Customer Reviews

Black & Decker BDL310S Projected Crossfire Auto Level Laser

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The B&D Laser Level is a good laser for small areas and short runs. The laser is only projects a bright line to about 15 ft then drops off dramatically. The line is a lot thicker than other laser lines out there. The attachment chasis is a bit confusing to use with the spikes that come out and must be set into the wall. This is difficult on finished surfaces. I should have got the PLS 2.

This is a great product with 2 comments that would've made it a 5 out of 5. The first was mentioned in another review which is that the nut that a tripod screw is supposed to engage is recessed too far. I have 2 tripods, neither of which could reach. The saving grace here is that the bottom has a magnet in it so I was able to set it on the tripod somewhat securely. The second is that it would've been nice to have been able to lock down the self leveling laser (basically the laser is hung freely in the case)so that if you wanted to sight it on an angle you wouldn't get the dotted line laser telling you it's not level. You can work around this.
I was going back and forth between this device and the BDL170 and am happy I got this one. I used it for the first time to put up a chair rail around the room that still had furniture in it and across windows with trim. I was able to move the tripod w laser to various spots, rotate the laser to get the next section after resetting the height to the last section (I was on a rug so height varied) and when i got back to where i started it was dead on. I'd still be measuring and compromising (and not writing this review) had I not had this tool.

I don't know how I would've done this with the BLD170, particularly when it came to going across the window trim (which is raised from the wall) since it would've broken line of site for a device flush with the wall.

To net it out, I'm very happy with this tool. and if you're doing corners or adjacent walls with the same line and there is anything on the wall to break line of site (like raised trim), this is the better unit. And you can do non-level lines with a little fanagling(sp?).

I set up two level reference points using my Zircon Electronic Water Level and my best 4' level, then I checked them with my new Crossfire Laser Level. It was right on the money!! Very nice tool.

I absolutely love great design... assuming the guts work accurately. This level fits both requirements.

Functionally: The level is accurate and the laser is bright and projects a long distance.

Design: It was designed but someone who actually uses them. It has a flat base so it can be used by itself. And it also has a base that the level attaches to with a magnet (brilliant). The base itself is flat, so it can be set down, but it also has other options to position it: built-in pins to attach to the wall, a hole for a nail or screw, and a loop to hang it from the ceiling. Once in the base, the level can be adjusted vertically (barely, so place it near the right height), and horizontally with knobs.

I bought this on an Amazon Gold Box deal just before moving into a new house and it's turned out to be money well-spent. It is easy to use and can save a huge amount of time and frustration when you have objects that need to be hung on a wall in either horizontal or vertical alignment (or both). I've used it indoors in every room and outdoors in covered areas like the front porch.

There is one design flaw, however, that takes off a star: as noted elsewhere, the screw threads in the tripod mounting hole are just out of reach of the stubby standard screws found on most tripod heads. It would appear that the designers failed to take into account that the black rubberized shell would add about 1/16" to the depth of the recessed hole.

It's not a professional tool, but is more than adequate for occasional use around the home.

Update - December 2008: I found a solution for the tripod problem. While unpacking, I discovered a forgotten 12-inch light bar designed to hold a camera and two lights and then attach to a tripod. The camera screw on the light bar is a little longer than most tripod screws, so I attached the laser level to the light bar and then attached the light bar to the tripod. This gives me a good stable mount for the laser level.

If you're tiling a wall, I'd consider this an indispensable tool. You can quickly set up the level for an entire row of tiles and check the plumb as you set each tile. It's especially handy around corners, because you can check the level on each wall simultaneously, something you just can't do with an ordinary level. When a wall isn't plumb, you can compensate by simply marking the laser line on the tile and cutting to it rather than taking different measurements up the wall and hoping you get the angle right.

This is a very well engineered product at its price point. The only real drawback I've found is that switching it on or off, or changing between modes, always requires resetting the level when you turn it back on. Better to leave it always on and stock up on 9V batteries.

This is one of the most usefull tool I have. The self-leveling feature ensures accurate horizontal and/or vertical lines. However, the laserbeam is not bright enough for outdoor use.

Wow, where to begin. Got this thing in yesterday. Being the type of guy that gets-a-new-hammer-and-everything-looks-like-a-nail, I couldn't wait to try it out. Let me preface this with the fact that I had a single beam type that used the pin-in-the-wall deal to accomplish horizontal lines. Did OK on vertical lines but the horizontal line depended on the wall being plumb. Not necessarilly true in an older house. That and the whole shebang liked to rotate out of true on the pin itself (only had one pin holding it). I fought through one project with that thing and then I found this one.
I took this one into my basement where I had some room and checked it against the specs in the owners pamphlet (never get a real manual anymore) and it exceeded everything published. In normal lighting it will give you a visible beam for about 20 ft. which is what the book says it will. If you use a target (used a gray steel yardstick) I could get out to at least 25 ft. probably substantially further if I darkend the room a bit. The book does not recommend its use outside and it would be pretty worthless in bright sunlight but around twilight it should work just fine. Accuracy was right on as far as I could check with my yardstick using the mm. scale. One reviewer checked it with a water level which is far more accurate than anything I had at my disposal so I will tend to believe his assesment. The mount is a real jewel. It allows a vertical adjustment of 4 1/8" with 1 1/4" per turn on the adjustment. The adjustment rack is very smooth allowing pretty precise adjustment. The major drawback is that the leveling device doesn't seem to be damped in any way so you have to wait for the thing to settle down after making the adjustment to figure out just where you are. You can also park it about any way you want to; hang it from something, sit it on something, stick it in the wall (two pins), hang it from a nail or put it on a tripod. Some reviewers noted that the tripod mounting feature is recessed to far for a average camera tripod to work without some finagling. I haven't tried mine but with so many other options I doubt I ever will. Hanging it may be a bit dicey because I can envision it starting to swing in a cross breeze unless it is damped by weights or something. The leveling is not exactly a pendulum but a gimble, basically a compound pendulum. Obviously, I am impressed. For around 50 bucks, If you want something better, go for it, your money!!!

Works very well around the house. I've used it for hanging pictures and some shelves.

One note: it doesn't seem to screw into my tripods (as other reviewers have noted) - the screw isn't long enough. I have tripods with both a 3/8" and 1/4" threaded screw. This level is 1/4", so I picked up a Manfrotto 015 3/8-Inch Female to 1/4-Inch adapter and the adapter IS long enough to screw into the level! So if you happen to have a 3/8" tripod, pick up this adapter (about $5 here at Amazon, or a good photography store) and it will screw into the base of the level!

I used the product to hang a suspended ceiling and to make the ceiling level. I hung the laser in the center of the room at the desired height and went to work. No drawing lines, no strings. Very easy to use.