Customer Reviews

Strait-Line 6041103 X3 1/4-Inch at 20-feet Manual Level 2 Line Laser

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

 

 

This little thing has a lot of adjustment points, making it somewhat different than the rest of "laser levels" out there. But realize that those adjustments are mechanical in nature and can be impossible when you are trying to hold it steady against a wall. The problem I faced a lot using this is actually what the Amazon photo showed: to put against a wall and draw a line horizontally across the room. Now anyone who ever worked with framing knows that no wall is perfect. So any imperfection can result in distortion of line painted by the laser.

Personally I will recommend this for painting vertical lines, but not horizontal. To get horizontal lines right, get a auto-leveling laser.

I bought this item because Strait-Line was one of the few laser levelers that didn't use pins/nails to secure itself to the wall. It uses the 3M self-adhesive pads. Each pad is good for one use, and I think it came with 4 pads in the box. I bought additional 3M pads at a large chain store in the mall (I won't mention names). Yes, buying additional pads will cost money, but it doesn't poke holes in your walls like the other products will.

The unit has 3 bubble leveling vials, one for each axis. Initially I only saw two of them, and when I fastened the unit to the wall, it was perfectly level on the first wall, but titled on the second wall. I then found the 3rd vial, and learned that the whole unit will tilt to get the line on the second wall level with the first; I was impressed.

It requires 2 AA batteries, which are not included.

My husband and I bought this for simply hanging frames in our apartment. It projected the laser line nicely across the walls and around the corner. It did get the job done but marking the laser line is a little rough on the eyes when you look at it up close, plus always the fear of accidentally turning your head and looking INTO the laser.
My main complaint though are those stupid sticky tabs. It only comes with 4 and they are pretty much 1 time use only. So once you run out of the sticky tabs, the level is useless until you buy more.

Nice product, easy to use, good sight line. The 3M strips are quite pricy to replace and can only use one time. Was bought as a Christmas present and he loved it!

Works pretty good. I found it to be accurate for work in my house. I would not use at a consrtuction site because I feel that the laser is not powerful enough, but for the DIY'r it is a good balance.

It has 3 axis adjustabilty and is well built. I was getting a beam across three walls instead of 2 in some instances. That was a pleasant surprise. There are far more uses for this tool than what you might expect. It is actually pretty handy.

I would have to reccomend it, although I paid less than what it sells for here, but even so I think the price is justified if you are hanging cabinents or need to mark long distances.

I bought this at a local home center, but when I got it home found that it was at least 5 degrees off level--the bubble didn't agree with the laser. Worse, there is no way to adjust either the bubble or the laser to make them sync up. I took it back.

For hanging a picture frame, towel bar, shelf, etc this tool will work fine. If one plans on installing molding, framing, plumbing lines or conduit a "higher end" laser line generator is better choice. The one I have is off by a 1/2in at 15ft which is unacceptable for any kind of professional application. The pushpin/sticky pad methods of holding the unit to a surface aren't convenient for use on a job-site. Bottom line, handymen or DIY'ers that need to mount some picture frames, TV brackets & such would benefit from this tool. As a contractor I keep it in a general carpentry tool bag for occasional, spur of the moment uses.

Update: After very little use (90% of it's time in a "hardly touched" tool bag) the smallest bubble vial on the back of the "arm" has leaked making the tool that much less accurate and thus more useless than before.

This item is actually quite easy to use, the laser is bright. I was surprise how good it is.

It is very small and easy to have in tool box. In many situations it works much better than a standard level, and is very small and easy to use.

I bought one of these and had to return it. Before I returned it I called the company to make sure I wasn't imagining its limitations. What they claim is correct. This is great for attaching to a wall to put up shelves that are level and that sort of thing. (It has these sticky things to hold it to the wall and when I bought it I asked the sales person where I could get more sticky things when these ran out. He looked at me like I was from Mars. No, they didn't sell additional sticky things. That was expected. ) But what I did not understand, and what I called the company to be sure of, was this is not really meant to be used on a horizontal surface. Let me be clear. Yes there is a bubble level which tells you when it is horizontal and there are, in fact, two at right angles, so you can make the top level in the direction of the beam and perpendicular to the beam. Fine. Now, rotate the top. Does it stay level? No. Since there are two bubble tubes that tell you level in two perpendicular directions, and the head holding those does rotate, wouldn't you expect to be able to change it by 90 degrees and have the same beam point at the same level in the perpendicular direction? Well, I thought that was why there were two bubble level indicators, but it doesn't. It doesn't because the pivot where the rotation of the beam occurs is below the pivot where you adjust it to move the beam up and down to get the bubble indicators level. You turn the thing and the bubbles are instantly out of level.

I realize this is confusing unless you have the thing in your hands, but basically you do not get a level here that is useful for horizontal work. You can get a line that is level if it is attached to a wall. With the multiple axis orientation that it has, I expected it to operate differently. So, if you have shelves to put up, this is your line level. If you want a point on the wall in one place and then you want to rotate the head and have the point move and stay level, you need a different instrument. You can't really read the package and tell this is so limited in functionality. The company could design an instrument of comparable complexity (and comparable price) with much more flexibility. (I don't know why such a product is so hard to find. Lasers are cheap and the precision manufacturing is in these bubble levels and it is all encased in a plastic holder. How hard can this be to make one of these for less than a hundred dollars!)

Read other reviews on this or other sites and you will find similar frustrations with its limitations as well as praise for it working right in the domain where it is actually designed to work -- attached to a wall.

In the end, works great if your job matches its design. It didn't match mine and I returned the product.