When we attended the Bosch event, we had a chance to get hands on time with CST/Berger lasers. We have never reviewed any products from CST/Berger, so when we had the chance to take a closer look, we couldn’t pass it up. CST/Berger is one of the premier professional laser companies on the market. Visit any job site or any other area where accuracy and durability count and you’ll probably find one of CST/Berger’s products on hand. Now I can’t say I do a lot of outside leveling jobs, maybe three a year. In the past I have always used a rotary laser, not mine, just one I borrowed from a friend. For me it was never worth the cost to buy an expensive laser to use three times a year. The fact that I would probably break the laser moving it all around was enough to scare me into borrowing one from a friend than buying one to store on the shelf. A couple times I had to figure out measurements using two guys, which means I had to pay someone to help me. When we saw the new LL20 at the event, I had to give this one a shot as it is one I would invest in buying for my own use.
Lasers are great as they can save a lot of time and aggravation for jobs such as bringing footers to level, leveling concrete forms, parking docks, determining irrigation flow, checking existing structures and more. So what is so special about this laser? Well it’s a true 360 degree line laser designed for small to mid range exterior construction applications. Don’t let the small exterior fool you as it has a range of 530 feet (Diameter). The biggest point to this laser besides it simplicity, is the price point. The cost of this laser is much less than the traditional rotary laser.
The unit comes in a very nice case designed to protect the laser during transporting. The kit also comes with the LD3 laser detector, bracket and 6 AA batteries. The LL20 uses a cone mirror laser technology to enable the laser to function without any moving parts. In my case this means less chance of breaking the unit. The unit is self leveling and provides an accuracy of 3/16″ at 100′. If for some reason you are away from the laser and it becomes out of level, there is a warning feature for the user. On the outside of the unit, it is protected on the bottom by using an over-mold cover to protect key areas from drops. The best thing about this laser, it’s simple. Just turn the unit on or off. That’s it, one switch, even I can do that.
Once you have the unit set up and in position, you can turn on the LD3 laser detector. The outside of the unit is well protected from drops. CST/Berger uses an over molded cover to protect the unit. The display is very easy to read and can be read from the front or back of the unit. On the detector, there are a couple more buttons, but still very easy to use. There is one button for three different sound levels, off, low and high. Another button is for the range extending feature. The other button is for the detectors sensitivity and with a push of a button can be adjusted with the tool’s bandwidth resolution. Both units are water and dust protected at IP55 to withstand harsh conditions.
As I said I don’t do a lot of leveling applications, but when I do, it’s nice to break out this laser and make it happen. I can perform the measurements myself and it is easy to set up and work with. If you are looking for a laser with a name that makes some of the best lasers, a laser that is easy to use and you need one for smaller applications, this is a perfect fit. All I can say is I’m happy we were able to get our hands on one of these lasers.
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