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.

 

[tarbellb]

@Yankeefarmer...... awesome news

This is another perfect example how many of the legacy brands are in serious trouble if they dont get their poop in a group

Most anything digi or tech related in tools has been vastly updated and market has flooded. I dont always recommend cheap online tools, but in this case (and many others) it makes a lot of sense.

 

[lardy1]

This dinosaur saved the money and used 3/8 clear plastic hose.

 

[IndyGarage]

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

I bought one of these three line green laser levels a few years ago - not this exact model - I think I paid $79, and it has been awesome.

I've used it for a ton of projects, including checking the level on floors in my house, leveling pictures, leveling siding as it was installed and many others.

I would recommend that you don't have to buy a brand name - the generic ones are really good.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

The beauty of the laser level is that it is so much more than a level. Used it today for the second day framing walls. It replaces a level, plum bob, chalk line and a square. I didn’t appreciate that until I used the darn thing.

 

[manwithtools]

This dinosaur saved the money and used 3/8 clear plastic hose.

False economy today...

 

[AEAdam]

I bought one of these three line green laser levels a few years ago - not this exact model - I think I paid $79, and it has been awesome.

I've used it for a ton of projects, including checking the level on floors in my house, leveling pictures, leveling siding as it was installed and many others.

I would recommend that you don't have to buy a brand name - the generic ones are really good.

i don’t have experience with cheaper models. I’ve had 2 Bosch models, an early rotary, and the newer 3 beam GLL3-330CG.

I’m on this tear about reviews and reviewers. So I’d say for laser levels, if you are doing big spaces or working outside, beam brightness is a really big deal. My old rotary is very stable and accurate, but I just can’t see the beam easily. Every time you have to move the laser so you can see it, you have to re-setup and you lose accuracy. So the super bright lasers can be way nicer to work with and way more accurate if that makes sense. I’d watch some reviews and try to use brightness as a strong attribute to help you choose.

One reason I chose Bosch is that it used tool batteries I currently have. My rotary used D cells and it got dimmer as the batteries aged. With the newer Bosch, the brightness stays pretty flat until it shuts off and I almost always have fresh batteries in it.

Maybe not immediately obvious to all potential purchasers is the importance of the mount. I use. Manfrotto camera mounts because I had them. A stable base is important. Should easily achieve a range of heights, ideally over 6’8” for interior doors. A fine adjustment, which I don’t have on my camera tripod, but comes with the Bosch is pretty important. When setting level, you can shim a leg pretty easily. The problem I encounter is indexing plumb lines. In a perfect world, it would be great to have a little XY table. Otherwise, I find myself messing with it.

My rotary was just a level. I didn’t realize how much I’d like the 3 beam and it really shows in my work. 3 beam is a game changer. I’d also say it’s a very tough boss. If you set up a 3 beam in probably any building, you’ll instantly see how far from level plumb and square it is. Since buying the 3 beam, the quality of my carpentry has greatly improved. I’m currently putting up Hardie siding and I’m trying to chase that beam all the way around the house. Maybe a water level would be a good approach for this. Otherwise, there’s no real practical way to achieve this without a laser.

Last, possibly in favor of lower cost models, I could see leaving a laser set up as a datum for days and days, not always on. In that case, I’ve had use for both lasers on bigger jobs simultaneously. I could see the utility in having a couple 3 beam lasers.

A few things I don’t like about my Bosch:
1) The way it attaches to its base does not allow me to swap battery’s without unscrewing it from the adjustable base. Not a deal killer because you can take it off and put it back and it will be in the same place level wise. But a huge disadvantage for plumb lines, and just annoying.

2) The Bosch adjustable base has a pretty coarse adjustment screw. You can fine tune it, but it’s not super easy and can be stiff. One tip- it’s a plastic rack and pinion gear and super lube really helps. I try to keep it covered so it stays clean when not in use.

3) You can download an app that allows you to turn it on and off with your phone. That’s been helpful to save battery life. I’ve attached it to structure from a ladder in some remote undisturbed location. Didn’t think the app would help me but it has.

4) The base isn’t super easy to attach to stuff. It’s magnetic, but I’m not doing steel studs. It has a hang hole which works okay but feels like an after thought. I’d prefer some easy way to clamp it to studs or joists. There isn’t even a good place on the base to clamp to.

If you watch YouTube reviews on laser levels, I don’t think any of this is discussed. And that’s my problem with the reviews I think many of us are watching. I’ve been building with lasers now for about 8yrs. Disclaimer: I haven’t gotten to kitchens and bathrooms yet. I’m doing fairly big work with my lasers, setting floors, wood and concrete, window and door openings, footings, balconies/decks etc. My sense is most buyers are doing smaller interior work and their needs may be slightly different from mine. But I think regardless of the scale, what I’ve written above will help.

 

[IndyGarage]

i don’t have experience with cheaper models. I’ve had 2 Bosch models, an early rotary, and the newer 3 beam GLL3-330CG.

I’m on this tear about reviews and reviewers. So I’d say for laser levels, if you are doing big spaces or working outside, beam brightness is a really big deal. My old rotary is very stable and accurate, but I just can’t see the beam easily. Every time you have to move the laser so you can see it, you have to re-setup and you lose accuracy. So the super bright lasers can be way nicer to work with and way more accurate if that makes sense. I’d watch some reviews and try to use brightness as a strong attribute to help you choose.

One reason I chose Bosch is that it used tool batteries I currently have. My rotary used D cells and it got dimmer as the batteries aged. With the newer Bosch, the brightness stays pretty flat until it shuts off and I almost always have fresh batteries in it.

Maybe not immediately obvious to all potential purchasers is the importance of the mount. I use. Manfrotto camera mounts because I had them. A stable base is important. Should easily achieve a range of heights, ideally over 6’8” for interior doors. A fine adjustment, which I don’t have on my camera tripod, but comes with the Bosch is pretty important. When setting level, you can shim a leg pretty easily. The problem I encounter is indexing plumb lines. In a perfect world, it would be great to have a little XY table. Otherwise, I find myself messing with it.

My rotary was just a level. I didn’t realize how much I’d like the 3 beam and it really shows in my work. 3 beam is a game changer. I’d also say it’s a very tough boss. If you set up a 3 beam in probably any building, you’ll instantly see how far from level plumb and square it is. Since buying the 3 beam, the quality of my carpentry has greatly improved. I’m currently putting up Hardie siding and I’m trying to chase that beam all the way around the house. Maybe a water level would be a good approach for this. Otherwise, there’s no real practical way to achieve this without a laser.

Last, possibly in favor of lower cost models, I could see leaving a laser set up as a datum for days and days, not always on. In that case, I’ve had use for both lasers on bigger jobs simultaneously. I could see the utility in having a couple 3 beam lasers.

A few things I don’t like about my Bosch:
1) The way it attaches to its base does not allow me to swap battery’s without unscrewing it from the adjustable base. Not a deal killer because you can take it off and put it back and it will be in the same place level wise. But a huge disadvantage for plumb lines, and just annoying.

2) The Bosch adjustable base has a pretty coarse adjustment screw. You can fine tune it, but it’s not super easy and can be stiff. One tip- it’s a plastic rack and pinion gear and super lube really helps. I try to keep it covered so it stays clean when not in use.

3) You can download an app that allows you to turn it on and off with your phone. That’s been helpful to save battery life. I’ve attached it to structure from a ladder in some remote undisturbed location. Didn’t think the app would help me but it has.

4) The base isn’t super easy to attach to stuff. It’s magnetic, but I’m not doing steel studs. It has a hang hole which works okay but feels like an after thought. I’d prefer some easy way to clamp it to studs or joists. There isn’t even a good place on the base to clamp to.

If you watch YouTube reviews on laser levels, I don’t think any of this is discussed. And that’s my problem with the reviews I think many of us are watching. I’ve been building with lasers now for about 8yrs. Disclaimer: I haven’t gotten to kitchens and bathrooms yet. I’m doing fairly big work with my lasers, setting floors, wood and concrete, window and door openings, footings, balconies/decks etc. My sense is most buyers are doing smaller interior work and their needs may be slightly different from mine. But I think regardless of the scale, what I’ve written above will help.

Mine came from Amazon it's called IKOVWUK - I don't know how they come up with those brands, but i'm sure you could buy the same one with several names on it. It's a green laser 3 line beam.

I looked at the Bosch 3 beam before I bought mine. I just looked it up and the Bosch 3 line lasers are over $600 where that iKOVWUK is $66 on Amazon right now. I wanted to see how much I would use it before I bought one, so I bought the cheap one with intent to replace it with a better one if I liked it. Honestly it works so well I've never felt the need to replace it. I mostly use it with a generic photography tripod. It came with a magnetic mount that I used one time in my shop. The battery life seems fine for me - I don't use it for long periods of time - maybe 20-30 minutes then I shut it off. It has a wall wart charger - I think I've only charged it a couple times.

Most of the time I use it indoors, so the brightness of the beam is no problem. I had a sagging floor that I had to lift up and install a couple beams to stabilize and I used it to see how much drop I had in several places. I put a bunch of tape squares on the floor and using a height stick I measured the sag all around the room and wrote the measurements on the tape.

I have used it outdoors on a couple projects. Some siding and deck work. We extended my sons backyard last year with a new fence section. Not a huge fence but probably a couple hundred feet across three sides. I think we set 30 posts. We used the laser for many things on that project, setting up the posts in line, and getting the horizontal siding level, but probably the most useful was cutting the posts off at a consistent height. We did have to wait until dusk to do this - we tried mid day and it was a little dim. I probably could have done it, but I didn't want to make a mistake. We set the laser in the middle of the yard and got our height set. As soon as the sun went down you could easily see and mark all the fenceposts. In fact you could see the line on the houses 3 doors down across the street - so it worked fine.

I would highly recommend one to anybody who does projects where you need to measure and level stuff.