Tips for Building
DeWalt publishes ± 3 mm at 10 m, a 30 m range and 50 m with the detector, in an IP54 housing rated for a one metre drop. Its balance of accuracy, range and price is among the best in the panel, without plumb points or a 360° line.
What its figures are worth
- Stated accuracy at 10 m 40 %3 mm · 10/10
- Price per metre of range 25 %6.1 USD per m · 8.5/10
- Stated visible range 20 %30 m · 8/10
- IP rating, read as a number 15 %54 · 5.5/10
Every criterion in the scale could be calculated. Weighting: Stated accuracy at 10 m 40 %, Price per metre of range 25 %, Stated visible range 20 %, IP rating, read as a number 15 %.
Choose it if
- A large room or a shaded outdoor job: 30 m stated, a detector available.
- A unit that gets dropped: DeWalt states a one metre drop resistance.
Skip it if
- Neither weight nor laser class published on the French page.
- No plumb point: for stud walls the GCL 2-15 G or the SK106GDZ have them.
Published specifications
| Specification | Stated value |
|---|---|
| Stated accuracy, expressed at 10 m | 3 mm |
| Stated visible range | 30 m |
| Lines projected | 2 lines, one horizontal and one vertical |
| Beam colour | green |
| Self-levelling range | up to 4° |
| Levelling time | not published on the page we consulted |
| IP rating | IP54 |
| Laser class | not published on the page we consulted |
| Power | 3 AA alkaline batteries |
| Stated runtime | not published on the page we consulted |
| Weight | not published on the page we consulted |
| Tripod thread | 1/4" |
Before switching on
- Never look into the beam or point it at anyone, even at class 2: the blink reflex protects the eye for less than a quarter of a second.
- Lock the pendulum before packing the unit away. A compensator rattling in a case is the first cause of a laser going out of calibration.
- Check the unit on site: mark a line at 5 m, turn the unit through 180°, mark the same line again; the gap between the two marks must stay within the published tolerance.
- Outdoors, plan on the receiver: even a green beam vanishes in sunlight, whatever the stated range.
Frequently asked questions
Where does this machine's score come from?
It is calculated, not awarded. Five measurable criteria are weighted, and each value is mapped onto a scale relative to the other machines in the comparison. For this machine, 100% of the scale could be applied: criteria the maker does not publish drop out rather than being replaced by an estimate.
Green beam or red?
Green shows up better in a bright room and from further away, which is what every maker states as range. It changes nothing about accuracy: in this panel the red and green Stanley Cross90 publish the same ± 5 mm at 10 m. Green also drains batteries faster: Laserliner states 6 h in green against 20 h in red.
How accurate does it need to be for a stud wall or tiling?
A stated ± 3 mm at 10 m covers a whole room without the error showing on the skirting. The ± 5 or ± 6 mm of DIY lasers is fine for a border, a shelf or a small wall tiling, not for an 8 m track.