Laser Distance Measure?

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Oct 30, 2002
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Are these things any good for measuring things such as room dimensions? What else can they be used for? Can you get a decent one for $20?
 
I have a Bosch GLM 80, I think I got it on sale a while ago, does crazy things like measure the angle too.

I see Amazon has some cheap ones starting at $15. Make sure you get a laser one, the ultrasonic ones are inaccurate. For room dimensions, make sure you can get one that allows you to have a mode where it will automatically do the math for you. I think that $15 one only gives you the distance. There's a $23 on Amazon that will give you the area.

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Distance-Measure-Pythagorean-Calculation/dp/B071YPS2J9

Not sure how reliable those are. I had a Stanley Fat Max at one point til that broke, also have the Bosch DLR130k which I got over 4 years ago and that's still working, it's my backup since I got the GLM 80 about two years ago.
 
I also have a Bosch unit. Cost less than $50.

I found it really useful when stick framing walls in-place (like framing a basement). Much quicker to measure stud length than with a tape.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
I cannot figure out what the typo "inoad" was supposed to have meant.


in at?
 
Thanks all. I actually ordered a cheapie one from ebay, like this one for under $17, mainly just to play around with and not for any kind of serious work. I'm not expecting Bosch quality at this price.
 
I had to measure a large room at work, it was going to be a tight squeeze so I had to get it right. I was given a Bosch laser measuring device to do the job.

Being a measure twice, cut once person. I measured the room a second time with a friend to help and a steel tape measure. We got the same measurement within +/- 5 mm (0.2").
 
The Bosch unit at Home depot for 100 bucks is extremely accurate. We use them every day, sometimes clients question their accuracy, but they are always spot on...
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
The cheap ones are good to + or - 6", not very accurate

UPDATE: The cheap one I got seems to be accurate to within a couple of mm when measuring longer distances, but if you ask it to measure something under 12" or so, it sometimes misses by as much as half an inch.
 
i am thinking of getting one. the newest ones seem to conpensate for angle now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7TTDRX/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3341940462&pd_rd_wg=WenBT&pf_rd_r=TXHJ1BXXPTD0RVJTK3DK&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B01N35OHOK&pd_rd_w=pOByp&pf_rd_i=laser%2Btape%2Bmeasure&pd_rd_r=707bda1f-e001-45e2-91b7-4642ac84a3b2&ie=UTF8&qid=1516521990&sr=1&th=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4UUl1lMPR0
 
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Picked up another one of these cheapie laser measures - this one cost even less than the last one. They seem to be agreeing with each other fairly well. The new one (TackLife) has more range (60 meters). Claimed accuracy is within 1.5 mm.

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We use them a lot to measure duct length, room size, pipe length and so forth, but they can be somewhat annoying because you have to have a kind of dimly lit target. Basements are perfect, but a bright room with direct sunlight or outside during the day, no go. I have a Bosch and a cheap Craftsman and they both work fine, down to the 1/16" i believe, so plenty accurate. Some people say carry a black piece of paper or a board painted black for bright conditions, but I'd just as soon carry a tape.
One thing I did use it for that was invaluable, was measuring the attic of a church that was 65' long for wire and ductwork installation and it was invaluable. I would have had to traverse the attic several times to get the measurements. With a laser it took maybe 15 min, and all I had to do was stick my head thru a access hole.
 
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