Self Leveling Line Laser Reviews

One of the biggest challenges when doing work around the house is getting things level. For most people they try to solve the problem with a bubble level and usually they get less than spectacular results. Fortunately there is a better way, the self leveling line laser makes getting your projects right a breeze.

I would actually go so far as to say that a laser level is an indispensable tool for most people, all you have to do is get it set up and you will have a line projected that you can use to make sure that everything is nice and level.

In order to help you to choose the best self leveling line laser I have reviewed several of them to determine which are the best. The three listed here cover three different price ranges so there should be one that is ideal for you.

This is very much a top of the line laser level and pretty clearly it is intended for contractors rather than home users. It is an outstanding level and it does the job very well however with a price tag of nearly five hundred dollars it is hard for most people to justify buying one. If however you will get enough use out of it there is no better option.

Things I Like About the GLL-80

• Lasers in all three planes make it very easy to use. Since you can project lines in any direction there is no need to move it once you have it set up. In effect you have a rotary laser level without the expense of one, although the GLL-80 is still pretty pricey.

• High levels of accuracy, the company claims 1/4 inch at 65 feet and this seems to be the case in my experience.

• The laser produces very bright lines that are easy to see in almost all conditions, although as with all line lasers it can be a bit of a challenge to see the line in bright sunshine.

Things I Didn't Like About the GLL-80

• The alarm that tells you when you are out of level is really loud and as far as I can tell it can't be turned off.

Should you Buy the Bosch GLL-80?

Clearly I really like the GLL-80 so the only question about whether or not it is a good choice is how much you can justify spending on a line laser. For the professional who will be using it every day it is an ideal choice, for the home user however I suspect that a less expensive option would be more appropriate. That being said if you do enough work around the house you might well be able to justify the price of this one.

As mentioned above the home user probably can't justify the expense of the Bosch GLL-80, for those looking for a less expensive but still very good laser level the Dewalt DW087K is probably the best choice. It doesn't have all the features that the Bosch does but it is still an excellent line laser and it comes in at about a third of the price.

Things I Like About the DW087K

• Accuracy is very good, an 1/8 of an inch at thirty feet according to the company.

• There is a magnetic base that allows you to attach the level to any metal surface that is conveniently located, this really comes in handy if you don't have a tripod.

• Very durable, this seems like a tool that can survive a lot of abuse, not that I recommend abusing your laser level.

• Lasers in two planes, obviously not as good as having them in three like the GLL-80 but certainly better than only having one.

Things I Didn't Like About the DW087K

• The mounting clamp is not particularly useful as it can only be used on thin pieces of metal.

• The laser could stand to be a bit brighter, it can be hard to see if you are working in areas that get a lot of light.

Should you Buy the Dewalt DW087K?

I would highly recommend the DW087K, for most people it is probably the best option for a line laser. It is accurate and easy to use and it comes at a very reasonable price. The professional may want to invest in something better but for the home user it is ideal, although I am sure that there are plenty of professionals who use the DW087K and find that it is perfectly adequate.

Another one from Bosch made the list, they offer a surprisingly large number of laser levels and most of them are very good. The GCL25 is their mid price range entry and offers a number of unique features that make it a good option for a lot of people. Both professional and home users are likely to find that this line laser meets their needs.

Things I Like About the GCL25

• Effectively two tools in one as it can be used as both a five point laser level and cross line. The individual lasers can be turned on and off as necessary so you can use it however you need to.

• You can use the GCL25 at any angle, there is a lock to prevent it from self leveling, this is very useful in a lot of situations.

• Accuracy is very good 1/8 of an inch at 100 feet for the dots and at 33 feet for the lines according to the company.

• Can be mounted on any tripod not just the ones that Bosch sells, very useful if you have an old camera tripod at home.

Things I Didn't Like About the GCL25

• It is on the large side, this can be a problem for contractors as it does not fit easily into a tool belt.

• Can be hard to see the lines even in areas that are not particularly bright, this is definitely a laser level that is best used indoors.

Should you Buy the Bosch GCL25?

I would definitely recommend the GCL25 although I am little bit unsure of who I would recommend it for. This is an issue that often comes up with tools in the mid level price range. For the professional it would probably be worth it to invest in a top of the line model while I think the average home owner can do just fine with the less expensive Dewalt DW087K.

There are however certainly some people who can benefit from this laser level and I would suspect that it is the serious handyman who does a lot of work around the house. I would also think that quite a few professional users would also find it be an ideal choice even if it is not quite up to the same level as the top of the line model.