On the Level with Bosch
This review was created as part of a paid affiliate program with the Home Depot.
My first order of business with this and every tool review is a disclaimer: I am not a professional contractor. I am a farmer and a fine furniture maker. When it comes to construction and renovation projects, I’m a DIYer and weekend warrior. That said, I doubt many professional contractors will be reading my tool reviews. My goal in reviewing tools and products is to provide honest feedback based on my own use and experience with these tools to other regular folks like me- wanting to get their hands dirty, try new things, and get the best value for their hard earned dollars.
This is a fairly inexpensive tool I think every homeowner should have. It doesn’t have a lot of bells or whistles, but it’s easy to set up and use. A laser level and a tape measure completely remove any need for a homeowner to have bubble levels. Whether you’re hanging pictures
I used this laser level for two very different projects: renovating a broken down, rotting building as I converted it into my dream woodworking shop, and building an off-grid tiny house in the woods on our property.
In the shop build, the level came in extremely handy while we were installing my LED lighting system. We would set the level, wire up the first light in the run, then use the laser line as a guide hanging each of the five subsequent lights in the line. Because it was such an old building, nothing was square, so if we were to measure from one wall or another, the lights would have ended up appearing crooked, and we would have spent a whole heck of a lot more time measuring and marking the proper setup than simply setting the laser and forgetting it. The floor in the shop is also really un-level (I’m talking potential derby-race levels of un-levelness), so the self-leveling feature of the tool was really crucial.
The tiny house was the first “large-scale” construction project (yes, I hear the irony in that statement even as I make it) I’ve ever tackled from the very beginning. The first, and most important step in the build was site prep. When setting the concrete piers and hangers, everything had to be square and level to start, or the whole rest of the build would have been a marking and measuring nightmare. Because we were in the middle of the forest, the ground was really un-level, so once again, that self-leveling feature came in pretty dang handy. We set the laser, compacted the pea gravel, and reset the piers over and over until the horizontal and vertical placement of those two beams was absolutely perfect, and then the framing process began. As I outfit the interior of the tiny house, the level will get a whole lot more use.
Awesome features:
· Easy to set up and figure out how to use (important for a tool noob who hates reading instructions like me)
· Has 1/4/20 thread on the bottom so it can be mounted on an standard clamp, camera tripod, etc.
· Self-Leveling
· Battery Powered
· Cross-line mode projects two very bright lines that are perfectly level.
· MM2 Flexible Mounting Device clamps to multiple surfaces and provides microfine height adjustment.
· Smart Pendulum system self-levels and indicates out of level condition.
Things I wish were different/better:
· Because I do so much work outside, I really wish the lasers were even brighter. During the tiny house build, in the shade of the morning, the laser lines were spot on and easy to see, but in the afternoon sun, they became really tough to make out. Bosch actually does make a model with brighter lights, but it’s significantly more expensive.
It retails for $79.97. Would I buy it?
Absolutely.
*I acknowledge that the Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the Prospective 2018 Campaign. As part of the program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.