www.protoolreviews.com: Klein Tools has offered cross-line laser levels for several years, but the Klein Tools Self-Leveling Green Cross Line Laser Level with Red Plumb Spot is the company’s first with a green diode. Green lasers are nearly four times brighter than their red counterpart. Unfortunately, this also made them, until now at least, much more expensive. Klein’s done a remarkable job of including all the bells and whistles in a green laser level for under $200. We used it on a variety of layout projects and managed to hit most of the key features of this tool in the process!
6 comments:
I really like the look of this laser level. I have not really considered buying one of these for my own tool kit, and I am probably still a few years away from it honestly, but this one looks really promising. I did not know how much brighter green lasers were to red ones, but knowing that difference makes me way more inclined to buy this one over other competitors. The magnetic mount looks really slick, and while it might have more niche applications, I can see it being really useful in a lot of stuff we do. This level really seems like it is a pretty good all-in-one application with the plumbob feature that allows you to align points vertically so easily. I know we have a laser that only does that and some others that work as levels, but having that all in one package is pretty nice to me.
Similar to Cooper, I really like the look and size of this new laser level. I have always thought about, and have even looked into a couple times, purchasing one of these, however, the cost was always way too much. Laser levels seem like something I wouldn't use too much, however, when it's needed, it makes the job a lot easier. That being said, I had always seen ones that were hundreds and hundreds of dollars. This new Klein model seems to be a little more in my price range. I may just have to get me one. I think people assume that these are super niche, however, there seems to be a lot more uses for them than people think. For example, if you're hanging multiple picture frames, you could always measure from the floor or the ceiling and repeat the measurement, however, having one of these would be a lot easier.
I have never thought about adding a laser level into my toolkit as I have always seemed to make do with either a regular level or a cheap handheld laser level. I do think that this new laser level would not be needed for everyday shop purposes however can be a holy grail for when it does need to be used. I do think it would be nice to have one and see what interesting uses can come out of it. The price seems very reasonable as well, especially with the ability to align vertical points and the change from a red laser to a green one. This tool does seem extremely helpful for anything that requires multiple objects to be leveled or for one large scale object. The multiple ways it can be set up and mounted also seems to give a ton of flexibility and without taking away any accuracy. Ultimately a laser level seems to give a good amount of flexibility with great accuracy in your measurements so it is a product that one should eventually consider purchasing.
Like the others in the comments section, I have toyed on and off for a while about adding a cross line laser level to my toolkit. They are great for, as the name suggests, finding level and plumb for alignment. Over the summer, I convinced my dad to pick up Bosch's entry level cross line laser level while we did some home improvement. It made my life so much easier! However, it can only level itself off about 2 degrees, which leaves little room for error, and the plumb line is frequently off-plumb. Upgrading to a better model would likely help, and this one from Klein seems to do the job nicely. The magnetic mount would be really nice to have, as well as the 4 degree self-leveling, IP54 rating, and the green is nice upgrade as well. The price is also much more agreeable than most comparable models of cross line laser levels.
I've always been tempted to but laser levels since they greatly simplify tasks that are otherwise rather tedious. That's not to say they're an every day shop tool, however, especially in our world. Most of the time I've used self-leveling lasers was during the rigging calls for productions so we knew where to drop picks from, but outside of that not too much. I could see them being used for trim and other finishing work on scenery, but at that point tape measures are just as useful, even if they take a marginally longer time to use. This also brings up a point of conversation about leveling in general, and when not to do it. I remember loading in an art exhibit with Kevin last year over in the CFA, where banners needed to hang below steel pipes. At first, someone would have to set up a ladder and place a level on the pipe it hung on, and then wait for it to settle before adjusting. I remember pointing out that we could just visually line the pipe up with the railing of the balcony behind it if we took a few steps back. Not only was this quicker, the reality is that it looked better! We can often get caught up assuming the world and our scenery is square and level, which it almost never is. Sometimes using visual cues and relative dimensioning will create a better, more authentic look than assuming a global system of level.
Klein Tools have always been a fairly respectable brand and offers some pretty niche equipment for the construction industry. While I have never been in a situation where a laser plumb bob would have made load in or strike faster in a theatrical sense, I fully understand the power of this tool in other settings like exhibitions. Pro Tools complementing Klein on making the decision to have this laser level run off of AA Batteries was a little unexpected. While I agree that AA batteries are incredibly easy and inexpensive to come by, I think a tool company releasing a tool that does not have a compatible battery with other tools under the brand is a little odd. All of the mounting capabilities seem to be pretty useful for a variety of job sites. Overall, while this may not be a tool that I need often, I can appreciate the innovation of laser levels that are used so frequently by other industries.
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