Self-Leveling Laser Level w/ Tripod

I bought this one 4 years ago, still going strong LINK


I added this tripod last year and I really like it

LINK

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- Are there any budget-friendly options that still hold accuracy well?

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My buget model is a Dewalt 3-axis red laser line level, have had it for years and has been utterly reliable and accurate. Use with with Bosch construction tripods and has both 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 holes so no adapter needed. I also have a Bosch rotary laser but definitely not a budget device.

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Any must-have features I should be paying attention to? (ie., 360° lines, green vs. red laser, indoor/outdoor visibility, tripod stability, etc.)

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Really, you get what you pay for and Bosch, Dewalt, and Milwaukee all have very solid offerings. Green laser is better for outside visibility but I use an electronic detector that picks up the line far beyond what your eyeballs will see. I use my Dewalt unit with pretty much all Bosch mounting accessories, that's pretty much how you'll get the most use out of any laser level. Magnetic, clamping, tripods, pole mounts, drywall pins, especially those with built-in fine adjustment dials. Any model with a 1/4-20 hole gives you the option to use all sorts of photography mounts, can find very inexpensive and useful accessories, I picked up a compact folding tripod (Ultra-pod 2) with a velcro strap for $25 that worked very well when I had to use a stair baluster as a mount to hang some pictures and a TV wall mount.

ETA: if you go with something that doesn't have a 3/8-16 mount, you can get a cheap adapter, but one of the first accessories I got was a Bosch contruction tripod that could extend up to 9' tall.

Recently bought a Seese brand from tiktok. It was about $70 with a hard plastic case - no complaints so far. You'd have to buy a cheap tripod to pair with it. If you're a contractor maybe look for something better, but a DIY'er doing couple things around the house the Seese has been fine although I can't speak on longevity.

Got the firecore 3 axis green from amazon with the receiver for daytime work. I have an existing 24x36 barn that i wanted to upscale to 36x75 and i put a 1 1/2 wooden stake into the ground then measured off 75' one way and 36' the other axis putting stakes in both locations, then i moved to the 75' stake and rotated the laser until one axis was on my original stake and then i put another stake at 36' there, when i put the tripod over the stake there and rotated to my last stake, it was bisecting the stake i had measured off 36' there. So I'm impressed with these cheap lasers. I knocked the tripod over once and cracked the window out of one of the axis, but it's still dead accurate. I'm currently using it for leveling upper and lower cabinets and fastening french cleats to the walls for hanging the upper cabinets