Laser levels

They are very cheap. I have one and have used it a lot. Mine does not auto level, so certainly get an auto level. I can use mine outside for 30 or more metres if I put some reflective tape on the target.

Two words.

GET ONE

Very useful for getting things "level" around a room. Note that "level" is in quotes. Real absolute level may not work very well in a real non-square, non-plum, non-level room. So although auto leveling might be nice to have how useful it actually is might be variable.

I've used mine (*) for getting plumb verticals onto a bowed wall for wall papering. One of our walls is 1" back at the top, has a buldge about 2" high 1/3 from the bottom and then goes back again. Bit of weighted string is useless...

Also for putting a border all the way around a room with ends meeting back up and having it run under the window sill.

(*) It's a cheapy one, ordinary straight level with a laser module in one end, supplied with cheap tripod and a three thumbscrew leveling and manual rotating base. Fiddly to set up but does the job. Also has some difraction gratings that turn the spot into a line. The line mode is probably easier to work with than spot. One that has a motor drive thus moving the spot into a "line" wouldn't need the gratings.

chris French presented the following explanation :

I paid £20 for an auto level, with tripod many years ago, but didn't expect it to be very accurate. In fact it was much more accurate than I was able to check, even with a water level and plumbob. I used it for the wood strip (?) around the hall and to get a workshop extension i built level outside in the garden. It was a matter of doing it in the dark wearing a head torch, but it saved so much time laying it out.

It has a head, which fits on an adjustable height tripod. Once in place, you release the laser inside to swing freely and turn it on. It offers horizontal level, vertical level, or a combination of both. I do though suspect mine happened to be a one off so far as its accuracy goes.

In message , harryagain writes

Ok, you've convinced me :-)

Now wondering what is the best option. Self leveling seems a good idea. Pole trip? (got a couple of tripods around though, could hopefully use one of those if need be)

My concern would be it is only =/- 4mm that is not very accurate ... My 2m level is 0.1mm

I use that with a 4m straight edge ....anything longer I use my surveyors level (=/- 3mm over 30m)

I used an £800 self levelling laser when setting out screed levels for all of the ground floor ... this had accuracy of 0.1mm per M Even that was still not very bright ... so be wary about how bright the line will be.

Well, that is 4mm over 10m, which compares well to the what seems a typical average (from a quick google) spirit level quoted accuracy of

I think your spirit level is rather more accurate than the typical one then :-)

I'll be using it indoors, in rooms upto about 5m or so square, I think it'll be fine for that, goign on others experiences with cheap laser levels