(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Universal construction level

D

da.bees

Well-known Member
I have used water levels for years with good results but need something different. I can no longer stoop or bend
which make's using water level increasingly difficult. Once ever year or two,grading lot so that it drains,pole shed
construction,pour a concrete pad and such. 1/4-1/2" in 100 feet is accurate enough. How do ya'll like enexpensive
($20-$50) laser levels? Is the rotating type preferred when checking multiple points?
 
I Use a Bosch Laser level and a camera tripod. Setup takes 5 minutes at chest level, and it is bright enough to see well in sunshine. Jim
 
A laser level that cheap you would have to use it just about dark for it to work. I've used one in a room inside a house before and it was difficult enough to level there. 100' away I think it would take a long time and a lot of tinkering to level the unit. Just a short distance if you are off a thousandth of an inch it would make 1/4" difference across a room. If you have any help a transit level might be easier.
 

I have trouble bending and stooping as well Da.Bees .
To get around this I made some graduated steel poles for my water level . Old measuring tapes glued to the sides and flate plates welded to the base at the Zero mark to make sure that the poles are both at the surface , along with a bit of white paint on one side of the 3/4'' duragal posts for marking with a pencil.
I can measure the differential just by looking at the tape and create a level without stooping . Two clamps made from old plumbing saddles hold the ends of the tube in place and I used water dyed with fountain pen ink to make it easier to see . My only limitation is the length of the hose . Once finished I use two small rubber stoppers to block up the ends of the tube so I don't lose my water.
I also use laser levels but these are only as good as the tripod or base they are mounted to . Typically the cheap ones have enough slop in them to create a discrepancy of 50mm over twenty metres .
 

I did basically the same thing but used wood instead of steel. And just taped a couple of old 6ft wood rulers to them.

One summer morning I filled my water level with fresh well water and started laying out an area in the back yard.
After a little while something didn't seen right. I did some re checking and found that the water had warmed up in the morning sunshine and had expanded.
 
If you set up your level in the center of your work area, you will cut your error in half. Readings at equal distance from the level will balance and be accurate if the level is on a solid support. You should always try to "balance your shots".

A good setup for a water level involves soldering a hose barb to the side of a large coffee can. You can set the coffee can at any height on something solid in the middle of your work area. It's forgiving - you won't spill any water unless you drop the end of the hose below the can.
 
I did the same but used a plastic jug, cut a hole in the bottom, then inverted it and epoxied a hose fitting into the lid. By filling the jug halfway or so and then setting up a stand in the center of your work area and hanging the jug on it at a convenient working height, you can minimize expansion errors, water loss errors, and up-and-down movements of the working end by using the larger volume of the jug as a damper. I made mine with standard garden hose fittings so I can add lengths of hose as required. No, it's not as handy as a full laser system, but it's a whole lot cheaper and perfectly adequate for most tasks, especially for a quick rough estimate of things like grade or fill needed. Used mine a couple weeks ago to level a buddy's back yard in preparation for a new pool and deck, and got everything with half an inch of where it needed to be, as measured by his neighbor's pro-grade laser system that he used to do the final leveling.
 
Thanks for ideas on setting up water level farthar from ground. Due to lack of indorsment for cheap lasers,I might just build another water level.
 
da.bees; I'd like to add my lack of endorsement for cheap laser levels. Usually you know that a cheap tool is going to have some shortcomings, but they can't be in the one thing it's supposed to do, which turned out to be the case with the cheap one I bought. Others who have responded to your question have offered some great suggestions which will probably make me give water levels another try. I like transits, but a water level has a lot of practical advantages, and it's plenty accurate for most jobs.

Stan
 
I have a Johnson laser level. Probably more than you want to spend at about $500, but it works great. There is more run out in the guy marking than in the level.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top