Which Laser is Best Suited for You?
Choosing a laser which is right for you is often a confusing and stressful time.
The following information should help you simplify your task.
Are you working indoors, outdoors or both?
If you are working indoors, you will need a visible beam laser that can be used without an electronic laser receiver. If you are going to be predominantly outside, you will need a laser receiver, as even the brightest of laser beams will not be seen in daylight conditions.
Infra-red, red and green beams are found in construction lasers. Infra-red are invisible to the naked-eye, which means an electronic laser receiver must be used. Infra-red beams are found primarily on lasers used for outdoor work, such as grading, trenching or setting concrete forms. Red and Green lasers are set up for interior work, such as drywall, drop ceiling installation or partition installation. You can see red beam wavelengths of 650nm or 635nm. If you want a laser without a receiver, make sure it has a 635nm red beam and variable rotation speed. If you cannot slow down the beam rotation, then it is not designed for visible interior work. A human eye is more sensitive to the 635 wavelength, but is even more sensitive to the green light, which has a wavelength of 532nm. The downside with green lasers is they are more expensive than the red and infra-red lasers.
Any laser with a red visible laser diode means that it can be used both inside and outside. All outdoor rotating lasers come with a laser detector as standard.
On the job, are there things that can disturb the laser such as labourers, live traffic or heavy equipment?
If your job is a typical commercial site, you should have a self-levelling laser. With a manually levelled laser, the user will have to keep returning to the instrument to re-centre the bubble. This is not necessary with a self-levelling laser. Additionally, a self-levelling laser will shut itself off if disturbed.
What type of accuracy do you need?
Rotary laser accuracy specifications typically start at ±3mm@10m for inexpensive manually levelled lasers, and can go up to ±1mm@10m for self-levelling lasers. The former is sufficient for house foundations, while the latter are better suited for larger jobs and commercial buildings. If high accuracy is required, stay close to the laser.
Are you laying drains or areas of paving that have a gradient or cross fall?
If this is the case, you should consider a single or dual grade laser. This will enable you to enter a single gradient (typically for a drain run) or, if required, a secondary cross-fall (for example on a runway). Gradients can either be entered manually on an LCD display or can be set by intercepting the detector at a known height difference. Remember that the cross-fall is only accurate at 90° to the primary longitudinal gradient.
