Customer Reviews

Robotoolz RT-7690-2 Self-Leveling, Remote Controlled Horizontal and Vertical Rotational Laser

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

 

 

I bought this model after the less expensive RT-7210 died after 10 months and some problems, kinda foolish I know but I was and am hoping this one is built better.I won't go through what it does or doesnt do, the literature covers that very well, my major concern was that it did exactly what they said it would do, not a small issue since if you have done any homework on these things you'd realize that the performance claims represent a lot of bang for the buck. I confess this is only day one on a 100' x 70' concrete form, but out of the box this thing came within 3/32" over 140' to a trusted ERP, which in my book is dead on,....surprised the heck out of me. In broad daylight, outside, I kind of miss my faint red dot of the other model ( but not chasing it), the target built into the remote works very well. Pretty impressive for the money..if if if if it continues to perform as well in the future. I will handle this thing like I did my old one, a fragile christmas tree bulb. I've taken the time to write this because these review threads have helped me in the past, they are a good idea as long as you don't have manufac. reps. sneaking comments in.

I bought this to build a 60' x 130' clear span arena. I have used just about every feature on the product, and it worked great (and SOLID) every step of the way. Used it to: line up post holes, plumb posts, calibrate level/height for beams/trusses. working alone, or with a small crew, this unit is a BIG time-saver. no problems with battery life, reliability, repeatable marks/measurements, outdoor job conditions. the sensor on the remote control was a HUGE help, and is dead on (within 1/8th inch) over 130' span. This was a good buy!

Owned my own business for 10 yrs, Union carpenter for 20 yrs. I don't recommend a tool lightly but I recommend this laser without reservation. In the Last 2 yrs I've used this to remoddle 2 Stop and Shop stores, 1 school, and Electric Company switching station and a Health Care Clinic. The companies I work for usually have several different lasers on the job but everyone tries to get to the toolbox first for the Porter Cable. Best value for the money. It's definately on a par with any laser out there. Don't waste your money buying a more expensive unit.

Pros; Price
Accurate and "repeatable" marking up to about 100'
Remote allows for easy one person setup and to turn unit
on only when needed saving battery life
Dither mode
Good case
Pendulum lock for transporting
Operates off 110 or batteries
Bright laser beam



Cons;
Button layout allows you to accidentally change position
of laser after it's been setup.
Doesn't come with rechargeable batteries
The remotes all use the same frequency so if you have more
than 1 unit on the job you may be adjusting more than
your own laser

Aside from the other reviews, and the product def:

1. The broad beam which one reviewer experienced was most likely caused by the laser not being purpendicular to the surface it was scanning. In other words, the laser will be broader if the unit is not at a 90 degree angle with the surface it is marking. This will be the case with any laser level. In some cases it can't be avoided. If possible, you should try to avoid using it at the edge of the "envelope". Keep your spans as narrow as possible for better accuracy, or split up your surface into smaller "segments". The closer to 90 degrees, the more narrow the beam - thus the more accurate (especially on the "Y" axis/plumb). Also, it helps to use the center of the beam as a reference instead of the edges.

2. I ordered this item from Amazon. It was the best price I could find $520. People on e-bay were purchasing used units @ near the cost of this new one.

3. The detector is fantastic. It makes this device a real winner in most outdoor applications. I'm not sure that you can get much better, for the price, with an "auto" rotary.
The detector also has a feature which allows you to use a tape measure as a grade stick. Very nice. The visibility is fantastic in doors and the detector is not required.

4. Accuracy is dead on @ <50'. The unit can be calibrated pretty easily.

5. Tripod is extra, I am able to use the tripod from my old level so it saved me $99. I did not price shop the tripod...

6. The item only got 4 stars from me because the first unit I got was DOA. The X axis would not scan, the head had failed from the "get go" 5 stars to Amazon though, they had the replacement right away, no questions asked. Suprisingly easy!! I'll post an update on reliability if anything comes up. So far the replacement has worked like a champ.

Check out the site www.robotoolz.com, and other feedback on this page.
This level is very feature rich and the applications are endless. Its worth the 500 bones it cost me, and has paid for it's self in the first use. ROI is best realized when working solo.

The beast arrived three days ago. Solved two problems already.

First, the case is gray / black, branded "Porter Cable", not the yellow/black RoboToolz case. Same in other regards.

It works like a champ: sets up fast. Having trustworthy vertical and horizontal reference lines makes laying out framework easy. Hey - I framed a cantilevered deck and didn't need a square.

The radio control does two things: it controls the beams (spin rate mainly), and it's a laser beam detector (to find the beam in bright sunlight). The first is superfluous - it's no problem to walk over to the main unit & turn it on/off. But as as laser level detector, it's a champ.

Sure, your level & transit can do everything this can do. And my 6-beam laser is still very handy. Still, I'm impressed with how much time it's saved me already.

Summary: I"m very pleased.

As a small remodeling contractor I frequently work alone. I need tools I can depend on to save me time and perform well. I bought the 7690-2 specifically for a ceiling job. The room is 15x40 in a very old house. Floor and ceiling are way out. The laser performed quite well. In a well lit room the beam was visible in rotation mode at 40'. When dithering the brightness increases considerably. Beam thickness is about 1/8" at 40'so I calculate from beam center. Construction and performance is very good, well worth the money. Controls are easy to use and understand. the remote control/sensor is very convenient and I have used it more than expected.
A self leveling rotating laser (in two planes) at this price and performance level earns it 5 stars.

As a buidler that was schooled on the old David White L6-20 dumpy level, I am really juiced with the influx of hi-tech tools that are now on the market. To date I have purchased two of the RT-2's and have noticed a distinct improvement in the overall quality and speed of our work. The self-leveling feature is a must have for worry-free accuracy. The remote control saves me time and money. Whoever dreamed of the additional plumb line is my hero- it really helps with framing and has put an end to the complaints and call-backs from the finish guys about our walls being out of plumb! My only wish is that the rotating beam was a little brighter but the enhancement glasses and the line dither readily compensate. And the price- unbelievalbe.

I got this out of the box and the instructions say that's its calibrated from the factory....well to my suprise...it wasn't. In fact after going through the calibration procedures...I never could get it calibrated..and to make things worse..If I did nothing more than turn the unit off and turn it back on, without disturbing the unit, the laser line was no where close to where it was prior to turning it off...and if you bumped the unit while on...it dosen't return to the natural horizontal positon that it should...it would skew off and stay there..so In my opinion...stay away from this and but one from a more reputable company..such as CST, David White, and Topcon...It's junk and can't believe that Porter Cable would back this product up..

I have just bought it from Amazon.com a month ago. This is my first time to use a rotary laser. I have used 2' laser dot type level for several years with 360 degrees base. For the first time,I used a rotary laser for outdoor project that is very small size 11' x 12'patio, and 3 side walls already there without roof. There is 6' aluminum patio door on each wall. Even in the morning( Sun has not come to my site yet.), I could not see the laser line except only one corner. So I had to use the dector. I marked level. I checked again with dector. 1" difference. Then I had to check the level over and over. It was a big headache. I still think it caused by the aluminum frame of patio doors on 3 walls, because dector uses radio frequency. If it is so, instruction manual should include this kind of information. When I have used laser dot type level, I can see the dot far more than 50' outdoor whether under sun ot not. I am not sure whether it is normal for all rotary lasers that is hard to see the laser line outdoor even in the very small area, or it is too cheap comparing to other brands. ... However It works very good indoors. I would like to give 4 stars for indoors, and 2 stars for outdoor

I am a professional high end finish carpenter. I liked the idea of this laser - as well as the price.............however - did not like the performance when I tried it out. Bought the laser and when I tried it out, I actually thought that the one I got was defecetive. The level line was pretty wide - the plumb line was terrible - in certain spots 1/4 inch wide. Totally unusable for precision work.
Went to a store where they sell these and tried out several - same (well some the same - some a little bit better but still far from good) result. Seems like these lasers are only appropriate for landscaping and rough concrete work. I sure as hell would not like my house built utilizing a laser with this poor performance.
I am used to various lasers (line and rotational) and the PC does not come close to these. Even though Porter-Cable is not the premier brand out there, it is still a decent brand and I have several tools from them and I cannot, for the life of me, understand that PC would put their name on this laser.