I've got with my Robotoolz, for more $$.I'm looking in the other direction, for more functions/versatility. I know there's something out there...
AitchKay