Cross-line lasers
Four planes with no figure, or one plane with a published one?
These two lasers are three times apart in price and opposite in what they publish. One projects four full 360° planes and states no accuracy anywhere; the other projects one horizontal plane and states ± 0.4 mm (0.02 in)/m for it.
| Compared on | Green cross-line laser, 4 × 360° | Green line laser, 360° with plumb point |
|---|---|---|
| Stated line accuracy | Not published | ± 0.4 mm (0.02 in)/m |
| Stated plumb point accuracy | No plumb point | ± 1.0 mm (0.04 in)/m |
| Planes | 2 × 360° horizontal, 2 × 360° vertical | 1 × 360° horizontal, 2 vertical at 90°, plumb point |
| Diode | Green, stated 4× brighter than red | Green |
| Self-leveling range | ≤ 3° | Not published |
| Tripod included | No | TT 150 tripod supplied |
| Power | 2 × 3000 mAh rechargeable packs | 4 × AA supplied |
| Mounting thread | 1/4"-20 | Not published |
| Listed on amazon.com | No | No |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Prefer the Pakinui for reference geometry on a budget — four planes wrap a room in lines, which suits tiling and dry lining. Accept that nothing tells you how level those lines are.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Buy the Bosch if a datum has to be defensible. One plane, a published figure and a tripod in the box is a different purchase from four planes and a bare body, and comparing them on line count misses it entirely.
No, and the confusion is the whole point of this page. Self-leveling range says how much slope the pendulum can absorb before it gives up. Accuracy says how level the line is once it has. Only one of these two lasers publishes the second.
For tiling and dry lining, they genuinely help — two heights at once, and verticals in both directions. For setting a single datum and measuring from it, one plane and a plumb point is the classical layout.
4 × 360° green · self-levels to ≤ 3° · 1/4"-20 thread · 2 × 3000 mAh
The cheapest way into a four-plane green laser: two horizontal and two vertical 360° planes, self-leveling within 3°, on two rechargeable packs. No accuracy figure is published.
Best for: A first line laser for indoor work, if you accept that the maker never says how level its lines are.
± 0.4 mm (0.02 in)/m stated · 1 × 360° horizontal + 2 vertical · plumb point · tripod included
The cheapest laser in this hub that publishes an accuracy figure: Bosch states ± 0.4 mm (0.02 in)/m for the lines and ± 1.0 mm (0.04 in)/m for the plumb point, with a TT 150 tripod in the box.
Best for: The first laser in this hub you can actually compare to another one, because it publishes the number that comparison needs.
