Reddit mentions: The best laser levels

I moved from Boston to Athens GA and bought my first real (but still cheap) home. Its a great functional house but all the storage space had this very cheap wire shelving that absolutely sucks. The 120sf master closet was not functional at all. Neither was the laundry room. Or the 4 other bedroom closets. Or the pantry.

So I called California Closets and Inspired closets. Two national chains and the only providers of a service like this in Athens GA. They both had very slow response times and took more than 3 weeks to visit my home to do a walk through and then another 2 weeks to get a quote. Inspired never showed up.

They were PRICEY. California came with this proposal for $2,929.

Our goal was to get rid of our dressers in our master bedroom and have some drawers in the closet so we could fit all of our clothing in there. California let us know that an option with 16 drawers (8 for each of us) would be $5,000 or more plus tax. He also let me know the install team is backed up and it would take 6 weeks until they could get to the job. I didn't bother hassling him for a quote.

So I shopped around a bit and decided to buy some Easy Track systems from Build.com. I looked around my house and decided to not only build out my master closet but also my laundry room, pantry, three guest bedroom closets and basement bedroom closet.

I measured each closet and drew some designs on a notebook. This and this.

Then I made this list of the Easy Track systems I would need to order to accomplish all of this.

Then I compiled my order on Build.com. I called them and was able to get a 10% discount on the pricing. Here is my receipt.

$2,710.02 + $189.70 tax for a grand total of: $2,899.72

Then I borrowed my neighbors miter saw and got to work. First I ripped out the old wire shelving and then spackled the holes and repainted. This took about an hour. I drank 2 miller lites while doing this. If you end up starting a business I recommend skipping that step.

I drank two more miller lites and listened to this audiobook while I put together all 16 drawers with wood glue and a rubber mallet. This took about 3 hours total and was the hardest part of the entire process.

The next morning I hung the track system on the wall using my laser level (which is the most handy tool ever for a home owner) and started the install. This took a total of about 8 hours for the master closet. I got a lot faster on the second half. If I were doing it again I would probably get it done in closer to 5 hours.

This is the final product:

Master closet empty. Full. Laundry room. Pantry.

We cleaned out all three of our dressers and fit all of the things from the previous closet layout in with ease. Then we listed them on craigslist.

I went on and did the other 4 closets and easily multiplied my available storage space in this home by at least 8x overall.

How much would all this work have cost me if I hired it out? No telling. Maybe $8k? $10k? 15k? Not to mention the fact it would have taken about 10 weeks from the desire to get it done to actually getting it done.

I spent about 20 hours and $3k. I think I could do the next one in 10 hours total.

Are you a little handy and a fast learner? Set something up and start offering this service! Doing this while you have a full time job is the perfect way to start. More on that here.

Don’t like closet building? Check out this list and take your pick.

There is no such thing as an objectively ideal fit.

Fit is about balancing goals.

For someone in your situation (two bikes with different current setups) there are three major ways to start to explore this.

1 - Make the bikes identical, and start tweaking from there as you discover "problems" you want to try and address.

2 - Leave them different and compare and contrast.

3 - Use a camera with a timer or a friend to photograph you on the two bikes and start to look at current body position vs "goal" body position and evaluate your own fit.

I'm 110% with Andrewcooke that the way to start is a bunch of cheap stems. I have everything from 50 to 130 with a variety of angles at home. Cheap stems are $10 or less used. You only really need two seatposts (straight and setback) in your fit parts bin. (TBF, that's less and less true every year as 27.2 becomes less standard)

Using trig or this great stem comparison tool you can calculate the changes to stack and reach.

Using a $50 XY laser you can easily measure your own true stack and reach numbers, and transfer fits between bikes with different geometries.

The value of #3 is that a lot of fit (and why I have paid for a fit more than once) is about you, and the rotation of your hips, how you hold your arms, and how you position your body. Depending on hip rotation you can take a "good fit" and cause yourself pain.

And last, after all that aimless musing on my part, don't rush into this, there's nothing better than miles to help you decide on reach and stack.

Saddle height, that's a different issue, that's much more black and white.

I have an army painter line laser, and got one because I saw two other people using them (in a fully lit room). The price seemed a little high. The non-line thing, the crossover x, really? That sucks. The word is that they are finnicky - the QA must suck because some are fine and other aren't. I've heard about other laser line levels having a curve to them perhaps because the lens was mismounted. I haven't heard about the non-line ones, but people were talking about how even with fresh batteries the line didn't work very brightly on some of them.

I had a similar issue, bought mine, tried it out same day, worked great. Left the batteries in there, came back to play with it a week later and, same as you, working, but barely. Just mega-dim.

So, I got new batteries. Tried them, they work fine. Now I store the batteries next to the laser in a snack bag. When its game time, pop in the batteries, then take them out hours and hours later when the games are done. I haven't needed to buy a third set of batteries after the first mistake of leaving them in there for a week straight. I have RC things as well, and those batteries are way more problematic. Storing the batteries out of the device isn't a big deal.

The army painter target lock laser works fine if you're good about battery care. Can we get a pic of the X thing? I bet if you send that pic to army painter they'll help you out.

A quick googling shows that this is being talked about on the FFG forums. Here's some things I found:

• http://tabletop-laser.com/
  (germany)
  
  
• https://www.harborfreight.com/laser-marker-93242.html
  (remove the saw attachment, best deal, same quality as army painter)
  
  
• ebay "green laser", some of them come with several caps, some of those have a cap with many straight lines. Or buy a lens on amazon
  
  
• use home depot or amazon for a real laser level
  ($15)

Oh, it will be used for way more than just the tiling. I have loads of projects and generally always do that this would be put to use with. I get what you are saying and yeah, there are other ways to do the job just dine, but if you get down to it that way, you don't really ever need a laser level at all. It for sure is a very "nice to have" tool.

In my research, I have see lots of good things about this one and, besides the magnets, seems to be a pretty decent value. Not a "name" brand really, but reviews I have seen and the specs seem like an honest investment at that price.

Huepar Self-Leveling Green Laser Level 360 Cross Line with 2 Plumb Dots Laser Tool -360-Degree Horizontal Line Plus Large Fan Angle of Vertical Beam with Up & Down Points -Magnetic Pivoting Base 621CG https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKFCMDN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ztNWCb3ZQTYBS

Good info. First off, you'll definitely want a green laser for visibility outdoors. You're right - Dewalt has great 20v ones in the $1000+ range -- but I suspect that something in the $500 to $600 range could do a great job for your applications. For ex: this Topcon gets great reviews, and is construction rated for shock, dust and water resistance, along with having far greater range than you describe needing. It appears to be accurate to +/- 1/8 inch at 150 ft -- or better, and is self leveling. I see users commenting that they get better than the promised 40 to 60 hours battery life, and you can swap in either rechargeable or off the shelf batteries (D cells I think). If it were me, I'd start looking in this range, compare a few models and reviews. Here's a link to the Topcon:

https://www.amazon.com/Leveling-Horizontal-Resistant-Construction-Receiver/dp/B079V4QCT3?SubscriptionId=AKIAI4T22JU7SBN4REAQ&tag=tools1st-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B079V4QCT3

Just finished my kitchen redo with RTA cabinets. We originally were going to go with Ikea (even bought them and had them all in the garage) and then decided to switch to RTA. We found ours from a local seller, who I'm pretty sure just bought them online and resold them. They were pretty much the same as Cabinets To Go.

I was really happy with them. Quality was good, assembly/installation was fine. Seemed sturdier than Ikea.

Ours went together mostly with cam screws. I did put a few extra trim screws through certain sides/places/drawers to make them hold together a bit tighter.

We also ended up painting them, adding our own hardware, and adding our own custom trim, which I think turned out well.

Here are some major general cabinet tips I wish I had known before I started (most apply to all cabinets):

For uppers, screw a level 2x4 to the studs right where you want the bottom of the upper to be, set the upper on the 2x4, have a helper hold it in place then screw it to the studs. Much easier than holding it up there level until you get some screws in.

You need to level the cabinets in multiple directions. Your walls almost certainly aren't straight. Get a laser level like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Compact-Self-Leveling-Cross-Laser-Clamp/dp/B00OZHIFNS/

put it on a table/ladder/flat surface and have it project a horizontal, level line a few inches above the tops of your bottom cabinets. Take a tape measure around to each cabinet and check all 4 corners to get a common distance between cabinet top and laser line. You want to shoot for no more than 1/8 inch variation in heights. Use shims to fix it. This method is 100 times better than a bubble level if you have any distance to span at all.

Along with that, you want your fronts to line up so that when you look down the fronts, they are in a straight line. I'll be honest, I screwed this up quite a bit. I tried to follow the line of my wall, but found out after the fact my wall is horribly crooked. Mine isn't too bad, but the overhang of the counter tops is inconsistent in depth throughout. I don't have awesome tips on how to fix this, other than be patient and use the laser level to try to help line things up.

Order of operations I would take is tear out old cabinets, tear up old floor tile, put in new cabinets, put in new tile. That is the order we went in at least.

Good luck!

We have an old Schondstedt like /u/HighArctic shows, and it's a great backup. The thing must be like 30 years old but still trucks along.



Our MagnaTrak 202 worked great for a long time. Now Bosch bought out CST / Berger, and I got the run-around to get it repaired from our local dealership. I'll probably end up sending it out to this guy in Texas that always advertises in the survey magazines.



I have heard really good things about the newest Maggie. Supposedly it is a similar technology to their old pistol style locators but in a more ergonomic package and normal batteries. I loved that old pistol for sectional work as you could sling it across your shoulder in the holster and basically forget about it till needed. Nice and compact.

Sure thing. It all depends on the pitch of the land but if you can find a level-ish spot that works for you, you can do the following:

1. Go to supply store and get a handful (4-6,ish) of landscaping nails like this and some mason twine like this, and a string level like this
   
   
2. Spray-paint the shape where you're planning on it going. Put a nail in the ground on the highest point of the circle and tie an end of the string to it (you can either push the string to the ground or just push the nail all the way in--I'd recommend the prior).
   
   
3. Pull that string out to the other side. Hang the level on the string and pull it taught, have a friend help you to get it to read level and tie it off to a nail (or tall stake, dependent on how much of a pitch we're talking).
   
   
4. Using a tape measure or yard stick, measure the distance from the string to the ground. Theoretically, if you dig that distance down on the high side, it should level to the low side. There are more professional ways to do this but this is the cheapest hack.
   
   
5. Using the string, level, and nails, move earth until you have a level patch of dirt the size of the bed you want. Once you do that you can use stonedust and/or 3/4" stone to make a base for your pavers (or whatever).
   
   
6. All you have to do is bring the string up to a higher level and fill the stone/stonedust up to that point to ensure it's level across. That will get you the base.
   
   What's next?
   
   edits: link and word choice
   

+1 for Qbox, that thing has saved my ass more times than I'd like to admit. I'd also recommend an alignment level like the Bosch GPL3. I mostly use mine for arena ground-rigging but it's great in a pinch for lining up pretty much anything and a lot quicker than a plumb bob.

Here is what I found, use it at your own risk:

• I have two ways to setup: permanent wall mountings in my VR room, and a kit with lightstands and other mounting options for when I am out doing demos (I do lots).
  
  
• For mounting to the wall, I found that I did not need a stud. Use sheetrock screws, it is more than enough support.
  
  
• I also found that the screws and molly provided by HTC are crap. To this day I cannot figure out how you use a solid molly. I used my own screws and was better off for it.
  
  
• I put them at about 7 feet high, diagonally opposed (around 4 meters apart). But know that you do not need to measure or make anything precise with the location. They are very flexible, have a very wide FOV, and I have set up lighthouses on lightstands dozens of times, each time with wildly different locations: works perfectly every time.
  
  
• The big effort is the room: Remove or cover all reflective surfaces, make sure you have powersurge protection (the lighthouses in particular want clean electricity). I have a dedicated room with custom lights, seats for watchers, etc. It gets pretty manic trying to eek out more space!
  
  
• Consider getting some light poles to avoid drilling: https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-BP350-Telescoping-4-Inch-20-Inch/dp/B001U89QH4/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1491516981&sr=1-1&keywords=telescoping+floor+to+ceiling+pole
  If you must drill, the holes should be smaller than the screws, almost half the size, so that the screws hold. But if going into drywall, I would not pre-drill.
  
  Good luck, you are going to have a blast. And worst case scenario I am sure you could trade some VR time with a friend with mounting experience!

My guess is that the laser that reads the discs is dying/dead and you would need to replace it. The laser itself is about $10 on Amazon and if you feel confident there are a million guides on YouTube on how to do so. You would need to order a new laser and make sure you have the correct screwdrivers (I think you need a tri-wing and a Phillips for a Wii).

I actually picked up a wii that wouldn't read certain discs because I knew I could fix it. After 20 minutes of work I had replaced the laser and the Wii worked great.

Sometimes the laser gets dirty and you might just need to clean it (I picked my Wii off of a smoker). Other times it is just too weak to read certain Wii discs; some like Brawl are dual-layer and need a strong laser to read them. You might be able to test if you laser is just weak if it can read single-layer games (Wii-sports, Gamecube games come to mind).

Either way don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and try and fix it yourself if it isn't reading discs already you can't do much worse.

Wow, prices have really come down since I last looked. I was looking at a few different Bosch models, and they all seemed good. Something like this

A 3 plane laser is a wonderful tool for layout. I have a Bosch GLL3-33 CG and it’s saved me countless hours on the jobsite. Absolutely worth it.

Not HF but I bought this $38 self leveling laser level from Amazon and it's actually been working well -- always tested true level with my bubble levels

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N33JJ3R/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm going to be honest with you, If you want a "Basic" self leveling laser, don't get any of those. They're all over 100 dollars.

you know what you need? This

50 dollars is pretty steep too, but you get a tripod with it.

don't need a tripod? Here.

Mine is a "parkside" I got from Lidl for 20 bucks, works fine. If you're not using it every day, cheap is fine.

Buy a super cheap laser level. They are too dim to use in bright daylight, but they'd be bright enough at dusk:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-BDL220S-Laser-Level/dp/B000B8GBBS

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DV5PM12/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000B8GBBS&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0K9ZX5Y7JC72XMC01PRQ

I'm not a huge DIY guy mostly posting because I want to see what others have to say, but as someone that is not that great at hanging things, an electronic leveling system has been amazing for hanging things easily [like this] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0793LFSP4/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0793LFSP4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=f0dedbe2-13c8-4136-a746-4398ed93cf0f&pd_rd_wg=Xl8Z1&pf_rd_r=2YZ9NC9C8N5XZ80YJWJ5&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=18A0T&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=b4759eb3-f315-11e8-a029-3b664630e258)

Thanks!

It's just a laser level. I picked it up when started this project. I used it for framing, tile, cutting in the niche and setting my shower doors plum. Great tool. http://amzn.com/B00NQUJ2AK

Here's the one I got, for reference: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F5L69GD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I kind of wish I had more projects to use it for... should I just start tiling random walls? ;)

The big thing to look for is that it does 3 planes (rotary/vertical/horizontal) which means you can align it exactly with how your screen hangs from the ceiling and get a perfectly orthogonal line traced on the ceiling.

I bought the non laser equipped version of my miter saw and added this $10 laser attachment to the blade. It works great.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CRE7Q4?vs=1

I got a laser level from walmart, it's nice because I can put it on the table and it casts a line, so I don't have to worry too much about my hand shaking, just line up the arc lines with the cast line.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-DECKER-BDL220S-Mounting-Accessories/sim/B000B8GBBS/2

I, and most people I see who use them, use a laser level which you can find in most any hardware store or, of course, online.

As an added bonus, they make deployment a breeze (see player on left). Just measure your 7" or 10" close to one table edge, lay the laser down at that point, and measure again along the opposite edge to make sure it's...well...level. Then you can quickly and accurately deploy your models without constantly remeasuring or relying on a scattering of dice/markers.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

MagnaTrak 202

---

Never forget to smile again | ^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

Something like this should work, even laying on its side, putting the laser pretty flat with the floor.

Welcome to the world of wood construction; where walls are never straight or plumb.

Working off chalk lines, or using a laser will help you:

https://www.amazon.com/HAMMERHEAD-HLFL01-installation-Alignment-Wallpaper/dp/B074J7VV52

Simple operation and works pretty well

https://www.amazon.com/Leveling-Alignment-Horizontal-Batteries-Construction/dp/B07CVZHRQ2

Proffesional Commercial and residential GC here. I use various types of lasers all day. DeWalts crossline laser is hands down best bang for your buck and most versatile.

DEWALT DW088K Cross Line Laser https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B009O94W3E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-jVPAbFRJJ31J

Canadian tire has them for $10 cheaper and will go on sale a couple of times a year.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N33JJ3R/

$32 USD. Works great.

This one is awesome

The bottom of a laser level: you nail/attach the tack to the wall then can swivel the laser where you need it. Hold on, looking for a pic... ETA: Like the base of this one. I have the exact one in your pic, but I'll be darned if I can remember who made it so I can find a pic. The bottom of the actual level is magnetic and sits on the ring, and has a little thing that turns the level and the base stays stuck to the wall. (Edited a thousand times because I'm not making sense today. Yay cold meds.)

I have worked with a lot of brands of lasers and have never used any that work in the manner you are looking for. What you want is a pole mount for lasers. Something like these:
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-BP350-Telescoping-4-Inch-20-Inch/dp/B001U89QH4/
http://www.engineersupply.com/CST-berger-12-foot-laser-pole-58-lp12-um.aspx

Buy a mounting pole that works for you and you should be able to use almost any line laser on it.

There are units which throw a straight line rather than painting one while spinning.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW088K-Cross-Line-Laser/dp/B009O94W3E

http://youtu.be/Ojj4-W1svw4?t=1m43s

Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N33JJ3R?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Link says binoculars but it’s the level.

Or you could just buy a real, self-leveling one for about $35.
https://www.amazon.com/Tacklife-SC-L01-50-Self-Leveling-Horizontal-Cross-Line/dp/B01N33JJ3R/ref=sxin_2_b2b_sx_ftd_qd?keywords=self+leveling+laser&pd_rd_i=B01N33JJ3R&pd_rd_r=ff7da6a5-c4b5-466e-932f-f1151ecae3d6&pd_rd_w=IgbHy&pd_rd_wg=HUoOl&pf_rd_p=96f4a28d-bbd4-4b1b-b36b-32fdf628e1b1&pf_rd_r=C1XHJF5E4S9Y5W3T90HB&qid=1568934347&sprefix=self+leveling+

Buy This. Then putt. Keep the red on the ball as long as possible. http://www.amazon.com/Blackhttp://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-BDL220S-Laser-Level/dp/B000B8GBBS/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1380586268&sr=1-2&keywords=black+and+decker+laser+level-Decker-BDL220S-Laser-Level/dp/B000B8GBBS/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1380586268&sr=1-2&keywords=black+and+decker+laser+level

Black & Decker BDL220S Laser Level https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B8GBBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wHpFybMPT44NN