Customer Reviews

Stanley 77-154 SP5 FatMax Five Beam Laser Kit

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased one of these over three years ago to establish a square corner for a poured concrete wall down in a trench. It worked very well. Since that time, I have found many other uses for the 5-way laser. Mostly, I use it for building layout by checking plumb, level, and square all at the same time. In a pole barn, you can simply place the level on the ground next to a post, climb up to the top with your tape measure and measure over to the laser beam. You will never again worry about a conventional plumb bob blowing in the wind. This 5-way laser is best suited for medium to big projects - especially outdoors - not for indoor picture hanging. It does not project a line on the wall. It projects a precision dot in five directions: Up, Down, Left, Right and Forward - all 90 degrees apart. (I own a picture hanging style level laser for things such as indoor work on a wall and I also own a Spectra Precision dual slope laser with a 3000' range (for those really big jobs)). All things considered, this Stanley Fat Max 5-way laser is one of my favorite tools for building layout, concrete form layout, and quality control. An amazing tool that fits in the palm of your hand.

I'm a contractor and use this laser level almost every day on the job. We've been using this exact model for over a year. We use it on a regular camera tripod because the tripod is easy to adjust. I think it would be fairly difficult to use without a tripod. We mostly use it for hanging seamless gutters. It also works well for lining up siding on a house or for running drainage or plumbing. As noted in another review, this laser level is cheaper at Home Depot. Sometimes the dots are difficult to see in bright sunlight. The self leveling feature is what makes this level so great.

I bought this laser to help me in building a deck away from our home, yet still in perfect, offset alignment to the attached deck we have. I found the SP5 difficult to use on my camera tri pod. I wanted to plumb down to a pre marked spot on the ground and still be aligned with the mark on the deck behind me; finding the same location I had marked from the deck surface on a stake at the far end of the projected deck. This way, I could easily find square for the ajacent post placements. The beam is hard to see without getting within twenty feet of the target, making it hard to be in excess of twenty feet from either target. However, when I pulled a line from the deck to the desired location, measuring down to the new deck's height, I found (with a line level) the location was exact and perfectly level. I wish there was a tri pod friendly to this SP5 so it could do its job in finding square in open places outside easier. The beam is accurate and would work much better in low light just before dark falls. I can't rate this bad because it does do what it says, it is just more difficult and limited than I was led to believe it would be to use. For inside projects, it does very well.

In essence, this unit is very easy to use, comes with the right assemblies for multiple mounts, a nice cushioned carrying pouch with belt strap, the supplied accessories are very good except for the beam finder which is made of plastic paper (I recommend you get a good one immediately), comes with a rotary magnetic/tripod multiple thread size bracket which is just perfect, doesn't come with glasses (but those are rarely needed or useful TBH)

The usability and applications list for such units is endless. With a bit of imagination and basic geometry knowledge it surely speeds up any kind of job from layout to quality control. Highly recommended!

I took off a star because of the supplied beam finder's quality. It's plastic paper, the markings are hardly visible (black?) and in general doesn't keep up with the job. It simply does not belong to this unit's quality at all. I use this device with another finder that came with a cheaper unit this one is replacing, which is reflective, has magnetic mount and is by far, more visible as it has white markers.

This is a very well built unit from CST/Berger sold under STANLEY brand. There are some rules of thumb when it comes to self-leveling lasers:

1. All self leveling lasers come with a mechanical lock for the self leveling and mirror assembly. In this unit, this lock is the same electrical switch. Since it not only activates/deactivates the laser beam but also releases/locks the mechanism, you have to make sure this unit is FULLY turned off EVERYTIME you move it around, even when moving it within the job site or room. By fully, I mean, make sure to slide the switch all the way so the lock gets fully engaged/disengaged. This discipline will greatly benefit the unit's longevity.

2. Always transport it inside the supplied pouch and in upright position. Don't just travel around with it if you don't need to. This also makes it last longer by avoiding vibrations, shocks and sudden moves.

3. NEVER place the supplied magnetic bracket to any metal structure WHILE THE UNIT IS POSITIONED ON IT!. Place the magnetic bracket first, then attach the laser to it. The magnet is strong and it shakes the unit badly if it's attached while placing it on metal surfaces. It's like a shock as if you drop the unit from relatively low height.

4. This is a very well built unit, it feels quite sturdy and looks like it would endure many situations and indeed it could. Just keep in mind the self-leveling mechanism is delicate and some users may think the unit is built to withstand more than it actually could with all the rubberized surfaces and thick plastic brackets. Be gentle, don't drop it and use some vinyl or rubber protectant from time to time. Also, keep it from excessive dust and clean it regularly.

5. Remove batteries when not in use for long periods.

Enjoy!

I searched around for an inexpensive laser that wasn't junk and this one seemed to fit the bill. Made my choice based mainly on other reviews. This laser comes with a trivet base for plumb and a magnetic mount for steel so you can use it on just about anything. Keep in mind that this is a BEAM laser not a line laser. Most importantly check the calibration when you get it as mine was off 1/2" at 50'. It's easy to adjust so it was no big deal. Probably the best laser that you'll find for under $100.

I am a self employed carpenter, I just got this item today, it went straight to the jobsite, have always used string lines in the past, those days are over. this product has exceeded my expectations. It is well worth the money.

We are timber frame company and use this tool to layout a sub-floor and mark post locations.
Works great, one person can do the job and if the floors wet your are not fighting with chalk lines.

This a great tool on the job self plums very fast and very accurate .the price was excellent .Would buy other products from this seller .This was a stanley 77-154 sp5 fatmax five beam laser kit

Stanley tools are normally a good value and useful. This unit does not have the ability to broadcast a line and is therefor less useful than others I have seen.
I will keep it on-hand but would recommend that anyone looking for a new device opt to spend a little more for better utility.

Just like another reviewer had mentioned this product is listed as new but it is most definitely not new. My SP5 arrived today, and it has visible wear and tear on the yellow, as well as the batteries installed. If this was truly new it would not have come with batteries installed or scratches on the yellow surface of the body.

This tool did not come with the calibration wrench either. Nor did it come with a screw that ensures the universal mount will not move around or swivel when it is affixed to a tripod. It did not come with a manual either. It did come with a headache, trying to find the manual online, to no avail. A forum did have some information about the SP5 and the right size allen wrench to calibrate it is 1.5 mm, for those who may find themselves in the same boat.

Kudos to Amazon for making things right, but a supplier who uses Amazon Prime to ship something, claiming it to be new when it is not should be black listed from selling. I would recommend this product to someone if you knew you were getting the whole thing and it was new. I would not recommend getting it from this seller. Tool Jester is more like it. I rate the product three stars but the company selling it is a black hole.

This product is made by CST/Berger, but they no longer continue to produce them by the way. Don't go to Stanley to try to find parts, they will redirect you to CST/Berger. Don't go to CST/Berger looking for parts because they no longer make this product.