Lasers are shaping our lives. From skin treatment, surgery, and dental work to DIY projects, laser applications treat you to convenience and accuracy.
Lasers survey uneven ground. They align pulleys, beams, and pipeline. Lasers mark plumb lines, align crosshairs, and level surfaces.
But, contractors, carpenters, handymen, and DIY projects use laser tape measures. They give you a single-handed control. They offer accurate calculations, and they measure lengths and points a usual tape measure won’t do.
According to Sciencing, “Lasers are focused, intense beams of light, usually of a single frequency. They are very useful for measuring distances because they travel at fairly constant rates through the atmosphere and travel much longer distances before divergence … Compared with ordinary white light, a laser pulse retains much of its original intensity when reflected off the target, which is very important when calculating distance to an object.”
3 important advantages of using a laser measuring tape:
- Convenience: A laser measuring tape is typically a comfortably handheld tool. They sport easy-to-read digital measurement displays in terms you don’t have to interpret. And, they let you measure high ceilings, long distances, and difficult-to-reach distances.
The Bosch GLM 80 + R 60 265 Foot Laser Measure works independently or attaches to its companion 24-inch digital level. It has a 265-foot rangefinder, digital inclinometer, charger, and carrying case.
- Calculations: Users usually know their math, but when converting odd measurements to inches, feet, and yard or something in the metric system, reading and grasping the calculations It takes time and risks inaccuracy.
At 8 ounces, the DMiotech Laser Distance Measure reaches 262 feet (80 meters). One button controls measurement of distance, area, and volume. The device adds and subtracts and switches between imperial and metric systems.
Mounted on its own tripod, it reduces jitters, poses horizontally, vertically, or angled. Its large LCD display is brightly backlit, and you can save and store measurements. And, it comes with two AAA-batteries and a carrying pouch.
- Accuracy: Measurement is all about accuracy. Projects don’t want approximations; they require as much accuracy as a device can muster. The best metal or ribbon tapes still work on assumptions and can only measure in analog segments.
The DeWALT DW03050 has a 165-foot range with an accuracy of +/- 1/16-inch. Its measures corner-to-corner with true results. It measures area and volume and helps offer accurate estimates. And, it uses Pythagorean math to complete indirect height measurements.
The memory stores the most recent five measurements, and the backlit display shows them in even dim conditions. Sturdy and durable in a water and debris resistant case, it also comes in a 350-foot range version with larger memory bank at twice the price.
Uncompromising accuracy
Do It Yourself says, “Using a laser tape measure could hardly be easier. Just place it with the base against an object and aim the laser dot at the other object whose distance you want to know. Press the button marked ‘measure’ and you’ll immediately have a readout of the distance.”
Traditional metal and fabric tapes are less reliable. The accuracy declines to 0.50-inches at 33-feet. But, the best laser measuring tapes are accurate to 1/16-inches. If it is accuracy you want and need, it’s worth the investment.