Blew $180 on a laser level that couldn't handle direct sunlight on a patio job in Phoenix

Spent three afternoons fighting the beam before giving up and going back to my string line, has anyone else had luck with a specific brand that actually works outdoors?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_eric12d ago

Why would you pay that much for a laser when a string line and a couple stakes cost five bucks and work every time, rain or shine? Maybe the problem isn't the equipment, it's expecting a $180 tool to do a job that needs a different approach.

blair7012d ago

Tell you what @the_eric, I brought a cheap laser to a job once and spent an hour fighting with it in bright sun before grabbing a string and being done in five minutes. String lines never run out of batteries or need recalibrating, just a solid backup for when the fancy stuff gives you grief.

keith2747d agoMost Upvoted

Preach. "Spent three afternoons fighting the beam" - that line hit close to home. I did the same thing last summer with a Bosch laser I thought was the real deal. Tried it on a retaining wall job in the full Arizona sun and the beam was basically invisible after ten feet. I kept moving the sensor around, adjusting the brightness, wasting a good two hours. Finally gave up, dug out my old mason's line and a line level, and had everything marked in twenty minutes. I swear, half the time those lasers just give us an excuse to overcomplicate something a string and a couple nails can do.