non pro building sight level????

[blucoondawg]

This laser might work fine for small rooms installing a suspended ceiling. For outdoors with longer distances involved it isn't accurate enough with +- 1/8"/30ft.

Accurate enough is relative to the job at hand and what tolerances you are shooting for as well as what you are willing to spend. From what I've done with it so far it's plenty accurate to build a dirt pad for a building unless it's a huge building. I wouldn't be afraid to shoot a 30x50 with it. We're not talking about professional daily use here or spending hundreds for something accurate to 1/16th at 100

 

[jenkinsph]

If an accuracy of +- 1" is good enough at 240ft and the receiver can read it then go for it. When you add the cost of the receiver to your existing laser you are approaching $180. For a wee bit more money a lot more accuracy can be had.

For a 30x50 pad a water hose would be a good choice and a lot cheaper than this laser and receiver. The hose would be the most accurate too.

 

[EddieWalker]

For just the pad and leveling the dirt, I just tape my level to a 12 foot long board that is perfectly straight and set it on the pad. I decide where my high spot is and work to build up the rest of the pad to that point. Most of the time I can pretty much eyeball it and get close, so the level on the board is for fine tuning and figuring out where those low spots are that will take up extra concrete when it's poured.

For the forms, I make sure every board is perfectly straight, then I set them one at a time and make sure they are level. If I do it right, by the time I get back to where I started, the last board lines up with the first one!!!1

I bought a used Spectra Laser level on ebay quite a few years ago that works great for really big areas. It was very useful in building the dam on my pond so I knew where the shoreline was all the way around it. I rarely use it for smaller projects, but did one time when I didn't realize my six foot level was off. Those forms came out over an inch off and I used the laser level to redo it. It's easier and faster if you have a really good level to set forms then messing with the laser and the stick.

On my gazebo, I did most of the pads with a straight board and a level, but for the longer spans, I bought a length of clear tubing and filled it with water and stretched it between the pads. It was also good for double checking the other pads that where done with the straight board and level.

Whatever you do, try to double check it when it's done with another method.

Eddie

 

[paulharvey]

For just the pad and leveling the dirt, I just tape my level to a 12 foot long board that is perfectly straight and set it on the pad. I decide where my high spot is and work to build up the rest of the pad to that point. Most of the time I can pretty much eyeball it and get close, so the level on the board is for fine tuning and figuring out where those low spots are that will take up extra concrete when it's poured.

For the forms, I make sure every board is perfectly straight, then I set them one at a time and make sure they are level. If I do it right, by the time I get back to where I started, the last board lines up with the first one!!!1

I bought a used Spectra Laser level on ebay quite a few years ago that works great for really big areas. It was very useful in building the dam on my pond so I knew where the shoreline was all the way around it. I rarely use it for smaller projects, but did one time when I didn't realize my six foot level was off. Those forms came out over an inch off and I used the laser level to redo it. It's easier and faster if you have a really good level to set forms then messing with the laser and the stick.

On my gazebo, I did most of the pads with a straight board and a level, but for the longer spans, I bought a length of clear tubing and filled it with water and stretched it between the pads. It was also good for double checking the other pads that where done with the straight board and level.

Whatever you do, try to double check it when it's done with another method.

Eddie

Same here, but if you have straight piece of aluminum, it's nicer. To go farther, set grade pegs or build small dirt pads to grade; then level over again. Price, low to free. I would say you maybe have 1/4" error per 12 feet maybe, tops; plenty good for dirt work.

 

[blucoondawg]

If an accuracy of +- 1" is good enough at 240ft and the receiver can read it then go for it. When you add the cost of the receiver to your existing laser you are approaching $180. For a wee bit more money a lot more accuracy can be had.

For a 30x50 pad a water hose would be a good choice and a lot cheaper than this laser and receiver. The hose would be the most accurate too.

Like I said I'm not talking 240 feet I'm talking the size of a medium shop/garage. I already have the laser so buying the receiver isn't that big a deal. The water level is what I'd use for setting forms but the laser would be accurate enough for dirt. Your splitting hairs pretty small there for dirt work when talking less than a quarter inch.
What is the most reasonable priced for acceptable accuracy laser in your opinion?

 

[PhysAssist]

This is the one I'm using in my 45'x30' barn- it's a little faint in full daylight, but with accuracy of 1/4" at 100', it is still good enough for my purposes.

 

[jenkinsph]

Like I said I'm not talking 240 feet I'm talking the size of a medium shop/garage. I already have the laser so buying the receiver isn't that big a deal. The water level is what I'd use for setting forms but the laser would be accurate enough for dirt. Your splitting hairs pretty small there for dirt work when talking less than a quarter inch.
What is the most reasonable priced for acceptable accuracy laser in your opinion?

There are several packages between $250 to $350 that includes both laser and receiver that would work. I mentioned the longer distances in response to your initial post. I have compared my Dewalt to my Topcon and find it to be pretty accurate.

 

[blucoondawg]

There are several packages between $250 to $350 that includes both laser and receiver that would work. I mentioned the longer distances in response to your initial post. I have compared my Dewalt to my Topcon and find it to be pretty accurate.

Ya I mentioned 200 feet only because I said the laser is hard to see outside but supposedly the receiver will read it out to 200 according to the paperwork. I wouldn't want to use it for any thing requiring accuracy at that range. What dewalt do you use

 

[jenkinsph]

Ya I mentioned 200 feet only because I said the laser is hard to see outside but supposedly the receiver will read it out to 200 according to the paperwork. I wouldn't want to use it for any thing requiring accuracy at that range. What dewalt do you use

The DW073

 

[MFWD]

Hello,
I had thought about buying a laser level at one time, but ones that were real accurate were very expensive. Most of the ones that didn't cost an arm and a leg gave you accuracy of something like +/- 1/4" at 100 feet. Well at 50 feet that is still not very accurate. Only being out 1/8" in 50 feet is to me the same as 3".......I want it to be right on the money. I'm also talking about construction, not grading work !!!!!

MFWD

 

[CurlyDave]

Hello,
... Only being out 1/8" in 50 feet is to me the same as 3".......I want it to be right on the money. I'm also talking about construction, not grading work !!!!!

MFWD

I don't know what you are building, but 1/8" in 50' is very level.

What do you currently use to achieve better than that? What is the primary standard you use to measure it?

My laser detector is only repeatable to about +/- 1/4" based on field observation (not the published spec, but what I actually see during use), and a little bit of temperature difference in the arms of a water level will produce errors.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hello,
I had thought about buying a laser level at one time, but ones that were real accurate were very expensive. Most of the ones that didn't cost an arm and a leg gave you accuracy of something like +/- 1/4" at 100 feet. Well at 50 feet that is still not very accurate. Only being out 1/8" in 50 feet is to me the same as 3".......I want it to be right on the money. I'm also talking about construction, not grading work !!!!!

MFWD

Level is easy and cheap to get with a water hose in construction. Plumb is a little more difficult to obtain, years ago I used a transit for this but while good enough for me I am curious what you use? A lot of accuracy can be lost in the transfer and measurements from pencil to the finished product.

My Topcon laser is a slope laser that I would not find necessary for construction/building work, I would use a less costly unit for that. My grade work is checked by the feds and in real life by the water flowing across a field, the higher the accuracy I can obtain is important. Now meeting the fed spec's is easy enough but watching the water flow across the field is the true test, it quickly becomes evident whether you are close or no cigar. I need more improvement for sure but I am working on it.

 

[newbury]

A minor variation on the garden hose tubing I've used for the last 50 or so years is aquarium air line tubing, a gallon jug of water and food dye .
You can get 500 feet of tubing at Amazon for $40 and 10 "Y"'s for $5.

To me the advantage of airline tubing over garden hose is that the air line tubing is real easy to roll up and carry, tape to a stick, and with the food dye easy to see the level. I've only personally used it for 60 or so foot runs but it works on gravity.

The main disadvantage is that it does not work below freezing. You have to add alcohol to the water.

 

[paulharvey]

Unless we are building a rocket or computer chip, the thickness of a sharpie mark is "within tolerance". I know a lot of people hate the term good enough/close enough, but in the end, even high dollar surveys have several 0.01 ft error (roughly 1/8"). Nothing built by man is perfect, and "best is often the enemy of good".

 

[jenkinsph]

Unless we are building a rocket or computer chip, the thickness of a sharpie mark is "within tolerance". I know a lot of people hate the term good enough/close enough, but in the end, even high dollar surveys have several 0.01 ft error (roughly 1/8"). Nothing built by man is perfect, and "best is often the enemy of good".

While I agree with you on most things that roughly 1/8" is good enough I don't want you doing any cabinetry work for me.:laughing:

 

[paulharvey]

While I agree with you on most things that roughly 1/8" is good enough I don't want you doing any cabinetry work for me.:laughing:

Not a problem, you can keep it; but there is a reason the ends that butt to the walls have a rip strip to cut to match the wall. There is also a reason you shim the top level; to over come any imperfections in the cabinets. I'm not defending sloppy work, just stating most things are less perfect then you might care to admit.

Asphalt paving has some of the tightest tolerances off anything; 3/16" knot or low is OK; 1/4" knot or low area and your spending a couple thousand dollars fixing it. Many many miles of road has grade stakes every 50 ft along both sides, the pull a string and measure down (3 man job). Seems more and more technology involved everyday, but lots of roads still being finished this way.

 

[Baby Grand]

A minor variation on the garden hose tubing I've used for the last 50 or so years is aquarium air line tubing, a gallon jug of water and food dye .
You can get 500 feet of tubing at Amazon for $40 and 10 "Y"'s for $5.

To me the advantage of airline tubing over garden hose is that the air line tubing is real easy to roll up and carry, tape to a stick, and with the food dye easy to see the level. I've only personally used it for 60 or so foot runs but it works on gravity.

The main disadvantage is that it does not work below freezing. You have to add alcohol to the water.

Thanks for that tip - I have an upcoming drainage project and I think this would be much easier to use than the transit, especially with multiple tees. That way, I can have multiple gages reading at different locations at the same time. I'm going to get some 3/16" clear rigid tubing and a bundle of yardsticks to flesh out the gage set.

I was going to use garden hose, but as I added up the pieces it was starting to get expensive. The air tubing & fittings really brings the cost down to a level that's easy for me to justify.

 

[mikefromnh]

Water Level WL25 Electronic Water Level by Zircon

Accurate to within 1/16" at 100' for ~$30-50. One man operation and works around corners, in bright sun and out of line of site.

Every carpenter should have one.

 

[CalG]

Don't forget the dish soap!

A drop or two in the water breaks the surface tension and helps " level" the meniscus.

Also, Don't actually use the water level "actively". That is, lowering the hose adds volume, and both ends have the water level go down. Just string the water level to posts, and then measure from the observed water line. Chasing the tail is a fools mission. ;-)

 

[Baby Grand]

Water Level WL25 Electronic Water Level by Zircon

Accurate to within 1/16" at 100' for ~$30-50. One man operation and works around corners, in bright sun and out of line of site.

Every carpenter should have one.

View attachment 421230

Son of a gun! I have an ancient Zircon stud finder - must be from the late 70s or early 80s.
That thing saved my bacon more times than I care to admit.
More than paid for itself in one day of putting up book shelves in a plaster-lath walled tenement I rented in Bridgeport.
Figures they would make a water level - thanks for mentioning that!