[Stonehenge]

For all of your grading work, prepping large paver areas or retaining walls, do you use a laser to help you accurately install your work?

[Paul]

We use grade lasers and slope lasers.

[site]

Robo- Lazer +/- $400 is enough for us.

[BRL]

I use a Tapcom Rotating Laser. One of the best tool investments I've made IMO. Saves soo much time over the old fashined way

[agla]

We have a laser and several dumpy levels. The levels are used daily because they are small and less a responsibility for some of our crew. It does not take very long to set up elevations, so having two guys for five minutes vs. one is not that big a deal in most of our cases.

We use the laser on bigger areas, especially flat work.

[scl]

Got real tires of taping the stick to a hand compactor and running back and forth to the transit. Bought a laser and haven't pulled the old one out in 4 years. Has paid for itself over and over again.

[Stonehenge]

I had drilled a hole in my stick and put some 3/16" wire/bar in there, and stuck it in the ground. The stick was never plumb, but at least I could get close with just one guy.

Now we have that 1 'dumpy', as AGLA calls it, and 2 laser levels. Easy as pie to check grades when working on a large project, or grading a yard. No slope lasers for us yet.

[diginahole]

I used to use the dumpy with a hand tamper that would stand up relativley plumb on its own. A piece of tape marked with the assistance of another guy for the first shot and your off to the races. Makes for a lot of walking but works in a pinch. I haven't used the stick in years, just a plain old tape measure works great and is much easier to manage.

BTW Jeff, I have always known an optical builders level as a dumpy as well. Anyone know the origin of that name? I wonder if it is a brand name?

[Stonehenge]

Click Here for a brief history from the Smithsonian on the Dumpy Level.

[agla]

I'm curious as to whay you need to keep checking level. Don't you set up stakes and strings one time and move on? .. or is there something else you are doing that requires continually checking?

[Stonehenge]

If we're grading a lot, we'll check along the lot lines and through any swails we've cut, to be sure we've got them sloped the right way, and consistently sloped. Can't really stake those areas, because if we're off by a little, we go back through with the equipment to adjust the grade.

Also, when setting screed pipe over a great length, I prefer the laser to a string and stakes. For any smaller projects or in a compact area, we may not use the lasers at all.

Also, I have a guy that is allergic to shovels, so he seems to find all kinds of reasons to need the laser.

[Paul]

Does anyone else here use slope lasers? I know the cost is a factor but for grading swales or setting slope for drives the are the easiest to get perfect grades.

[scl]

Paul,
Not yet, but I could see one coming, maybe next year. I used to work for an excavator friend and that thing is money. As far as the stake and string thing once I got my laser I don't have much use for them, let alone giving my clumsy self something else to trip over LOL.

[Paul]

Watch Ebay every once in awhile a real steal goes by. a few weeks ago a dual slope laser went for $2500 we paid over $5000 for ours, and that was with out machine controls.

[scl]

Paul,
Thats where I got my first laser, pawn shop in LA. Works swell and I have $400 in a $1400 unit. Thanks for the advice.