Any recommendations for (or against) cheap laser levels?

[Robin]

It's been decided that I should lay flooring chipboard over floorboards
to level the floor in a room about 7m x 3.5m. I've a 6 foot spirit
level and have used water levels outdoors in the past but am hoping a
cheap laser level would make the job quicker/easier - and by cheap I
mean something like the �50 Bosch Quigo. Any recommendations please?
(I've read the Wiki's rather negative comment but am hoping things may
have moved on to save my knees a bit.)

--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

[Tim Watts]

Robin wrote:

> It's been decided that I should lay flooring chipboard over floorboards
> to level the floor in a room about 7m x 3.5m. I've a 6 foot spirit
> level and have used water levels outdoors in the past but am hoping a
> cheap laser level would make the job quicker/easier - and by cheap I
> mean something like the �50 Bosch Quigo. Any recommendations please?
> (I've read the Wiki's rather negative comment but am hoping things may
> have moved on to save my knees a bit.)
>

I have a Staley self levelling for 90 quid from ebay - I have used it for
everything:

1) Surveying floors as you are, using a scaled probe stick (homemade) - you
can measure to just about +/-1mm with care (the laser line is quite thick
but to do get used to juging the centre).

2) Tiling walls - nice as you just work to the line every 2-3 rows avoiding
cumulative error

3) Setting out sockets and lightswitches

4) Handy straight line for laying lights out on ceiling

5) Setting door frames

6) Framework for stud wall.

All of these could be done without, but when you have one to hand, it is
amazing how much easier it makes lots of jobs.
--
Tim Watts

[Dave Liquorice]

On Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:32:49 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

> I have a Staley self levelling for 90 quid from ebay - I have used it
> for everything:

Presumably the rotating type? Can you lock the self leveling and
retain the rotation? The real world is rarerly truely level so you
want things to look right rather than be "right".

I have a cheap level on a tripod with laser stuffed in one end and
yes it is very handy. Verticals for wall paper on walls that bow
out/in several inches top to bottom making the use of a plumb bob
tricky. "Horizontal" around a room for a border that must match
against a (non-level) window cill.

--
Cheers
Dave.

[Tim Watts]

Hi David,

Not rotating - pendulum levelling.

But you do have a "non level" mode where you can take it past the pendulum's
ability (on a small bean bag is quite good) and it does not flash the laser
as a warning.
--
Tim Watts

[newshound]

On 11/06/2012 17:12, Robin wrote:
> It's been decided that I should lay flooring chipboard over floorboards
> to level the floor in a room about 7m x 3.5m. I've a 6 foot spirit
> level and have used water levels outdoors in the past but am hoping a
> cheap laser level would make the job quicker/easier - and by cheap I
> mean something like the £50 Bosch Quigo. Any recommendations please?
> (I've read the Wiki's rather negative comment but am hoping things may
> have moved on to save my knees a bit.)
>

Bought a cheap rotating one with tripod some years ago. Doesn't come out
often, but *very* useful when it does. Even used it out of doors over
about 10 metres, but only towards dusk.

Used it once when I needed to board over a very "wavy" wall with a
load-bearing 18 mm ply fitted as close to the wall as possible. Scribed
and cut horizontal battens and fitted on the wall, then temporarily
screwed little oversize cantilevered "shelves" of 18 mm ply on top, and
used a vertical laser scan to mark up the cutting line on these. That
defined an accurate vertical plane, square to the back wall. Then
screwed and glued the vertical board to these (with suitable battens.

Self leveling on the Quigo looks good, but I wonder how accurate it is.
I don't think I would want one without a tripod, but it looks as though
you can put it on a camera tripod.

[Robin]

Thanks to all who commented. I cadged a look at a DeWalt DW088K being
used by kitchen fitters nearby but could not justify the cost so ended
up buying a used Bosch PCL 20 from eBay which is nowhere near as
bright/flexible but will do me for the foreseeable. I have to say after
only half a day's use I'm sold, and can't understand why the Wiki is so
negative about them.

[Rick Hughes]

On 11/06/2012 17:12, Robin wrote:

> It's been decided that I should lay flooring chipboard over floorboards
> to level the floor in a room about 7m x 3.5m. I've a 6 foot spirit
> level and have used water levels outdoors in the past but am hoping a
> cheap laser level would make the job quicker/easier - and by cheap I
> mean something like the £50 Bosch Quigo. Any recommendations please?
> (I've read the Wiki's rather negative comment but am hoping things may
> have moved on to save my knees a bit.)

£50 will get you disappointment .... if you are expecting a bright line.

When I set out all the floors in my house for screeding ..I set the top
of upstand of perimter insulation with a rotating level ... hired one
for 1/2 day £25

It got me a Professional quality level ... well worth it.

Now my son works for Civil Engineering company so I can get him to bring
home calibrated rotating levels (professional units) ... with detectors
.... these are great, but over £1000

If you have only one room to do ... a 6' level and a straight edge is
the way to go.