Recommend a laser level for drop ceiling installation

[Yankeefarmer]

I’m gonna be helping my nephew install a drop ceiling in his basement. Room will be about 12’ x 50.’ What’s a good laser level to facilitate leveling the grid?

 

[mikedodge]

Any of them these days. There are lots of affordable 360 degree ones out there.

At only 12 feet wide that shouldn't be needed but its a great reason to get one Make sure the perimeter frame on the walls is level and the rest will fall into place.

 

[BobnCO]

My Bosch died recently (used for years) and I got this Klein at Lowes. I like that it is rechargeable instead of a fist full of AA batteries!

 

[willf650]

My Bosch died recently (used for years) and I got this Klein at Lowes. I like that it is rechargeable instead of a fist full of AA batteries!

I have that exact level but paid $150 for it. Inflation I guess. It works well.

For 1 project use you can probably get a xyz Chinese brand equivalent off amazon for less than $100.

 

[signcrafter]

For that small of a room just about any will work, put it halfway down the 50' wall so it's shooting 25' each way. Make sure it comes with or get a good wall mount that clips onto your track and can be adjusted up or down. A laser card helps if your are in sunlight or something where it makes it hard to see, https://www.google.com/search?q=las...uAfSBcIHBTItMi40yAc1gAgB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp. As long as your laser supports one.

I did ceilings for a few years in hospitals and schools and other commercial buildings so have done a few hundred thousand sq ft of them. We used topcon rotary lasers. I still do some ceilings every year and a few years ago my topcon died so I've been using my bosch 3 plane and it works good and is useful for so many things like framing and tile jobs. I've read good things about huepar laser levels for it's price but have no experience with them.

 

[AEAdam]

I have that exact level but paid $150 for it. Inflation I guess. It works well.

For 1 project use you can probably get a xyz Chinese brand equivalent off amazon for less than $100.

Hmmmm. 12x50 is a big room. The trick with laser levels is that they can be really faint a distance from the head. I have the Bosch green 12v 3 beam model. Reviews I saw said it was the brightest or close to the brightest. Milwaukee was bright, but the beam was thicker if I recall.

How powerful the beam needs to be depends largely on the ambient light. I think all of these are tough to use outdoors.

I personally don’t love the advice to get a cheap model off amazon.

Here are some details. I set my laser, but can’t see the beam everywhere I need to. So I try shading the line with scrap wood or using a piece of Azek as a reflector, then marking. But sometimes it’s just too faint. So I leave a mark and move the laser closer. But then you need to adjust the laser to hit the mark.

Good lasers have good adjustable mounts. i use a good quality camera tripod to hold mine. But no camera mount I know has a fine enough adjustment for a laser.

 

[tarbellb]

Honestly.... any generic 3 axis rotary laser off the internet will be awesome

You would be hard pressed to spend $60 better then this

WEIDDW Laser Level 360° Green Cross Line Self Leveling Laser Measuring Tool: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

WEIDDW Laser Level 360° Green Cross Line Self Leveling Laser Measuring Tool: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.com

 

[The Cobbler]

Just an FYI, in the 80's I hung thousands of square feet of suspended ceilings with a water level made from clear vinyl tubing, an empty washer fluid bottle, and a truck Shrader valve .no fancy tools

 

[engineer2]

I got the Chinese Fellat off of Amazon for $70. I needed it for a drop ceiling and it worked great. Saved me hours of work.
Luckily they didn't put an "e" at the end of their brand name.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Just an FYI, in the 80's I hung thousands of square feet of suspended ceilings with a water level made from clear vinyl tubing, an empty washer fluid bottle, and a truck Shrader valve .no fancy tools

40+ years ago I installed an 18’ above ground pool in our sloping side yard. Got many compliments and questions about how dead nuts level the waterline was. I had leveled the site using a home made water level. Didn’t think to use a valve on it though; had to be careful when moving it!

Now that I’m old, I appreciate the convenience of modern technology more than saving a few $.

 

[alinc100]

Hmmmm. 12x50 is a big room. The trick with laser levels is that they can be really faint a distance from the head. I have the Bosch green 12v 3 beam model. Reviews I saw said it was the brightest or close to the brightest. Milwaukee was bright, but the beam was thicker if I recall.

How powerful the beam needs to be depends largely on the ambient light. I think all of these are tough to use outdoors.

I personally don’t love the advice to get a cheap model off amazon.

Here are some details. I set my laser, but can’t see the beam everywhere I need to. So I try shading the line with scrap wood or using a piece of Azek as a reflector, then marking. But sometimes it’s just too faint. So I leave a mark and move the laser closer. But then you need to adjust the laser to hit the mark.

Good lasers have good adjustable mounts. i use a good quality camera tripod to hold mine. But no camera mount I know has a fine enough adjustment for a laser.

Stop being so dramatic. Put the laser in the center of the room and you're shooting no more than 6 ft x 25ft. Put a laser receiver on it and shoot up to 200+ ft. A Huepar laser receiver is about $50 works equally as well with my $800 Hilti laser as it does with my $60 Ereoin (on Amazon) laser.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Honestly.... any generic 3 axis rotary laser off the internet will be awesome

You would be hard pressed to spend $60 better then this

WEIDDW Laser Level 360° Green Cross Line Self Leveling Laser Measuring Tool: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

WEIDDW Laser Level 360° Green Cross Line Self Leveling Laser Measuring Tool: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.com

Thank you for this recommendation. Last night I decided it would be worth rolling the dice on this;Amazon delivered it at 5 a.m. Put a quick charge on the battery, and tried it out on the project at 9:30 a.m. To a guy like me who never had one of these, it is a gamechanger. Worked like a champ setting up wall lines, checking plumb, etc. It was money well spent.

 

[manwithtools]

It was money well spent.

It's amazing how inexpensive these can be purchased today. I can assure you my Milwaukee's were no where near that price. I would not be surprised that yours worked just as well as mine.