How It's Made - Levels

We found this little video over at the Johnson Level website. It describes the process of making a level. It's about five minutes and it's pretty interesting if you've got the time.

Johnson Levels at Amazon

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C.H. Hanson Precision Ball Level

After a slew of interesting and successful releases last year, C.H. Hanson pretty much went dark. Now, with the release of their Precision Ball Level, we can assume that those missing months were spent deep in their mountain fortress experimenting with the design of the level. After seeing what they did to the utility knife, the measuring square, the chalk line, and the pencil, we're not surprised that they took on one of the most basic and old-fashioned of all tools.

What they've done here is replaced the common vial and bubble with a black and white ball, creating something like you'd see in the cockpit of a plane. It looks like the ball is weighted and free floating in a liquid, so the horizontal line is always at level and the vertical line always at plumb. What this change does is add a whole new dimension to the tool. Now, instead of simply seeing if your cabinet is out of level, you can see to what degree or what pitch. This means that the level can now be used during roof construction and other situations where you might need framing at odd angles. Also, the black and white ball takes some of the guess work out of reading the level. No more, "well the bubble looks centered...kinda....sorta...."

We're curious to see how this ranks against our tried and true Stabilas. From what we've experienced Hanson makes some very durable tools and to be a level worthy of a job site, long-term durability is key. We also wonder how accurate the level is if the level itself isn't plumb, but the edge of it is against a plumb surface. For example, checking across the corner of a door jamb. If the level has any meat to it right where is connects with the ball, this could cause a problem.

The Ball Level will be sold for about $50 for what looks like a 2' length. The Stabila 2' goes for about $60.

More information at C.H. Hanson

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Swanson Lil' Savage

If this was a circular saw or a demo bar, maybe we'd give a pass to the Lil' Savage, but it's a torpedo level so we feel the need to call it out as one of the worst tool names we've heard in years. Even if Swanson had called it the 'Little Savage,' it might not have been worth mentioning, but the horrific use of the 'Lil,' (a designation meant for cookies and children's toys) sets a new bar for ridiculous. "Dude, I've got to check this jamb for plumb, pass me the Lil' Savage."

But beyond the fact that the name brings to mind an image of a rabid, battle-crazed Smurf, the Lil' Savage looks like a pretty useful item for the carpenter or serious DIYer. The top has a v-groove to make it easy to hold against a pipe (or an outside corner), there are four vials (30, 45, 90, 0 degrees), four magnets for use with metal studs, and even some kind of clamp for taking readings off bent pipes. Swanson makes some nice tools, their measuring square is probably the best out there, so we're sure this is a quality tool. It just needs a new name.

At Amazon

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Black & Decker Bullseye - Review

The Black & Decker Bullseye Auto-Leveling Laser with Stud Sensor is a small laser level with the single purpose of hanging things on walls, or more specifically, lining up two or more items on a wall. There's really not a whole lot else you can do with it, but since it does its assigned task so well, the limits of the tool aren't really a problem.

The unit looks like a plus-sized stud sensor with switches on both sides and laser lights coming out of the sides of the rounded top. The switch on the right activates the stud sensor and the switch on the left turns on the self-leveling laser. We tested the laser against one that is about seven times more expensive and we have to say that the Black & Decker was spot on level.

The beam is nice and bright even in a well-lit room and if the unit gets tilted too far to either side, the laser gets blocked and can't be seen. After a few simple tests, we came t o the conclusion that the stud sensor works fine too.

The Bullseye comes with two attachments that allow it to be held on a wall so you can work without having to hold it, freeing up your hands for picture hanging.

The Bullseye costs about $40 which sounds like a lot, but anyone who has ever hung pictures with a loved one realizes that it's a process prone to making one generally unloving. That said, maybe $40 is a small price to pay for a tool that will make picture hanging a little less difficult.

The Bullseye comes with a nice nylon case that can hold the unit and both attachments.

At Amazon

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Using a Water Level

Sometimes all the finest and most current technology can't out-do the tried and true method of a few thousand years. All the fancypants level companies have yet to create one that can project from one room, down a hallway, around a corner, and into another room. So put away your Stabilas, Fat Max's, and your PLSs and try out a water level.

We used a water level a few years back on a waterproofing basement job. The floor, if you could call it that, was wildly uneven, and the basement twisted and turned like the Minotaur's labryinth on the Isle of Crete. Using a standard laser level would have taken time and would have required moving it around and making benchmarks. Instead, we filled a tube with water and had all of our points marked by coffee break.

Fine Homebuilding's Using a Water Level

factsfacts Making and Using a Water Level

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Ryobi Procross AIRgrip Self Leveling Laser - Review

With the resources that are out there, homeowners are taking on more and more complex projects and are thus starting to use the tools that the pros use. With this move happening, it's no shock that Ryobi is on the leading edge of providing an affordable laser level to the general public. We recently tried out their AIRgrip Self-Leveling Laser and here's what we found.

First, a bit of general information on the tool. The laser itself projects from a little pendulum that hangs inside of the tool housing. The housing itself can rotate 360 degrees around, meaning that the level can be set in one corner of the room and even if the laser isn't projecting all around the room, one twist of a knob can move it. There is also a knob to move the housing up and down with about an inch of play here, so you can get the level all set up and you can still adjust some to get it to the desired height.

Continue reading: "Ryobi Procross AIRgrip Self Leveling Laser - Review"

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Black & Decker 36" Accu Mark Level

This is either an interesting idea or the gimmick to end all gimmicks. For the sake of all the people who made it one of the number one holiday sellers at Amazon, we hope it's the former. The Accu Mark is a 36" level with two interesting features that separate it from the pack.

First, they have something called Geko Grips which are spring loaded pads that allow the level to be easily held against a wall with one hand, while you mark the wall with the other hand. The other new features are two gauges that slide up and down the length of the level. They are supposed to help with marking preset hanging holes, the kind that are usually found on the backs of those Pier 1 shelving units. The way it works is that you place the level against the back of the picture/shelf/whatever and line up the gauges with the hangers. Then when you place the level against the wall, you know exactly where to put the hangers.

Continue reading: "Black & Decker 36" Accu Mark Level"

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Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Levels and SonicTape

UPDATE: Our review of the Procross Self-Leveling Laser is here.

Ryobi has three new laser tools that all look interesting. They've got the Self-Leveling Laser, the Compact Laser Level, and the SonicTape.

Ryobi ProCross Self-Leveling Laser with Airgrip - This self-leveling laser is capable of projecting a horizontal, vertical, or intersecting laser lines, it fits on to any standard 5/8" or 1/4" tripod, and it has a fine adjustment that allows the laser to move up to 1" without moving the housing. The laser can project up to 50' and the tool has some sort of battery-powered suction base (the AIRgrip), that allows it to attach to virtually any surface. It comes with 4 AA batteries, a padded carrying case, and a tripod adapter and costs $69.97.

Exclusively at Home Depot

Ryobi Compact Laser Level - This is a homeowner version of the above tool. Because it's not self-leveling, it comes with level vials built-in to the tool. The laser lens rotates 90 degrees so it can project either horizontal or vertical (but not at the same time). The head of the level rotates 360 degrees, so from the center of the room you'll be able to put a level line on all four walls. Like it's big brother, The Compact Laser Level also has the AIRgrip suction system. The tool comes with a padded case, a base, 2 push pins, and 2 AA batteries. At the price of $19.97, this looks like a good choice for around the house work; hanging shelves, hanging pictures, lining up hooks, etc.

Exclusively at Home Depot

Ryobi SonicTape - This laser tape measure is so small that it comes with a keychain ring attached to it. It can measure distances up to 30' and has a laser pointer for accuracy purposes. Along with distances, it can also measure room area. The SonicTape comes with 4 button batteries and it costs $14.97.

At Home Depot

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Johnson Magnetic Post Level

Johnson Level and Tool offers this great little Magnetic Post Level for anyone who is planning on building a deck this summer. We think this tool is a worthy investment and, once you use it, you'll realize how much time you've been wasting getting those posts to sit plumb. No more days of getting one side perfect and...wait...wait....hold it...hold it...(slowly move the level to the other side)...wait...stop shaking.....wait.... Now, you can just strap this level to the post (with the elastic band that comes attached) and have both hands free for positioning and stabilizing. It's really a simple tool that takes a lot of the hassle out of the process, and at under $7, it's not going to break the bank.

The Magnetic Post level is made of durable plastic and has three easy to read vials.

At Amazon.com

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