Customer Reviews

Stanley 77-189 FatMax PB2 Self-Leveling Laser Plumb Bob

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After using a plumb bob to set a few top plates I decided there had to be a better way. Picked this up despite the two negative reviews.

Well it turns out it works great. The first thing I did was to check the accuracy against some marks I made with a plumb bob. The FatMax was right on to the diameter of the laser beam. Perhaps 1/16".

So far so good, this thing works!

This is a must if your working by yourself. It saves a ton of time! The laser seams to be a good one; what I mean is it isn't one of those laser tools that at 20 feet the laser beam seams to be

1 inch wide. It's accurate too. I got mine at the Home Depot and

paid $89.00. It is definatle worth it. In my mind this paid for itself in the first week.

I bought this originally to use while installing a suspended ceiling to layout for the anchor wires. Working by myself, I could mark out where the anchors should go on the floor with chalk and just walk around with the laser plumb bob. It didn't eliminate the trips up and down the ladder, but it saved me from having to try and plumb down from the ceiling and waiting for the old fashioned bob to quit swinging or trying to level a pole in two dimensions.

Next job was constructing walls in an existing office space. I laid out where the bottom track (steel framing) would be going and plumbed up to the overhead with the Stanley. I have no complaints about its accuracy, Its so simple I would think unless it was defective from the manufacturer, it would have to be plumb. Battery life seems very good, still going on the same original batteries. I thought (and still think) it is overpriced at $90, I did feel a bit of buyer's remorse, but if I needed to replace it, I would buy another without hesitation. I don't believe there is anything else out there that will do the same thing so painlessly. Just set it down and look at the dot on the ceiling. It seems reasonably well constructed and tough enough to handle some short drops and getting knocked around a bit.

I am a construction plumber and recently had the pleasure of using this laser plumb on a construction project installing several hundred feet of piping and ductwork. The laser plumb allows laying out the piping runs on the floor and then transfering the hanger locations to the rough ceiling. It is surprisingly rugged and stood up to jobsite conditions without problems over several months (and still works). Even under constant use, battery life is very good. Compared to other lasers, the "down" beam is particularly easy to use. The ductwork foreman and I kept stealing the plumb from each other and neither of us had any accuracy problems over the course of the job. It's durable, usable, and inexpensive - I'm buying one for myself.

Despite a few negative reviews I purchased the PB-2, I figured maybe the other guys got a lemon, it happens. Turns out mine is true, checked it with a plumb bob before using it just to make sure, I am a custom finish carpenter by trade and with the kind of money people are paying for my work and the houses they build my tools need to be accurate. This little gem will save you a whole lot of time when transfering locations between the floor and the ceiling, I use it for all my ceiling work, box beams, coffered ceilings, drop-downs, etc. and it makes positioning your lighting a breeze. I would recommend this product to any tradesman, just make sure to check it for plumb before you use it.

I've been using this to layout pipe at a corn processing plant for weeks now and it hasn't let me down. Saves time and effort and its safer because you don't need a ladder to put up an actual plumb bob.

I brought this expensive gadget to do some framing work. Thought it will save me plenty of time. I was wrong. On a 8' ceiling to floor framing it was out of plumb by 1 inch!. Used a conventional plumb bob with a string to verify. It just didn't work out of the box. Wasted my $$$. From the physical look of the CST Lasermark MP3, it looks like it is made by the same OEM. Check it out yourself. Don't wast your $$ on that one either.

These work well for vertical. We have purchased them before from box stores but the price was much better here.
Had them in a couple days.

As far as I can tell there is zero correlation between price and quality in the laser plumb bob market. The Stanley is much better rated, and available in retail stores, than others that cost many times more. I would gladly pay more, but it appears I would get less, so I bought the PB2. It's a prosumer device, mostly molded plastic, but heavily built molded plastic. I took mine apart and the actual laser mechanism is all metal and well implemented. Simple operation is a plus, and the laser dot stabilizes quickly and is easy to see. The battery compartment could be a little more secure, but it hasn't opened unexpectedly yet. Magnetic mounting is a plus. The device is unexpectedly large. I don't forsee having any problems with this... just wish it was smaller, and that I could get something in between this and the $1,000 true professional products.

This is a great tool when it works. The one I used came out of plumb rendering it useless and the work I produced with it worthless.