# Laser Level to project on cieling



## tony9000 (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm looking for a good laser level that when place on the floor it will project a line on the ceiling. Looking to install potlights in on a finished ceiling and can not hang laser on the wall


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## electricalwiz (Mar 12, 2011)

rack a tiers has one for about $100 that works great


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

there's a bunch of little line levesl you can get for a couple hundred bucks. I have one, it's self leveling and handy as hell. not as nice as a general purpose rotating level, but for the price they are great. the one I have is this:
4506 David White 48-M2XT 48 M2XT Mark2XT 2 Beam Laser Cross Level


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## Mr Rewire (Jan 15, 2011)

I use this one it uses batterys pretty quickly


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Just out of curiosity what's wrong with a tape measure r?


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

Bosch has one too for $100 at depot


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## user8640521 (Jan 17, 2009)

tony9000 said:


> I'm looking for a good laser level that when place on the floor it will project a line on the ceiling. Looking to install potlights in on a finished ceiling and can not hang laser on the wall


http://www.ebay.com/itm/HILTI-PR25-...LASER-W-RECEIVER-/300612542357#ht_2605wt_1163

it's more than you are looking for, but the price is pretty good..... bunch of them in the $450 range.... yep.. construction is down.... :-/


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## crosport (Apr 4, 2010)

Those laser levels are well worth the price.Especially great for laying out potlights on a cathedral ceiling.Layout and measure on floor and set laser on marks and beam up to the ceiling!Good for conduits on ceilings also where hard to measure from something straight,really handy when you can use the floor tiles as a square grid to set the laser on and shoot up to the ceiling to make pencil marks to line the conduit on.One of the wisest tool purchases i ever made.Bosch makes a good one for around 200.00.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I have the Milwaukee M12 Plumb bob laser, I just lay my tape measure on the floor and use the laser to ping off the measurements for ceiling stuff. I'd like to get a line laser for putting on boxes though.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Bkessler said:


> Just out of curiosity what's wrong with a tape measure r?


Really?


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

I have a cheap one..batteries always dead..I just get the yo-yo and my 30yr old plumbob...works everytime even when I drop it:blink: But they are nice...Rate of return on a $300 tool? I paid no where near that for mine.


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## Control Freak (Mar 8, 2008)

PLS brand makes some nice little LaserTools. I have a torpedo level with a special lens that shoots a line vertical or horizontal. Nice tool!


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

Dewalt #87 ? I think mine is looks like rewire's 3-fields. got it for $99 on sale...but she eats batteries like I eat tacos!!!


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

BBQ said:


> Really?


What? It's a legit question. Isn't it?


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

i just use a fax max tape measure or a string, they eat batteries like no other too.:icon_lol:


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

Bkessler said:


> What? It's a legit question. Isn't it?


 
Not when time is money.......


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

$14.99, Hate to post it here but:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-SP1X-FatMax-Laser-Torpedo-Level-77-190/15107631

or same price:

http://www.toolking.com/stanley-77-190-sp1x-fatmax-laser-torpedo-level/


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## DIRT27 (Aug 25, 2010)

This is what I use. If I am doing a bunch of light I snap a Line and layout of the ground shoot my point to the ceiling. The non self leveling take to long to set up and you mine as well use a plumb bob.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I wouldn't lay out a row of can light with anything other than a rotary laser. 

I use a $90 job I got from Home Depot about 9 years ago (after beating B4T up in the parking lot and meeting Peter D at the clearance rack). It's a discontinued model, but it still fits my needs.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

76nemo said:


> Not when time is money.......


I've tried lasers, string and a tape works best for me.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

Bkessler said:


> What? It's a legit question. Isn't it?


There's nothing wrong with tape measure. the laser works good for long runs of track, makes it obvious when they hang a can off the line cause they are brain dead. But there's times the grid hangars are off line on the hard lids and the laser is just easier. I would never use a non-self leveling one though - they get off for some reason.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

A tape measure only works well if what you're measuring from is straight. I've seen walls vary 2" along their run. Fine if there's only 2 cans, but not 10.

As for set-up time with a rotary, I can set it up in about 2 minutes, despite not being self-leveling. Since it's rotary, I don't need to rotate the beam for every can, which prevents me from accidentally moving it.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

480sparky said:


> A tape measure only works well if what you're measuring from is straight. I've seen walls vary 2" along their run. Fine if there's only 2 cans, but not 10.
> 
> As for set-up time with a rotary, I can set it up in about 2 minutes, despite not being self-leveling. Since it's rotary, I don't need to rotate the beam for every can, which prevents me from accidentally moving it.


I had problems about 10 yrs ago with a cheap rotary that wasn't self leveling - the line would somehow make an arc instead of a str8 line. couldn't figure it out, but I've never had any problem with the self leveling ones, except they cost more.


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## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

I was at big blue one day and picked up a 500.00 one for 20.87 tax included. 

They had the price marked wrong and the manager said sell it to him. :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

wildleg said:


> I had problems about 10 yrs ago with a cheap rotary that wasn't self leveling - the line would somehow make an arc instead of a str8 line. couldn't figure it out,........


Uh, did you level it? If not, it will create an arc on the ceiling.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Uh, did you level it? If not, it will create an arc on the ceiling.


I'm guessing not lol


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

Bkessler said:


> Just out of curiosity what's wrong with a tape measure r?


Nothing most of the time. For one restaurant tho we have these huge architectural fixtures that look like a mess of twisted metal and so cord. The specs are so exact they give us 2 measurements for each of the (not quite) thirty lamps on the fixture (one measurement off of each wall) its so hard to get it oriented right its easier to just lay it out on the floor and shoot the laser up. Time saver. For recessed tho if I'm just trying to make a straight line I have an 8 dollar Stanley(?) line laser you just tack on the ceiling.


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## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

Mr Rewire said:


> I use this one it uses batterys pretty quickly


This is the trick here. You can save lots of time with this. Looks the same. This one puts out a nice line and if you have lots of lights in line, it's a time saver. Yeah you can do the same job with a string line, but this is the time saver. If it's the one I used previously, I think the leveling part is gravity, which I like cause it's faster than the ones with the synchronous motor.


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## Loose Neutral (Jun 3, 2009)

I worked for a contractor a few months ago doing miles of bus duct in a thirty foot ceiling. I asked for a laser and they looked at me like my head was cut off. This laser is roughly $100. Instead we had countless hours hanging string lines in the crookedest steel ever. The bays were like 40' so it was a real pain getting good measurements. Sometimes you have to spend to save. This laser would have paid for itseld the first day and you would have had it for other jobs. Oh well I got paid.


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## joethemechanic (Sep 21, 2011)

tony9000 said:


> I'm looking for a good laser level that when place on the floor it will project a line on the ceiling. Looking to install potlights in on a finished ceiling and can not hang laser on the wall



How many you doing? Can't you work with a plumb-bob and string?


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## SteveO. (Oct 17, 2011)

I use the Milwuakee M12 laser plumb bob. Works great working off rounded bulkheads or when there isn't a wall I can get an accurate measurement off. Paid $100 for the tool and used the existing M12 battery's I already own.


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

Loose Neutral said:


> This is the trick here. You can save lots of time with this. Looks the same. This one puts out a nice line and if you have lots of lights in line, it's a time saver. Yeah you can do the same job with a string line, but this is the time saver. If it's the one I used previously, I think the leveling part is gravity, which I like cause it's faster than the ones with the synchronous motor.


We have that one at work. I was using it to pipe in for lights. The boxes gotta be spot on because the fixtures will be mounted on octagons. Also the cat's ass for laying out the stand off straps and drop in anchors for the other end. Would be worth it's weight in gold except my GOD does it eat batteries.


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