Laser level for outdoor use.

[scooby1]

Having just made a water level I find that it is a bit slow for my needs. I am building a Ha Ha and need to get the top of the posts level with a datum point, which is a maximum of 30 metres away.

The posts are electric poles and I shall knock them in with a tractor mounted post bumper. It will be much easier if I have a laser beam to guide me when I am knocking them in.

Any ideas of what I should be looking to buy ? Don't want to spend a fortune as I shall very rarely use it after this project. I don't particularly want to hire.

All answers greatly appreciated.

Scooby

 

[^woody^]

There are many available from most stores online or shops.

Decision is a rotating dot and reciver unit, or a permanent horizontal line

But if you want a visible line to see from the tractor, rather than a separate reciever held on the post, then you want a green laser, and not a red one. These are more expensive at the moment.

BTW, what is a Ha Ha? Sounds like a bit of a laugh

 

[Thermo]

its a ditch built around large gardens, on country houses etc. The idea is they cant be seen from the house or garden, so the garden looks like it goes on and on, but the cattle etc cant get into the garden.

Why not use a string line and line level to get the furthest away post in. once thats at the right height, run the string line across the top and you will have a level to work to for all the other posts down the line. Its what we do with fencing. Quick cheap and accurate

 

[scooby1]

There are many available from most stores online or shops.

Decision is a rotating dot and reciver unit, or a permanent horizontal line

But if you want a visible line to see from the tractor, rather than a separate reciever held on the post, then you want a green laser, and not a red one. These are more expensive at the moment.

BTW, what is a Ha Ha? Sounds like a bit of a laugh

Firstly many thanks for your replies. No, I don't need to see it from the tractor seat. Someone else drives the tractor and I operate the bumper whilst standing by the side of it. If I could see a red dot/mark on the post (and this will always be possible because the post will always be visible from wherever I have sited the level) then I would know where to stop thumping.

BTW, Thermo's explanation of a Ha Ha is spot on.

its a ditch built around large gardens, on country houses etc. The idea is they cant be seen from the house or garden, so the garden looks like it goes on and on, but the cattle etc cant get into the garden.

Why not use a string line and line level to get the furthest away post in. once thats at the right height, run the string line across the top and you will have a level to work to for all the other posts down the line. Its what we do with fencing. Quick cheap and accurate

I had thought of that but I am building it on a curve and that was going to make it difficult. I just thought that for a £100 or so I could buy a cheapo laser and that would make the job very quick. Or are cheapo lasers a waste of time and money, bearing in mind that I'm not looking for ultimate accuracy. I think that +/- 1" - 2" over 30 metres would be O.K.

Thanks guys, I appreciate your help.

Scooby

 

[Thermo]

ive got a stanley one that i use (rarely!) its designed for indoor use, but its been fine outdoors. Still find myself going back to the old fashioned methods though!

whats the distance between the posts?

 

[scooby1]

ive got a stanley one that i use (rarely!) its designed for indoor use, but its been fine outdoors. Still find myself going back to the old fashioned methods though!

whats the distance between the posts?

I would be interested to know how far you can go outdoors.

The posts are 5ft apart. Probably need to knock in 30 of them.

Scooby

 

[Thermo]

says it can go 30m. I have had it a fair way, its just finding the bloody dot thats the problem over any distance! Failry accurate theough.

If the posts are only 5 feet apart, then as long as you have the first post in level at the right height, then why not work away form that with a 6 feet spirit level?

 

[^woody^]

This site has the cheapest rotating laser level and detector set that I know

http://www.laser-level.co.uk/erol.html - the Momentum XL at £99