Customer Reviews

DEWALT DW073KD 1/4-Inch at 100-Feet Manual Level 9.6-Volt to 18-Volt NiCd Cordless Interior/Exterior Rotary Laser Kit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought one of these units for a floor that I was installing into an existing home. The first thing I wanted to do was cut open the wall around the perimeter of the room to expose the studs. I mounted the laser on one of the walls and leveled it and drew a line around the room. I checked the level on one wall with an 8' level and it seemed ok. I moved the laser up 12" on the same wall and leveled the unit again. The line on the wall that the laser was mounted on was exactly 12" from the line below. I checked the wall across the room and it ws 11.5" between the lines. I went back to the laser and noticed it was a little out of level so I re-leveled it. Every time you touch the adjustment knobs (even without turning them) the laser moves slightly (yes it ws secured tightly against the wall) and the bubble moves too far. So you have to adjust the knob...say an eight of a turn and let go and see where the bubble ends up. I had to do this about 15 times before the bubble looked to be perfectly centered on both axis. Then I checked the difference between the lines again. 12" on one side of the room and 11 3/4 inches on the other side. Bear in mind the room is only 17 feet across. No matter how much time I spent (and I spent a lot of time), I could not get the two lines to be accurate within 1/4 of an inch. Time is money and I spent way too much time trying to level this floor. In the end I don't have enough confidence to position the headers with this level. So I will get something else and try again. I'm going to probably try the Robo Laser ($250.00) or the David White 900 model ($1,100.00 for the kit).

It's a little difficult to see if the bubble is perfectly centered. There is some shiny metal (pot metal) behind the bubble that makes it almost clearly visable but I would guess a white background might be better.

The wall mount unit is really kool in concept, but the plastic rack and pinion mechanism for moving the level up and down has a lot of free play in it. Maybe that's why the level went out of level a few minutes after I adjusted it? 1/4" out at 17 feet...that's about 1.5" out at 100' and that was the very best I could dial it in after a couple of hours of fussing with it. The David White 900 (self leveling) has a guarantee of 1/16th" at 100'. I think the robo laser would be good for smaller projects indoors and maybe use the more expensive laser for larger foundation work.

I have quite a bunch of DeWalt tools and I really like them all except for the laser. I will take it back to home depot and get something else.

I am a big Dewalt fan. I have a trailor full of Dewalt tools, so when I saw this laser I had to have one. This is the first Dewalt product I have been dissapointed in. As a home builder I demand accracy. When I tested this laser I found it to be off by 1/2 an inch in 20 feet. I tested it against another laser and by my transit. The vial levels difficult to "zero in". You can turn the adjustment knobs as much as one complete turn and they still show level. This is not acceptable. I was very dissapointed in this product.

I am not a professional home builder, so when posed with a few chores that would be a lot easier with this type of tool, I was unsure if the cost would be justified. However, I grabbed the checkbook and bit-the-bullet after researching the pros and cons, and playing with one for a while in our local tool store. After recently installing a suspended ceiling, and looking forward to installing vinyl siding and a shower room install, I feel that the cost was totally justified. Even though I am a do-it-yourselfer, my time is valuable to me, and this rotary laser saved me enough time and headaches that it is almost justified already. After the siding is done, I will probably pat myself on the back for the purchase and send DeWalt a thank-you note. The only downside is that this model, while versatile and accurate, is not a self-leveling device--that would have been nice, but with the DeWalt self-leveling laser at more than double the price, it is simply something for the professionals. Leveling it is easy enough, but does take some time to get it perfect. I like the fact that the mounting plate is integrated into the unit--seems like a good design, but time will tell on that one.

I decided to try the DeWalt laser level when I learned that they will accept the same batteries as my other power tools. Being slightly nervous about a new piece of equiptment and it's accuracy we shot every distance with both the laser and the standard method. It came through with flying colors, and was accurate to less than 1/8" at 40'. I took the sensor and started walking away from the work site and it was still picking up reading at 300', I should have kept walking but I ran out of room. I really like it and would recomend it. I only wish that DeWalt would have taken the initiative and made it self-leveling. But, overall, it is a nice unit.

RTC Construction, Inc. bought this tool for the purpose of finding level while hanging dropped ceilings, footer digs,leveling for kitchen installs, and establishing other benchmarks.
We found that DeWalt is on the cutting edge with this tool. We were pleased at how it worked in general. It was easy to use and I would not hesitate to recommend this tool. The dual diode was very bright and that was a nice treat.
The only thing I believe that needs to be improved is the bump warning system. It is very sensitive to any movement, and I wonder how the laser will react to a windy day outside. Often we found that the level was still level even while the bump warning light was blinking due to minor movement of a wall or the floor.
One other thing that needs improvement is the green vile to find level. The viles were hard to see in low light. Mounting to the ceiling, we had to use a flashlight to read the vile. Part of the problem was due to low lighting, but the other part was due to the green vile.
I was happy not to have to buy alot of accessories with this tool. It had all the essential accessories to get the job done.

I'm not a pro but I do a lot of home projects. I used my neighbors... laser for a walkway I built last summer. When it came time for my garage project I bought this tool from Home Depot. My neighbor and I were comparing features. It is every bit as accurate as his (for my projects, anyway...it won't shoot 2,000 feet but then I don't need that.) Set up took 3 minutes with a tripod to level. The detector worked great on a pole I had for leveling the area. It was a one man operation (which is how most of my projects end up.) The visible line was a real boon for marking sonotubes and the pivoting head for doing a plumb line is just cool! Worked without a flaw. The look and feel is rugged but more important, the thing just works great! Laying out level lines on the trees in the clearing for the garage was simple with the red glasses they provide to better see the beam in light. I marked the entire perimeter in 10 minutes. I haven't tried on ceilings but this is coming in the house when I paint! That red line makes it a breeze to do bi-color walls, chair rails and wainscot that are level around the perimeter. I can see the plumb-line festure being good for lines doing floor tile work, too. Easy to use, rugged and versitile. Personally, I'm very satisfied.

I recently used this laser to install a ceiling for a office remodel. In the process of taking the laser down to move to another room I accidentally dropped it. I thought oh s--t we just bought this guy. To my surprise it not only survived the drop but stayed accurate. I put it back up and checked it against the ceiling I just installed and it was still right on. Someone has finally made a laser that is tough as the other tools I own. By the way - I also love being able to use my other Dewalt batteries.

Hello, as an owner of a suspended acoustical ceiling company I was thoughroughly pleased to find this inexpensive laser so accurate. I own 2 other larger lasers and had them out on jobs with my crews and found the need-emergency- for another but didnt want to pay the price of the big lasers so I purchased this particular laser and it performed admirably for a manual level laser and I would recommend this product to anyone who would like the job as close to perfect and staying on a budget as you could get.

I did not like the first laser I tried. Dewalt asked if I would try another one. I agreed. I was pleasantly surprised by the second one. It prooved to be much more accurate than the first. What a relief to know that Dewalt is commited to making top notch products. I would definately recommend this laser. Thanks to Dewalt for not dissappointing me.

I am an advanced amateur carpenter/builder living on a small horse ranch in Southern California. I bought my DW073KD at Lowe's on an impulse and am in love with the darn thing. I do recognize the notion that self-leveling units are easier to operate. But I have been working with bubble levels all my life and feel very comfortable doing the manual setup. I am doing a remodel in my guest house and have used the unit for everything from laying out recessed lighting to plumbing out a new door in a new wall. The battery power works great and it mates up well with my 12-volt Dewalt drill and trim saw. Went to Lowes last night to buy the tripod and grade rod, then surveyed my property in the dark. Awesome.
P.S. If you are an automation freak, by all means get the latest automatic unit. But if you have craftsman genes, this is a great device.