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Had a laser level fall off a tripod in Atlanta, bounced twice and still worked fine
Was setting up in a 12 story office building Friday morning, the locking knob stripped out from a bad batch, and that $250 Bosch took a 6 foot dive onto concrete without even losing calibration, anyone else ever test a tool's durability by accident?
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robert_bell1d ago
Did you catch that article from Fine Homebuilding last month about laser levels and impact resistance? They had a lab test where they dropped a bunch of different brands from 10 feet, and the Bosch was one of the few that barely drifted. I guess that rotating lock ring thing Joel mentioned is a common fail point though, I've seen guys just keep a spare in their packout for quick swaps.
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ray_campbell4620h ago
Is that Fine Homebuilding article the same one where they dropped the lasers on concrete instead of packed dirt? Because last time I checked, most job sites don't have a nice cushioned landing pad. I've seen a DeWalt get bounced off a scissor lift onto rebar and it still held its calibration better than any Bosch I've had in my hands. The rotating lock ring thing might be a fail point but so is the plastic housing on the Bosch that cracks if you look at it wrong. And those gel leveling feet Joel mentioned just turn into a sticky mess after a summer in a hot van. Seems like a lot of fuss over a tool that costs twice as much as a decent Hilti or a used PLS.
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joel_martinez1d ago
Three of us had a Bosch GLL3-80 fall off a ladder on a slab pour in Houston, bounced off the rebar, and the self-leveling still locked in under a minute. I'd check that rotating lock ring every couple weeks, those plastic tension springs get brittle after a year of job site heat. Gel leveling feet can absorb more shock than most guys realize, saved my bacon more than once on elevator shaft setups.
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