Ollie78
Established Member
Must be the resin block itself moving in the aluminium beam.
I have seen old brass and wood levels with adjustments for the bubble itself with tiny screws but there must be a need for a "master Bubble" to set it to.
Ollie
Laser levels
- Thread starter Spectric
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I have seen old brass and wood levels with adjustments for the bubble itself with tiny screws but there must be a need for a "master Bubble" to set it to.
Ollie
I've got a dewalt one from toolstation, it was about £100, don't know what I did without it, use it all the time it's brilliant. Nothing wrong with a normal bubble level but the laser just makes everything so much quicker IMHO.
Doug71
Established Member
I have one of these, it was about half the price when I bought it two years ago, it also does a 90 degree line which can be handy for setting things out.
It seems accurate but the line can be a bit thick and fuzzy for some things, I keep meaning to get a better one but don't really use it that much. It's handy for checking how far ceilings are out of level etc but for a lot of things I still like a pencil line drawn on the wall with my Stabila to work to.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-cross90-red-self-levelling-cross-line-laser-level/715fg
It seems accurate but the line can be a bit thick and fuzzy for some things, I keep meaning to get a better one but don't really use it that much. It's handy for checking how far ceilings are out of level etc but for a lot of things I still like a pencil line drawn on the wall with my Stabila to work to.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-cross90-red-self-levelling-cross-line-laser-level/715fg
The Stablia I have is accurate to 1mm per meter (printed on the side of the level). I never bothered to check it when I bought it, so I have no idea if it changed or if it has always been out of tolerance.
I don't know what the warranty policy is here, but I bought it over 20 years ago. I doubt I paid much for it, so if I can't fix it, I'll toss it and buy another.
Ive got a dewalt cross line in red... ok inside but useless outside in daylight. I then bought a 3 line green dewalt as its advertised as 50x brighter.
It turns out 50 times brighter than something you cant see isnt all that great
You can go about 4m in bright light, outside, beyond that you need the little laser detector.
I use mine a fair bit, occasionally both. If you have 2 reference marks, you can ping a level line round a room for a studwall in seconds.
Awesome on a tripod and left set up in a kitchen fit or for tiling, etc.
In a loft conversion I've just done, i marked the intended pad heights for steels etc, set the laser and simply put a load of level marks around in the appropriate places, worked perfectly over 14m in a dark loft, extremely quick.
I set the walls using the laser, it was so darned good that all the linings had a perfect 3mm consistent lip for plaster once the plasterboard was on.
I cant find any photos of the green laser. Neither of mine have a gyro lock, so they always go for level and flash if they cant achieve level at the angle of the unit
It turns out 50 times brighter than something you cant see isnt all that great
You can go about 4m in bright light, outside, beyond that you need the little laser detector.
I use mine a fair bit, occasionally both. If you have 2 reference marks, you can ping a level line round a room for a studwall in seconds.
Awesome on a tripod and left set up in a kitchen fit or for tiling, etc.
In a loft conversion I've just done, i marked the intended pad heights for steels etc, set the laser and simply put a load of level marks around in the appropriate places, worked perfectly over 14m in a dark loft, extremely quick.
I set the walls using the laser, it was so darned good that all the linings had a perfect 3mm consistent lip for plaster once the plasterboard was on.
I cant find any photos of the green laser. Neither of mine have a gyro lock, so they always go for level and flash if they cant achieve level at the angle of the unit
Attachments
This does make you think about the accuracy of your levels as I think many will just take them for granted, I have a Stabila that I do sometimes question and am now wondering if for what ever reason it is not that accurate. But as you know we have to define accurate, then you have the human error of actually reading the bubble so I think we might be asking a little to much from it. I have tried comparing the reading on a digital inclinometer with the bubble in my level and the range of the bubble from touching one line to touching the opposite line gives 1.5° on the inclinometer but not under scientific test conditions or taking the average from multiple readings.
I have just orded a Huepar S04 CG level on the basis that you have the S03 CG and are are pleased with it so a good recomendation in my books.
I have a Shars master precision level that I use with setting up my sliding saw, and the bubble touches the first set of lines in the glass. There is no ambiguity with the reading. The Stabila and the store brand level have gaps between the bubble and the first set of lines, so there is some room for error, but still staying between the lines.
Ah...no pressure.
I have the 903 CG, not the S03 CG. The model number scheme is a bit confusing, since Huepar has the 903 and S03, as well as a 904 and S04. From the website, it appears the "S" models are used for installing tiles.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
I have a 1m Stabila 83s, it's perfectly accurate. I bought it for £15 second hand in 1986.
Huepar4x360 and fine adjuster user here.
I bought one after our bathroom fitter demonstrated the use of his. It just works, and very well too.
I bought one after our bathroom fitter demonstrated the use of his. It just works, and very well too.
If you’re running a long line with a level it’s good practice to flip the level end on end to cancel out any discrepancies.
TomGW
Established Member
I have one of Screwfix own brand and it is great. If you do buy one check that it’s accurate, in the same way you check a bubble level. Set it on one side of a room and mark the line at the midpoint of the end walls, move to the other side of the room and (facing the other way) repeat. That way you are comparing the line projected to the right with the line projected to the left and compounding any inaccuracy. Over 6.5m mine is soon on.
I have the Dewalt DCE089ng18. three axis green line level. I bought it to replace an ancient rotating level which had to be manually leveled. It is extremely useful but the separate battery mounting makes it rather cumbersome. I have a cheap Stanley 2 axis red line level, which I thought would suffice but is now redundant. The green lines are much more visible and the third axis is very useful (I have been doing a lot of suspended ceilings)
Kids are good for this, stood with their back to it and slightly to one side of where you expect it to be, they love playing "spot the dot"Ive got a dewalt cross line in red... ok inside but useless outside in daylight. I then bought a 3 line green dewalt as its advertised as 50x brighter.
It turns out 50 times brighter than something you cant see isnt all that great
You can go about 4m in bright light, outside, beyond that you need the little laser detector.
I use mine a fair bit, occasionally both. If you have 2 reference marks, you can ping a level line round a room for a studwall in seconds.
Awesome on a tripod and left set up in a kitchen fit or for tiling, etc.
In a loft conversion I've just done, i marked the intended pad heights for steels etc, set the laser and simply put a load of level marks around in the appropriate places, worked perfectly over 14m in a dark loft, extremely quick.
I set the walls using the laser, it was so darned good that all the linings had a perfect 3mm consistent lip for plaster once the plasterboard was on.
I cant find any photos of the green laser. Neither of mine have a gyro lock, so they always go for level and flash if they cant achieve level at the angle of the unit
Yes I believe that model has an extra line which is for floor tiles but also very useful with finding the high and low spots in a floor, very important in the Uk because builders all seem to have bent levels and cannot lay a level floor or upright walls !!
Just been looking at these master levels and wow they are not cheap, but for my purposes of a level I am thinking of using my digital inclinometer with my Veritas straight edge so that it measures over a longer length, a lot cheaper solution.
https://www.laserlevelshop.co.uk/sp...MIsvbV7IXH_QIVgWDmCh38eAYyEAQYAyABEgLXwfD_BwE
https://www.laserlevelshop.co.uk/sp...MIsvbV7IXH_QIVgWDmCh38eAYyEAQYAyABEgLXwfD_BwE
I have the Dewalt red line. I’ve had it close on 10 years I think. Indoors it’s great but you definitely need the sensor outside.Ive got a dewalt cross line in red... ok inside but useless outside in daylight. I then bought a 3 line green dewalt as its advertised as 50x brighter.
It turns out 50 times brighter than something you cant see isnt all that great
You can go about 4m in bright light, outside, beyond that you need the little laser detector.
I use mine a fair bit, occasionally both. If you have 2 reference marks, you can ping a level line round a room for a studwall in seconds.
Awesome on a tripod and left set up in a kitchen fit or for tiling, etc.
In a loft conversion I've just done, i marked the intended pad heights for steels etc, set the laser and simply put a load of level marks around in the appropriate places, worked perfectly over 14m in a dark loft, extremely quick.
I set the walls using the laser, it was so darned good that all the linings had a perfect 3mm consistent lip for plaster once the plasterboard was on.
I cant find any photos of the green laser. Neither of mine have a gyro lock, so they always go for level and flash if they cant achieve level at the angle of the unit
Meeoow!
I think I paid about $150 for my Shars level. I did look at the Starrett, but the people I know who use it for commissioning shop equipment use the Shars.
These bubble levels are more complex than I envisaged,
https://www.leveldevelopments.com/2020/10/sensitivity-accuracy-of-spirit-level-vials/
gone is the idea they are just a little tube of liquid with a bubble !
It looks like the Shars levels are not available in the UK .
https://www.leveldevelopments.com/2020/10/sensitivity-accuracy-of-spirit-level-vials/
gone is the idea they are just a little tube of liquid with a bubble !
It looks like the Shars levels are not available in the UK .
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You can buy the glass vial for a bubble level with very good accuracy for under £20 on ebay.
They are readily available in a range of sizes and sensitivities.
Usually expressed as X seconds or minutes of arc per 2mm mark on the vial.
But for the rest of us, something like this is a joy to use and has extra accuracy at it's 0 and 90 degree positions.
https://www.stabila.com/en-US/products-553/details/type-196-2-digital-tech-levels.html
They are readily available in a range of sizes and sensitivities.
Usually expressed as X seconds or minutes of arc per 2mm mark on the vial.
But for the rest of us, something like this is a joy to use and has extra accuracy at it's 0 and 90 degree positions.
https://www.stabila.com/en-US/products-553/details/type-196-2-digital-tech-levels.html
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