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Lines & plumb bobs

Stringliner Mason's line reels, braided orange, 250 ft, 3-pack

The only actual line on a shelf called mason lines and plumb bobs — braided, orange, two hundred and fifty feet.

Stringliner original mason line reel in braided orange

Stringliner Mason's line reels, braided orange, 250 ft, 3-pack

The only actual line on a shelf called mason lines and plumb bobs — braided, orange, two hundred and fifty feet.

Stated dimension or range
250 FEET per reel, three reels. Every other product on this shelf carries between 10 and 14.5 feet of cord and six of the seven are bobs — so this is the only line on the shelf in any meaningful sense, and it carries seventeen times the length of the longest bob cord here
Material
BRAIDED, stated in the title, and ORANGE. Both are the things this shelf's introduction asks for: braided line resists the stretch that makes a twisted line sag differently at each setting, and bright colors stay visible against rubble. A twisted line also unwinds under tension and rolls a brick course off true as it does
Body and fittings
A line reel handle of durable polyethylene, stated, with the line securing in a convenient notch. It is a hand reel rather than a retracting one — the notch is what stops the line unwinding in a bag, and it is the whole mechanism
Supplied
Three reels at eight dollars seventy-nine — about two dollars ninety a reel of 250 ft. Three is the right number for a trade that loses line: one on the job, one in the van, one cut short and still useful
Also stated
TWO bullet points, and that is the whole listing. No breaking strain, no diameter, no material beyond braided, and no stretch figure — this shelf's introduction compares line STRENGTH and STRETCH, and neither appears
Functions
Not published: no twine size, no number, no weight. Mason's line is normally specified by a number — a #18 or #21 — which sets its diameter and breaking strain, and this listing gives none
Amazon reference
B0F2BCLTMQ
EAN
5061094333707
  • 250 feet, where every bob here carries ten to fifteen
  • Braided, which the hub intro says resists stretch
  • Two bullet points, and that is the whole listing

Best for: Setting out brickwork, fencing or a long datum, where a bob's ten feet of cord is nothing

≈ $9
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Stated dimension or range
250 FEET per reel, three reels. Every other product on this shelf carries between 10 and 14.5 feet of cord and six of the seven are bobs — so this is the only line on the shelf in any meaningful sense, and it carries seventeen times the length of the longest bob cord here
Material
BRAIDED, stated in the title, and ORANGE. Both are the things this shelf's introduction asks for: braided line resists the stretch that makes a twisted line sag differently at each setting, and bright colors stay visible against rubble. A twisted line also unwinds under tension and rolls a brick course off true as it does
Body and fittings
A line reel handle of durable polyethylene, stated, with the line securing in a convenient notch. It is a hand reel rather than a retracting one — the notch is what stops the line unwinding in a bag, and it is the whole mechanism
Supplied
Three reels at eight dollars seventy-nine — about two dollars ninety a reel of 250 ft. Three is the right number for a trade that loses line: one on the job, one in the van, one cut short and still useful
Also stated
TWO bullet points, and that is the whole listing. No breaking strain, no diameter, no material beyond braided, and no stretch figure — this shelf's introduction compares line STRENGTH and STRETCH, and neither appears
Functions
Not published: no twine size, no number, no weight. Mason's line is normally specified by a number — a #18 or #21 — which sets its diameter and breaking strain, and this listing gives none
Amazon reference
B0F2BCLTMQ
EAN
5061094333707

What the maker puts in writing

  • Stringliner Original BRAIDED ORANGE 250’ · 3 Pack
  • Line reel handle made of durable polyethylene
  • Line secures in a convenient notch

And that is the entire listing. Two bullet points.

No breaking strain. No diameter. No twine number. No stretch figure.

The only line on a shelf named after lines

At least six of the ten products here are plumb bobs.

Every one of them carries between ten and fourteen and a half feet of cord.

This carries two hundred and fifty feet, three times over.

This shelf’s introduction opens its comparison with line construction, strength and stretch — and this is the only product on the shelf for which that sentence describes the product rather than an accessory.

Braided, which is the whole point

A twisted line unwinds under tension.

This shelf’s introduction says what that costs: a twisted line sags differently at each setting, so a course of brick set to it is not straight even though the line looked tight every time.

A braided line has no lay to unwind. The strands are plaited rather than spun, so pulling it tight stretches very little and releases nothing.

It also survives being dragged over a corner block.

Orange, against rubble

Which the introduction also asks for.

A white line across a site of broken block, grey screed and dust disappears. An orange one does not.

Three reels, because line is a consumable

Cut to length. Trodden on. Snagged on reinforcement. Left tied to a profile at the end of a day.

A reel on a working site is always shorter than it was.

Three at under three dollars each: one on the job, one in the van, one already cut short and still good for a short run.

It is also why nobody publishes a stretch figure for mason’s line. By the time it would matter, the line has been replaced.

And the number that is missing

Mason’s line is normally ordered by a twine NUMBER — a #18, a #21 — which fixes the diameter and the breaking strain.

That number is what a bricklayer orders by, and it is not on this page.

Availability

On sale at around 9 € on the American Amazon store at the time of checking.

Prices and availability are what Keepa reported on the date this page was updated; both move.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 8 October 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.

What gets asked here

Why braided rather than twisted?

Because a twisted line unwinds under tension, and this shelf's introduction says exactly what that costs: a twisted line sags differently at each setting, so a course of bricks set to it is not straight even though the line looked tight each time. A braided line has no lay to unwind — the strands are plaited rather than spun, so pulling it tight stretches it very little and releases nothing. It also resists abrasion against a corner block better. It is the single most important property of a mason's line and this listing states it in the title.

What is missing from the page?

The two things the shelf compares. This shelf's introduction names line construction, STRENGTH and STRETCH; this listing gives the construction — braided — and neither of the other two. Mason's line is normally specified by a twine number, a #18 or a #21, which fixes the diameter and the breaking strain, and that number is the one figure a bricklayer orders by. It is not here. With two bullet points about the handle and the notch, this is a page that assumes you already know which line you want.

Why three reels?

Because mason's line is a consumable and a short one is nearly useless. A line gets cut to length, trodden on, snagged on reinforcement, and left tied to a profile at the end of a day — so a reel on a working site is always shorter than it was. Three at under three dollars each means one on the job, one in the van and one already cut short and still good for a short run. It is also why nobody publishes a stretch figure for mason's line: by the time it matters, the line has usually been replaced.

More mason lines and plumb bobs

  • Tajima quick-stabilizing 21 oz chrome-plated plumb bob with tip guard

    Tajima Quick-stabilizing plumb bob, 21 oz, tip guard

    The heaviest bob here, and the only one with bumpers to stop it marking the wall it hangs against.

    Stated dimension or range
    21 oz / 600 g — the heaviest bob on this shelf, where the lightest is 5 oz: a factor of four. This shelf's introduction says weight sets how quickly a bob settles and how little it swings in a draft, which makes this the bob for an open site, a stairwell or a long drop
    Measuring mode
    Quick-stabilizing: stops wobble AND SPIN within 6 seconds, stated. The same figure as the maker's 10-ounce bob on this shelf, which is the interesting part — doubling the weight does not halve the time, because the design rather than the mass is doing the work. Spin is the half nobody else mentions: a bob that has stopped swinging can still be rotating, and a rotating bob with an off-center tip traces a circle
    Body and fittings
    EMBEDDED SIDE BUMPERS, stated to protect both the bob and the work surfaces. Nobody else on this shelf has them, and they solve a real problem twice: a 600 g (21.2 oz) steel bob swinging into a finished wall marks it, and the same impact chips the bob's own plating
    Functions
    A thick ELASTOMER TIP GUARD, stated to keep the tip safe and secure. The tip is what a bob dies of — one drop rolls the point over — and a guard is the other answer to that problem; the brass kit on this shelf answers it with four spare tips instead
    Material
    Chrome plated to resist rust and corrosion, stated. Chrome is harder than nickel and resists the chip that starts the rust — which matters more on a 600 g (21.2 oz) bob, because a heavier bob hits harder when it is dropped
    Supplied
    A snap ring as standard, to connect and disconnect from a plumb line, stated. A snap ring rather than a knot means the same bob moves between a short line and a long one in seconds. NO LINE IS SUPPLIED — this is a bob, not a kit, and the shelf carries 250 ft of braided mason's line for under nine dollars
    Amazon reference
    B00023S4SK
    EAN
    0049296054267
    • Twenty-one ounces: the steadiest bob on this shelf
    • Six seconds, and it stops SPIN as well as swing
    • No line supplied at all

    Best for: A long drop outdoors or in a draft, where a light bob never stops swinging

    ≈ $31
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  • Tajima PZB300D plumb bob setter with self-retracting line and magnetic head

    Tajima Plumb bob setter, 10 oz, self-retracting line

    The only bob here that says how long it takes to stop — and the only one you can hammer into a ceiling.

    Measuring mode
    Quick-stabilizing: the 10-ounce bob steadies WITHIN 6 SECONDS, stated. It is the only settling time published on this shelf. This shelf's introduction says weight sets how quickly a bob settles and the buying tip says to let it stop on its own rather than steadying it by hand — a published six seconds is what makes that instruction bearable, because the alternative is standing there not knowing whether to wait longer
    Reference and mounting
    THREE fixings in one head, stated: a setting pin for wood and drywall, a strong magnet for steel surfaces, and a hook for nails or studs. No other bob on this shelf offers more than two, and most offer none at all — a bare bob is tied to a nail somebody else put in
    Functions
    An AUTO-RETRACTING PIN STRIKER, stated for use with a hammer for overhead setting. That is the unusual one: you hold the setter against a ceiling and strike it, the pin drives in, and the striker retracts out of the way — so a plumb line can be dropped from a ceiling without first fitting a nail with a free hand you do not have
    Stated dimension or range
    10 oz / 300 g, published in both units, with a 14.5 ft self-retracting line. Ten ounces is the middle of this shelf, which runs from 5 oz to 21 oz
    Body and fittings
    A self-retracting line, stated for quick easy storage. Two bobs on this shelf retract; the rest use a hand reel, a card or nothing. The line construction is not stated — four listings on this shelf state braided, and this is not one of them
    Also stated
    Commercial grade for long-lasting durability, and described in the maker's own text as a compact and light-duty version. No tip material, no tip guard and no replaceable tip is published
    Amazon reference
    B001S2QNNW
    EAN
    0049296055066
    • Six seconds to steady, the only settling time here
    • A setting pin, a magnet AND a hook in one head
    • The line construction is not stated

    Best for: Overhead setting from a ceiling or a steel beam, where the fixing is the hard part

    ≈ $33
    Check price on Amazon
  • Alyco 500 gram plumb bob in steel and walnut hanging on its line

    Alyco Plumb bob, 500 g (17.6 oz), with 5 m (16 ft) line

    Five hundred grams of steel on 5 m (16 ft) of line: a heavy bob settles faster and swings less in a draft, which is the whole specification.

    Amazon reference
    B00KAFZ8RK (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    8421504979326
    Stated weight
    500 g (17.6 oz)
    Material
    zinc-plated steel and walnut
    Mechanism and finish
    5 m (16 ft) nylon line
    • Five hundred grams — second only to the Tajima’s 600 g (21.2 oz), and weight is what makes a bob settle
    • Supplied with 5 m (16 ft) of nylon line
    • Heavy to carry compared with a laser plumb point

    Best for: Establishing vertical where a laser cannot see, or where there is nothing to power one with.

    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the spares drawer

  • Klein Tools 69142 high temperature type K thermocouple with coiled lead and adapter

    Klein Tools High-temperature type K thermocouple, 0 to 480 °C (32 to 896 °F)

    Klein's high-temperature thermocouple — 480 °C (896 °F), a coiled lead, and no stated accuracy or probe style.

    Type and plug fit
    Type K, stated, and the ADAPTER IS INCLUDED — "with Adapter" is in the product title. That puts it with the ZIBOO clamp and against the Klein 69140, where the adapter is a separate part number. "Works with any digital multimeter or clamp meter that measures temperature"
    Stated temperature range
    32 to 896 °F (0 to 480 °C), stated. Nearly FIVE TIMES the ceiling of Klein's own 69140 pipe clamp, which stops at 100 °C (212 °F) — and Klein says so directly: these accessories "extend working temperature ranges for Klein's HVAC Digital Multimeters and Clamp Meters". It does not go below freezing, which the two pipe clamps on this shelf both do
    Probe style
    NOT STATED. This shelf's introduction makes probe style the thing you choose by the job — a bead for air, a flat pad for surfaces, a sheathed rod for immersion — and this listing says only "High Temperature Thermocouple". There is no bead, no pad, no sheath and no tip dimension anywhere on the page, which is the one specification a buyer needs to know whether it will sit on a flue or in it
    Stated accuracy
    NOT PUBLISHED. The listing gives only the caveat without the figure: "Accuracy of the thermocouple is dependent on the accuracy of the meter being used." Both pipe clamps on this shelf state ±2% alongside that sentence; this one states the sentence alone, at the highest price of the three Klein parts
    Cable length
    A COILED lead, 3 feet — the only coiled lead on this shelf, and shorter than either pipe clamp’s meter. Coiled matters on a hot job: a straight lead draped across a flue collects heat along its length, while a coil keeps the cable off the work and pulls back out of the way
    Heat resistance
    Implied by the 480 °C (896 °F) measuring range and not stated separately for the lead. Klein lists "High Temperature Thermocouple Wire" as a DIFFERENT accessory in the same family, which suggests the wire on this part is not itself the high-temperature item
    Also stated
    11 grams, the lightest probe weight published on this shelf. Klein names the rest of the K-type family on this page — temperature pipe clamp, temperature probe, high temperature thermocouple wire and banana plug adapter — which is the clearest accessory map any maker on this shelf publishes
    Amazon reference
    B07B2TW23J
    EAN
    0092644690686
    • Four hundred and eighty degrees, five times Klein's own clamp
    • The adapter is in the box
    • No accuracy figure at all, at thirty dollars

    Best for: Flue gases, hot gas lines and anything above the 100 °C (212 °F) ceiling of Klein's own pipe clamp

    ≈ $30
    Check price on Amazon
  • Leopacat TM-902C handheld thermocouple thermometer with its wire probe

    Leopacat Type K thermometer with probe

    A probe with its own readout: a handheld type K thermometer for measuring temperature without occupying a multimeter.

    Amazon reference
    B0CQJYQ1ZX (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    7362571391967
    Thermocouple type
    Type K
    Supplied
    handheld thermometer with probe
    Functions
    wide operating range
    • Comes with its own display, so it does not tie up a multimeter for the duration of a measurement
    • Type K, so any standard probe fits it
    • No accuracy figure published

    Best for: Leaving on a monitored point while the multimeter goes on doing something else.

    Check price on Amazon
  • Nxtop WRNK-187 type K thermocouple probe with yellow miniature connector

    Nxtop Sheathed type K probe, 1100 °C (2012 °F), 3 × 200 mm (0.12 × 7.87 in)

    The cheapest probe on this shelf, the hottest, and the only one that publishes a dimension for its plug.

    Type and plug fit
    Type K with a MINIATURE K-TYPE CONNECTOR, and the fork terminal spacing is published: 5 mm (0.20 in), 0.197 inch. It is the ONLY probe on this shelf that gives a dimension for its plug, and this shelf's introduction says in so many words that "the miniature flat plug that connects it is where fit fails". A nine-dollar probe answers the shelf's stated failure point, and the twenty-seven and thirty-dollar Kleins do not
    Probe style
    A SHEATHED ROD, 3 mm (0.12 in) diameter by 200 mm (7.87 in) long — the immersion style this shelf's introduction names. Total length 29.5 cm (11.6 in) with the cable gland, so roughly 9 cm (3.5 in) of that is body rather than probe. It is the only product on this shelf whose probe geometry is fully dimensioned
    Stated temperature range
    0 to 1100 °C (32 to 2012 °F), stated. That is the HIGHEST range published by any probe on this shelf: the Klein 69142 reaches 480 °C (896 °F), the published Taiss 350 °C (662 °F), the ZIBOO clamp 200 °C (392 °F) and the Klein 69140 clamp 100 °C (212 °F). Only the Fieldpiece ST4 meter claims more, at 1300 °C (2372 °F), and that is the instrument's range rather than a probe's. Like the Klein 69142 it does not go below zero
    Cable length
    30 cm (11.8 in), 12 inches, stated "not stretched" — the SHORTEST on this shelf by a wide margin. The two pipe clamps give 102 cm (40.2 in), the Klein 69142 three feet, the published Taiss 3 m (10 ft). Thirty centimeters puts your hand about a foot from whatever is at 1100 degrees, which is the real limit of this probe and has nothing to do with its sensor
    Stated accuracy
    NOT PUBLISHED, and no tolerance class is named either. Only the two pipe clamps on this shelf publish a percentage at all; this one publishes nothing. At $8.99 that is the trade being offered, and the sentence both Klein clamps print applies here too whether or not it is written: what turns the junction voltage into a number is your meter
    Heat resistance
    Implied by the 1100 °C (2012 °F) range for the sheath, and unstated for the cable. The listing describes the materials only as "Electronic Parts, Plastic" and the color as yellow, which is the standard color coding for type K in American practice. A plastic-insulated 30 cm (11.8 in) lead is what sets the working distance, not the stainless rod
    Also stated
    78 grams, against 11 g (0.4 oz) for the Klein 69142. The listing is written as a parts-catalog entry rather than marketing — product name, model, type, color, material, range, weight, fork spacing, probe dimensions, total length, cable length, package contents — and that is why it publishes more dimensions than anything else on this shelf
    Amazon reference
    B07DNGWLFS
    EAN
    0703064924915
    • Eleven hundred degrees for nine dollars
    • The only plug dimension published on this shelf — 5 mm (0.20 in)
    • Thirty centimeters of cable, at 1100 degrees

    Best for: Kiln, furnace, forge and flue work, where 1100 °C (2012 °F) is the specification and a 30 cm (11.8 in) cable is enough

    ≈ $9
    Check price on Amazon

All mason lines and plumb bobs