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When it comes to
layout or marking of many different DIY, commercial, building or
trade skill tasks, a quality laser level becomes invaluable.
Whether it's just hanging a series of photo frames all at
the same level, or setting out a straight line for a tiling job,
or perhaps for setting kitchen cabinets all to the same level or
setting electrical outlets around a room at the same level, a
laser line generator will make the job much easier, quicker and
more accurate than most other layout methods.
I, like many of you perhaps, have
fiddled around with budget lasers, and after buying two lower
priced lasers that didn't really cut the mustard, I decided it
was time to look into a quality unit that would get the job done
with minimal fuss. I grabbed a RoboToolz Crossliner unit, and
found that it met all my needs, and at a very reasonable price.
Let me tell you why I like this particular unit so much...
RoboToolz Crossliner
Firstly, the issues I had with my other two budget lasers
were primarily, a) the inability for them to be mounted easily
to a wide range of surfaces, and to a tripod; b) the laser
line they generated was not very accurate over longer distance,
and c) there was no self-leveling function. These three factors
are pretty much essential features of a good laser unit, as I
have now discovered!
The RoboToolz Crossliner offers a
twin beam level and plumb laser line which can also be set to be
self-leveling (vertical and horizontal). The Class IIIA lasers offer two 635-650 nm diodes
to project the laser lines. These are more powerful than those
found on most lower-priced units and offer brighter lines and
more accuracy over longer distances. Of specific note is the
beam consistency. unlike some lower grade laser units, where the
beams can taper off in intensity and clarity the further away
you move from the source, the Crossliner seems to retain a more
uniform and accurate beam. The Crossliner offers reasonably good accuracy too, with a rating of +/- 1/8" (3mm) over
30'
(10m). This may not sound too accurate... I mean 1/8" is a fair
inaccuracy, but in terms of laser line accuracy, this actually
rates very well against the competition in the same price range,
and is FAR more accurate than lower priced units, whose accuracy
can be 3 or 4 times worse! For all my DIY and
renovation tasks, accuracy has not been a concern with the Crossliner. The unit's maximum range is 100'. The laser is
visible at this distance, but not in overly bright conditions
outdoors. Indoors it is much easier to see, and visibility is
still good right up to the further distances, although the
longest indoor straight run in my house to test this was about
80'.
The Crossliner is powered by
three standard AA size batteries. These sit in the rounded end
of the tool and a basic screw lock compartment provides access
to the battery compartment. Three AA batteries are included in
the box to get you started, and they are Energizer Industrial
brand. I'll admit I hadn't ever seen these "Industrial" line of
batteries from Energizer before, but they have lasted a very
long time in the Crossliner already, and are obviously quality
batteries. Lasers generally consume little power from batteries,
so running the tool is very inexpensive. And if you have some
rechargeable NiMH AA batteries on hand, these can be used to
make operating costs almost non-existent on a cost per hour
scale. Sure beats any unit using specialized non-standard
battery packs.
One of the best features or
specifications of the Crossliner is its extremely wide laser fan
angle. With a 140 degree vertical fan angle, the laser is
projected onto three sections of a room simultaneously. That is,
the laser will be shown on the floor, the vertical wall, and
onto the roof as well, and the floor and roof projections begin
and end quite close to the vertical plane of the actual tool
itself. The wide fan angle means there is less moving of the
laser needed, and you can achieve very accurate marking and
layout since the three surfaces can be marked from the one laser
reference position. The 120 degree horizontal angle, although
less than the vertical fan, is still much more than many lasers
on the market, and allows the horizontal beam to be projected
around a wide radius from the laser emitter. The Crossliner can
project both the horizontal and vertical lines simultaneously,
making it ideal for a broad range of tasks, from tiling
alignment, level and plumb for carpentry work, or square for
kitchen fit-out (as examples). The button on top of the
Crossliner controls which beam is projected. When first switched
on, the horizontal beam is active. A press of the button
switches it to a vertical beam. Another press of the button
switches both beams on, and that cycle of three beam settings
continues as you press the top button. Obviously, the horizontal
and vertical beams are projected at right angles to each other.
I don't think its possible to have both beams being adjustable
and projecting at the same time. At least I have not seen a
single laser unit yet that does this.
The main ON/OFF switch is located
on the side of the unit. It has two switch settings. The first
setting, indicated by the "locked padlock" (which is
seen exposed when the switch is moved) is the regular fixed beam mode. In
this mode, the unit projects a beam that is NOT self-leveling,
and you can manually angle the beam(s) to whatever angle or
orientation needed for the task. Pushing the switch further to
the position which exposes the "unlocked padlock" sets the laser in
self-leveling mode. In this mode, a gravity leveled pendulum
mechanism ensures both the horizontal and vertical beams are
level in their respective planes. This mode works pretty much
perfectly, with the self-leveling beams confirmed by my best
carpentry level, or is it that the laser beams are confirming my
level is indeed square? The latter I suspect! Of course, the
self-leveling feature too has its limitations. The unit will
only accurately self-level if it is set on the tripod (or
mounting surface) within about 4 degrees of the true horizon or
4 degrees off true vertical.
How do you know if you are within that range? Well, the lasers
will actually blink if they are not self-leveling, so as soon as
they stop blinking and project continuously, you know they are
indeed correctly self-leveled in that mode. It's all very easy
actually, and a simple verification method employed at that.
Plus, a visual verification of self-leveling mode will help
avoid time consuming (and cost-incurring) errors.
The Crossliner can be directly
mounted to a standard 1/4" x 20 screw camera or similar tripod,
but for more mounting options, the multi-purpose accessory
attachment is the bees knees of laser mount design. With this
attachment, which comes supplied with the tool out of the box,
you can attach the laser to just about any surface accurately
and easily. To begin with, the underside/base of the accessory
attachment features the same 1/4" x 20 screw recess, as well as
a larger 5/8" x 11 recess for dedicated
builder's/surveyor's tripods. Four
strong magnetic plates allow the unit to strongly attach to any
magnetic surface, such as steel beams, steel framing etc. On the
side of the unit are two screw mount holes so the laser can be
mounted to any surface using screws. This is handy if using
timber framing, or any material screws can be applied to. This
method of mounting will obviously leave holes or marks behind,
so it is best used where the holes can be covered up easily
later. There is also both a horizontal and vertical slot where
an adjustable tightening strap (included in the package) can be
threaded through so the Crossliner can be secured to posts,
beams, poles or any other suitable material or shape for this
purpose. Two retractable legs can also be pulled out from the
base to provide a wider base of support for the tool then
sitting it on a flat surface, or for helping stabilize the laser
when strapped to an object in a non-conventional manner. These
legs also prevent the tool from tipping when the laser is angled
laterally from the base (see photo). The end of the accessory
has the same four magnetic plates for mounting to metal
surfaces. These provide more than enough grip on most magnetic
surfaces to hold the laser securely. I used it attached to my
workshop's metal framing structure recently to help position the
location of power outlets equal distance from the ground around
the perimeter of the shop. It worked great. On top of the
attachment accessory is a ball and socket type pivoting mount.
This allows the laser to pivot, tilt and turn to achieve just
about any laser angle needed for the more peculiar tasks that
might pop up from time to time. This feature, in conjunction
with a tripod will provide pretty much any laser beam angle
imaginable. I think a tremendous amount of though has gone into
the design of the laser and the mounting accessory. I have not
found a situation yet where the laser cannot be mounted easily
and readily using one of the various attachment methods it
offers.
In Use
Once you have the laser mounted to whatever device or
structure suits the task the best, all you need to do is switch
the unit on, to either standard or self-leveling mode, adjust
the position of the laser or the beams (if necessary) and get to
work. The laser will project a continuous laser line in one or
two planes. To conserve battery life, the laser will
automatically turn itself off after one hour if no buttons have
been pressed or the unit has not been moved. This is a handy
feature if you have a tendency to forget to turn things off at
the end of the day (or end of project), but this feature can be
bypassed by the user if you plan on having the laser on for
several hours in the same spot and do not want to have to turn
it back on every hour. To swith off battery save mode, you
simply press and hold the line selector button while switching
the laser on. The green LED light will flash to confirm battery
saving mode has been disabled. In addition to battery save mode,
the unit offers a low battery level indicator. When battery is
low, the red LED light will flash, however, you still have about
an hour's worth of use after the red LED begins flashing. The Crossliner is
also encased in a rubber-type overmold on and around the edges
which afford it some protection from bumps and knocks. Luckily
mine hasn't endured any (nasty ones) as yet.
I have used the Crossliner so far
for;
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Setting and laying tiles straight
and square
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Applying wallpaper border around
a room at perfect height and horizontal
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Setting out power outlets at
equal heights around the workshop
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Setting framing edges vertically
and square
There are many more tasks too of
course. Here are some more visual examples from the RoboToolz
website:
 
Image Source: RoboToolz Website
Needless to say, I am quite
impressed with the RoboToolz Crossliner. But, this is not my
first RoboToolz laser tool. Before this I purchased their
Vector 3 level and plumb laser which simply projects dots
onto walls to obtain levels and marking points. I was very happy
with that purchase so I decided to again go with RoboToolz for a
full beam fan laser. The Crossliner fit my needs for some DIY
and renovation projects I had on the drawing boards. After
buying several other cheaper lasers, I am now glad I have the
Crossliner. It may cost a little more, but it is well worth the
expense, plus, these tools have excellent resale value, so after
your project is done, you can sell it (if you dare!) and get a
good return on your money. You will rarely be out of pocket any
more than wasting that money on a cheap and flimsy laser that
wont deliver the accuracy or results you need.
Well done to RoboToolz for
building a quality product that seems very durable, and is
definitely very accurate. It is also very affordable for a
quality tool and cheaper than many similar spec'd lasers on the
market. I personally will definitely look at other RoboToolz
lasers in the future if a need arises for a particular task the
Crossliner cannot handle (which is very few at the moment at
least!). The Crossliner retails for around US$200 (As at August
'07)
Overall, a solid product at a
great price.
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RoboToolz Crossliner Photos
All photos copyright onlinetoolreviews.com. Use without prior
written permission prohibited
The CrossLiner's protective
carry case
The laser head
Top button control switches between horizontal, vertical
and dual line modes.
Battery compartment case with screw lock.
Main ON/OFF switch for setting fixed or self-leveling
modes.
The versatile attachment accessory mounting base.
Two retractable legs provide a wider base of support for
improved balance.
Mounting options include two tripod mounts, screw and
strap mounts, and strong magnetic plates!
The laser projecting both horizontal and vertical beams.
Look closely at the white power outlets on the ply wall.
You will see the red laser line projecting onto the wall. I used this to
quickly and accurately measure the distance from the ground for each power
point location.
Just a fancy shot with lens of camera looking into laser
beam. Of course, you should never look into the laser beam with a naked
eye! Note the laser is magnetically mounted to my steel framed workshop.
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