OK, I've done quite a bit of research on rotary lasers, and the only question remaining is actual jobsite performance. Has anyone used one of these lasers, and would you buy it again? Can you see the line in daylight? How far away? How do you use it on the jobsite?

I have a CST laser which works fine, I haven't used it in about a year, since I purchased a self leveling one. I would recommend the CST's since I've had it for 4 years without any issues.

If this is allowed, I have just listed it on E-bay, so if your interested and want to save some money let me know

Chris

Good to know, thanks, but looking for a self-leveller.

Apparently no one else uses lasers. Ideally I'd like to use it not just for getting all block tops on the same horizontal plane, but also to set them plumb.

Wow, amazing that no one uses laser.

I have one made by Porter Cable. It is self leveling. I don't think they are marketing them any more. This one works good outdoors. It has a remote contol so that the rotation may be started , stopped and reversed. Choice of solid or doted line. It is nice when you are working alone. I still like a long level and 100' tape. Basic geometry still works for my projects.

I've just discovered that although the laser I was looking at SAYS it is 10mw... that's before all the optics, and it really only puts out ~2.5mw. Disappointing. So now I have to be suspicious of every 5mw laser, whether that's BEFORE or after the optics. The 5mw's claim the same throw as the 10mw, which doesn't make sense, and of course there is no FTC oversight of these claims.

I am trying to find the most powerful one I can find, so hopefully I can see it outdoors on at least cloudy days. This would greatly speed up work.

Another thing that doesn't make sense is the red glasses that come with. Now; these are supposed to make it easier to see the beam, but this doesn't make sense. The glasses are red, which means they -reflect- red light (which we -see-). So it seems that this would render the red laser invisible, and yet their ostensible purpose is to make the laser more visible? WTF?

I have to stop and think about this myself once in awhile, and then it dawns on me, again!

What color do you see when you look through red glasses? Red, right? So that means what color light is passing through the lens? Red, right? What color are most laser beams? Red, right? The red light of the laser reflects off whatever surface it strikes, and passes through the glasses. The red lens stops blue light, green light, yellow light, and so on. See now (pun intended) why you can see the laser beam better using the red glasses?

If you are spending money, forget about the "consumer" cheapies. Red beams only work inside or at night. Mostly used by the ceiling trades.

Buy a used Spectra Physics EL-1  with a receiver. Ebay is fine.

Allow some $$ for re-calibration.

EL-1's are 15 plus yrs old now and still going strong.Rugged and simple. Called LL500's these days.

We have 3 , love them.

I have an Acculine Pro auto leveling with the green beam . I don't think you will find any laser that is visible in bright daylight  The Acculine I have lets you switch from a full 360 degree swep to a small angle sweep.  That makes it more visible. I use it before the sun sets when it is still light ouside and I can see it fine in this mode The green beam is more visible than red lasers.

As the Spectra-Physics is a Class1, it must be an ultraviolet laser. Whole idea here is to try and speed up work with a laser that's as visible as possible. I should think these days this is possible at least in cloudy weather. I'd like to see the Spectra-Physics lasers as they seem pro-grade, but the Newport site just keeps me on Country Select no matter what I do. Can't get to the lasers. Thanks for the suggestion.

I've been warned off the Acculine lasers (quality issues), but it's interesting that you're happy with yours Opus. Also I'd studied the green beams and that they are more visible makes sense, but they often cost 50% more than red lasers. The cost for a rotary laser in the first place is hard to justify, as everyone here knows. I'll look at the Acculines.

I wouldn't bother with a visible laser.
For a rotary, we have liked the Pro Shot L4 with R7 receiver best. Self levelling is handiest...

Tom Hammel in this issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies www.contractortoolsandsupplies.com sums up the race well. We use the Agatec models. I'm happy with the performance vs. old Spectra, Leica and others.

Thanks Ian. I find the Agatec tools are rated only to 300m though.

Need more power, as visibility outdoors is the goal. This would just save so much time and labor, even if not always possible. I am also coming around to 90 degree fan-lasers. Would make buildings perfectly square, although I'm unlikely to find the power I want here.

I haven't found the 90 degree lasers offer pin point accuracy. IE, the PLS5 even on a smaller building allows for so much error. I have an ancient Nikon Theodolite that works wonders and works well on stepped footings up hillsides etc.. I still do the math for the angles though.

Ugh, I hope Pacific Laser isn't representative. The whole point is accuracy.

No manufacturer puts that powerful a laser in this kind of product. For one thing there is the danger of eye damage from a laser the is powerful enough to be seen outside in daylight. Green lasers are about as good as it gets for visibility. If you use one everyday by all means get a professional model. If you are like me and have ocasional use then the Acculine is fine. I bought mine after I watched saw the sub doing the grading for a slab set a grade stake for a finished floor 32 in high using his Spectra laser. He set it up 2 feet from a white van and evidently was bouncing the beam off the van. After arguing with the grader and then having the septic guy tell me he had set the tank "about an inch high " with his laser when he was actually 6 inches high I now check EVERYONES work. Cheap insurance. I like being able to see the beam and know if there is a problem without walking everywhere with the dectector (before sunset).  I had a slab that was off a little. I set out the first row of block, set the laser out , and walked around marking the block . i cut it to set the first row level. If I had had the laser on the site when the slab was pored I could have helped them find those screed pins that were eluding them!

Oh man, this is the first evidence I have of green lasers being used outdoors, thanks.

Although, every manufacturers' green lasers are rated at 1/3rd the distance for twice the price. I don't understand how this can be.

It sounds like you can see yours in daylight? I guess you have this model:
LINK

Rated at 427 meters. Cheepest I can find it for is $1,480... too much. Surely CST/berger's LM800 at 850 meters for $820 can be seen as well? Distance is distance. If Acculine says it does not work beyond 427m even with detector, how could it be seen better than the LM800 at that distance?

I do beleive that is what I have. I can't see the beam in the bright sun. I never tried the green glasses to see if that helps. I usually set up about an hour before the sun sets. You might be able to see it in a shaded area. If I have time I will look tomorrow and try to give you an accurate report on daylight visibility. If you put the bean on a narrow sweep it is very bright. You can then move it around with the remote. I was told by a tech for one of the compaies that Acculine, Lasermark , and David white are all the exact same internals. The green lasers do cost a lot more . Green laser diodes just cost much more.The range has nothing to do with being able to see it in daylight. I got mine from Sears.com for about $1000 after a rebate. Now they have Lasermark. I also got this model because it does slopes so you are paying extra for that.

(LINK)

I bought the dectector seperate from another company. It must be for green beams. You don't really need to see the beam . The dectectors work great. I just find it much quicker with fewer mistakes as it makes problems easy to see at a glance. If your looking to save money get a red laser. The Tapcon green lasers are about $5000.

Yes-the glasses reflect some red light. But if you look through them they are then blocking all the colors but red , thus making everything look red. If you bolck the other colors then the red is easier to see, thus the red laser light is easier to see.

If you have time, I'd like to know the results of the daylight test.

Have you tried the target outdoors? Seems like this could make it easier in bright daylight.

The thing I don't understand about the glasses is they are green, ostensibly to see the green beam better. But green lens means it must reflect green so your eyes can see it. They can't be absorbing/reflecting all other colors to emphasize green.