Customer Reviews

CST/Berger TLM100 Laser Distance Measurer

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I saw press releases about this product and was one of the first people to purchase it, through homedepot.com for more money than amazon is currently asking.

It is well built, intuitive and easy to use.

Note that this Tru Laser, is truly a laser measuring device. That means the little laser beam takes the measurement - whatever it is shining on is what you measure.
Don't confuse this with the ubiquitous "sonic measurers" that use a laser pointer. Those use sound waves which are inaccurate and wide, making it frustrating/impossible to measure anything small or fine.

The product designers did an outstanding job. I found that after reading the short instruction sheet (1 big page) I was able to remember which button to press for each function.

This device greatly enhances productivity and accuracy compared to using a tape measure or yardstick. You probably would not us it for shorter measurements, say less than 18 inches but for anything over that it's the weapon of choice.

The TruLaser is excellent for quickly and accurately measuring home dimensions. For basic things like room dimensions (wall to wall distance, ceiling height, ...) it's excellent. Trying to accurately measure the height of a vaulted ceiling with a tape measure requires a ladder, and sometimes two people. With this device one person can do the job in about 10 seconds.

I was pleasantly surprised to find I could measure more things than I had hoped for. As long as you can catch an edge, the laser is usually able to take a reading (it tells you if it cannot). So you can measure the inside dimensions of a window (if it's larger than 18 inches or so), and you can measure how far the window is from the doorway or an adjacent window (assuming you can catch a piece of trim with the laser).

The product promises 1/4 inch accuracy at up to 100 feet range.
I haven't done exhaustive tests, but it in most cases I tried (30 feet or less) the accuracy was better than promised.

After using the Tru Laser for a few days I simply would not be without it - a tape measure seems so cumbersome and inefficient
in comparison.

I highly recommend this item.

Those that have been watching these laser measures will note that they cost $1000's of dollars just a few years ago. This one is under $100. Wow. I guess that's the good news. The bad news is that you do give up a bit for the cheaper price.

I have a Disto laser measure that I got for about $400 a year ago. It has Leica opticals just like this Stanley unit. Its accuracy is +/- 1/16" at 650 feet. The Stanley unit has an accuracy of +/- 1/4" at up to 100 ft. but note that a target is required over 50 ft. I have confirmed the 50 ft. range claim, but it seems to have a good range.

If you don't need the extreme accuracy, this unit is great. Its the smallest laser measure I've ever seen, and its pretty simple to use. Press the button once, the laser is on, press again, it measures. It also can calculate areas, volumes and add or subtract multiple measurements.

While the specs. do mention accuracy, they don't mention repeatability, which also seems pretty very good. Sometimes, repeatability is more important than accuracy.

In any case, if you can get away with the 1/4" accuracy, this is a great unit for the price.

Note: Don't be confused by other cheap devices claiming to be laser measures. If they are under $50, they aren't. They use ultrasonic sound and have a laser pointer built-in. Even though they look precise because of the laser pointer, they aren't. An ultrasonic beam at 60 ft. away can be 60 ft. wide. They give a reading, but its hard to tell exactly WHAT they are reading. With this device, you know exactly what you are measuring because it lights up red.

As a real estate appraiser I use this device on a daily basis. It is especially terrific for indoor use, however works fine outdoors as well. On rainy days, or when homeowners' houses are so heavily packed with junk that it's difficult to get around, this thing saves both time and potentially ripped pants and mud-soaked shoes.

It is very, very accurate. More accurate than a roll-stick and just as accurate as a tape.

At longer distances outdoors, it can be difficult to spot the red-dot in bright sunlight, so if that will be your primary work environment, you may want to get a unit with a view-finder like the TLM300, especially if you're trying to spot a small object. For measuring across lawns fence to fence, the target is big enough that this isn't a problem. I would, however, have liked to have seen a small bubble-level on the side of this device, and perhaps a couple notches on the front and back to use as a sight, like that on a handgun. Still, this rarely is an issue for my purposes.

It is also very, very low priced. Similar models from other companies I've seen are often priced a hundred or two bucks higher.

The holster is nice, and I appreciate that the belt-loop is detachable on one side so I don't have to unbuckle my belt to remove it. The unit fits very snugly inside, and is a bit of a tight fit.

Battery life (9V) is solid; I've only had to replace the battery once after daily use for months.

This unit converts from metric to US feet to US inches at the press of a button and also Adds and Subtracts from previous measurements. I often use this feature when measuring objects which have no surface opposite me to target, like the back of a house. I'll measure the length of the lawn, fence to fence, then use the subtract function to subtract the distance between the house and the fence.

There are a couple features I would have liked to see, the aforementioned bubble-level and sight/viewfinder, and it would've been nice if the unit had a backlight to the display. However the higher end model TLM300 includes all these features as well as an angle-measurer. Still, for the price, this is an awesome tool.

5-stars on this one. This is great!

I've owned a Sears sonic type measuring device for a year or so. It's accuracy is questionable so I was skeptical purchasing another measuring device, especially for $100 bucks. I tried the Fat Max and was amazed at the difference. I do a lot of finish carpentry (crown moulding, base, casement) by myself and this device is a true time saver. Measuring a room full of furniture with any degree of accuracy with a tape measure can be difficult at best. With the Tru-Laser is't a piece of cake. When estimating crown or base moulding the ability to continually add measurements makes overbuying or underbuying material a thing of the past. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is it's use in sunlight. It's very difficult if not impossible to pickup the laser outdoors in bright sunlight. A backlite display would be nice too. But all in all this unit is well worth the $100 bucks. I've tested it against a tape measure and it's proved very accurate. Let's face it, trying to measure a 25' wall by yourself with a tape measure to cut a piece of crown moulding I would image the margin for error would be greater than the 1/4" from the Tru-Laser.

I purchased a craftsman ultrasonic measuring tool and promptly returned it after testing it and reading through the manual to find out that it needed a 10ft x 10ft wall to bounce its ultrasonic signal off of at a distance of only 40 ft. Don't be fooled by the ultrasonic model's laser pointer, the laser is used only for aiming purposes and not for measuring.

I searched online and read good reviews about Stanley's FatMax laser measuring tool and purchased it at Home Depot for the same price as listed by Amazon ($99). The sales tax ended up being about the same as shipping from Amazon. This tool, unlike any ultrasonic model, can measure distances through furniture laden rooms as only the laser beam (an the reflected laser light) need to pass between the furniture. The ultra sonic models `sound beam' spreads out quite a bit and makes measurements near any obstacle impossible.

I tested my particular Stanley laser measuring tool and it performed much better than the specs listed on the box. I was able to accurately measure from 1'7" to 80ft. Some dark colored surfaces only gave a max range of 50 ft (box specs), but reflecting it off of white surfaces or tree trunks worked well for 80 ft measurements.

For the physics or engineering inclined, it uses the phase shift method for its distance measurements using a standard 630-690nm diode laser (<5mW) and some type of optical sensor manufactured by Leica Geosystems.

Unless you are measuring the distance from your fence to the side of a barn outside, avoid any ultrasonic model and definitely go with a laser measuring tool like this one. I'm not sure when this product came out, but at his price it should be a product of the year. Plus it makes for a great cat/dog toy!

The product works as advertised. It is inexpensive and easy to operate and it is very accurate but seriously product designers, would it have killed you to make the sides squared off? The bottom surface and surface opposite the laser side are relatively flat but when the product is placed on either of the narrow sides it aims at an angle. What is the point if it is accurate to 1/8" over 100' if you have to level it with your eyes? If you are off by a few degrees that makes the accuracy more in the neighborhood 2". Call me picky, but I put "perfectionist" in the title for a reason. It would be a five star product if it were brick shaped but the little frilly curves and angles easily knock it down to two for me.

Took Mr. Fat Max to Alaska for a construction job there. Worked pretty good indoors, however, once outdoors at below zero, it just went blank ! I learned to keep Mr. Fat Max, next to the truck's heater, run outside with it inside my coat, shoot a quick measurement and the zip back into the truck..

During a bright sunny day, the laser is virtually impossible to see at any great distances. It can be overcome by measuring smaller distances and adding them together.
Aside from this con, the tool is easy to use, very accurate and a real time saver when measuring long distances.

The CST/Stanley 77-910 TLM100 FatMax Tru-Laser is nice. It works great but is it worth $85? I would state NOT REALLY. Sure, it's far better to use than a tape ruler / measure and calculator but it just doesn't do all that much for $85 unless you plan on using it every day. However, it is easy to use. I wonder how it compares to the Bosch device...

I do have one suggestion for the manufacturer:

1. Attach a small level indicator on it. That would help when flashing the laser across a room to get a more accurate reading. You don't want to add another few inches / feet because the device is pointing upward or downward.

As a technological skeptic, I took a chance with this unit. WOW! As accurate as Stanley claims, this tool has made my job as a project engineer in an industrial manufacturing facility so much easier. I no longer need another person to hold the dumb end of the tape nor do I need to crawl behind equipment to measure room dimensions. This is the least invasive method to measure up a room. The ease of use is great (I was measuring volumes and areas 5 minutes after putting the battery in). I have successfully measured ceiling heights next to very bright lights, and it is not fooled by hi-gloss brick finishes. So it is not sensitive to the environment. This is going to be such a time saver and comes highly recommended.