Preparing for Winter 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 product 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.

Let’s talk about the Bosch 800FT Self Leveling Rotary Laser Level Kit

The main thing I have to say about this 800ft rotary laser level kit from Bosch is that I wish I had it sooner. For larger scale projects like fencing, regrading the pastures, putting in the french drain system, installing our front gate system, putting up the trellis system… this product would have come in quite handy. We were finally able to put it to use on the firewood storage project we did earlier this summer, however, and it earned it’s permanent spot in our farm toolkit to say the least. The thing that makes this tool most valuable to me is that it makes leveling applications a single person job rather than a two person job. As Isaac and I were prepping the pad to put the firewood racks on, he was able to run the tool while I was on the tractor. We could check and recheck our progress super easily without me having to get on and off the tractor, and in so doing, we shaved off a ton of time and effort from the project.

This leveling system is accurate up to 1/4” at 100 feet on both the horizontal and vertical access. That kind of precision is a tad overkill for most of our farm operations, but it’s amazing to have regardless. The other thing that made this unit so attractive to me is how easy it is to set up and use. Within ten minutes of opening the box, it was ready to go.

At a $499 price point, this is not a tool I’d put in my core toolkit for DIYers and Weekend warriors, but if you are doing a couple of grading, leveling, or fencing projects, ESPECIALLY if you’re doing them by yourself, this tool will earn it’s keep many times over. On the lower end of lasers, a big problem I’ve had is visibility in daytime sunlight. Because we do most of our outdoor projects in the summer with the Seattle weather on our side, this was a big one for me, and the Bosch did not disappoint. It is durable, portable, easy to use, and extremely accurate. I’d definitely call this another easy win for Bosch.

Now let’s talk about the 4” Bluegranite hammer bits from Bosch

Bosch brags a 5x longer life than regular bits, and I wish I could substantiate that, but I’ve actually only ever used Bosch bits for concrete drilling because I was so satisfied the first time I used them. While we were working on the firewood stacking rack project, these once again proved their worth in drilling pilot holes in the cinderblocks we were using to temporarily fasten our uprights while we assembled the structure. Drilling concrete on this small scale, it’s great that these bits are hex shanked because they can be used in impact drivers which in a lot of ways mimic a dedicated hammer drill. For $18.97 you can pick up a five pack of bits and you’ll get a good value and a little variety of holes you can tackle for drilling or anchoring in masonry or concrete. They drill fast and precise, and this isn’t an area I’d try to skimp and save a buck buying a budget bit, because you’ll just end up having to replace it quicker.