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89 of 93 found the following review helpful:
 A good tool in need of some improvement.Jan 07, 2008
By Steven A. Godun
"sgodun"
As shipped, this tool comes in a clear plastic display case that can (and should) double as a storage case. Included in the package is the tool itself, a pair of AA batteries, a wall mounting pin (more on that later), and an instruction book. With the exception of the wall mounting pin everything fits snugly in the case; the pin is held in by gravity rather than the design of the case and can (and will) easily fall out if you open the case while holding it at anything other than a horizontal plane.
Setup is easy; remove it from the box, install the batteries, pull off a little plastic tape, and away you go. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and it's intuitive enough that many people won't even need them. Controls on the tool are minimal; there's a fat on/off switch on the left side which controls the leveling function of the tool, and a fat momentary contact button on the right side which controls the stud finding function of the tool. I'm torn as to the size and placement of these controls. On the one hand their size makes it easy for someone wearing heavy work gloves to use. On the other hand, this tool is clearly not a "heavy duty" tool and is designed more for people who need to hang pictures or drill a hole in a wall without hitting a power cable so there won't be many heavy work gloves holding it.
The unit is also a little bulky and will likely be uncomfortable for people with smaller hands. Although the leveling tool activates via an on/off switch, the rest operate on a button that you have to hold down while you move the unit. This can quickly become painful, particularly if you've got small hands and you have to sweep a large area. Why B&D didn't use a second on/off switch for the stud finder/AC power sniffer function is a complete mystery to me. Then again, I've noticed that a lot of tools like this feature poor ergonomics so I can't solely fault B&D for this.
As a laser level, this tool is very accurate but only moderately useful. Hold the tool flat against the wall (or use the wall mounting pin), turn on the switch, and the red laser springs to life. The laser is mounted on a balancing point that gives you a few degrees of forgiveness. Hold the tool at, say, a 30 degree angle and the laser will stay at that angle. Hold it at a 1 degree angle and you'll see the laser "float" a little while it levels itself, and then you have a true horizontal line. A pencil hole in the center of the tool allows you to mark the wall on the same plane as the laser line. The laser itself is very powerful. I was easily able to shine the laser across a distance of about 50 feet.
For "hands-free" operation, use the included wall mounting pin. Hold the tool against the wall to the level you want, mark the wall, remove the tool, then press the pin into that mark. Then you just hang the tool onto the mounting pin and away you go. It's a little annoying that you have to pierce the wall in order to make a level, but the hole isn't that big and could easily be painted over if need be.
More disappointing is the lack of a vertical system. There are only lasers on the sides, not on the top or bottom, and it offers no leveling system to rotate it 90 degrees by hand. Using this tool alone, there is no way to create a true vertical line that's 90 degrees from the horizontal.
As a stud finder, it gets mixed marks. To use it, hold the tool against the wall, then hold in the button on the right side. When the unit beeps, slide the unit across the wall. It will beep when it finds a stud. The display will show you how far "into" the stud you are, even alerting you when you're centered within it. (TIP: Keep the laser level turned on when you're using the stud finder. It will help you keep the tool level which will result in a more accurate discovery of the studs.) In my experience its capabilities as a stud finder were mediocre at best. I ran the tool over a wall that I knew had three studs behind it. In three different passes I got three different results, including one which told me I had NO studs supporting the wall.
The stud finder component also features an AC power line sniffer, ostensibly to tell you when you're about to drill into a house main. It SHOULD work in largely the same way although in my experience it fails miserably. I've run the tool over several live power lines and never got anything more than an erratic vague notification that something might be there. I've run it over a live electrical outlet, and even an electric power cable that was connected to a running vacuum cleaner, and it never so much as flinched.
That all being said, I find it hard to give this tool more than two stars. As a horizontal-only laser level it's quite good; a bright laser, a wall mounting system and an auto-leveling system makes it very useful. But it fell short as a stud finder and is virtually lobotomized as an AC power line sniffer. With very few exceptions I tend to believe that any single device that presents itself as a multi-function device tends to do all of the tasks equally poorly, and in this case my belief is largely justified. Those shopping for a "combination" tool like this would be better served elsewhere, or by buying separate tools that are dedicated to their respective tasks.
40 of 41 found the following review helpful:
 Accurate and usefulAug 30, 2006
By D. Dell
"Dell"
When I first got this product I tested it out finding studs. It was consistent in finding both edges of the stud within a fraction of an inch each time. Then I held it up near the ceiling and projected the laser beam along the wall which also showed the beam on both side walls. The wall was 23 feet long. I was surprised to find the measurements were off on the ceiling height by about 1 inch. So I got my tape measure out and sure enough one wall, from floor to ceiling, was 1 inch off. After these tests I proceeded to use it for all kinds of things including hanging pictures, installing a kitchen tile backsplash, building cabinets and much more. It works well on many projects. My next laser will have a vertical beam.
13 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent ProductMar 13, 2007
By Norbert M. Carroll III
"CEE"
I recently purchased and used this item it was very easy to navigate and use. I would refer this product to anyone hanging pictures, curtains or just need a straight line or in need to find a stud in the wall.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
NEAT NEW GADGET!Jun 27, 2006
By Amelia Castro
"Amelia Bedelia"
I love this leveling gadget. It took me a few minutes to figure it out but after I did, I was hanging up all sorts of pictures and things on the walls! I love it.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
On the level!Aug 18, 2007
By Comdet
Great product! I was shopping for a replacement stud sensor after my old one bit the dust after 10+ years. Came across this model which offers both a stud sensor, wire detector and laser level, so thought I've give it a shot. Very glad I did - it works very well for all tasks.
Bear in mind that a stud sensor is just measuring the density difference in the wall. It's not an x-ray machine, nor is it magic. Every stud sensor has limitations and you need to use some measure of common sense before drilling. The biggest cause of mis-reads is if you happen to start the calibration procedure when you are on, or very near, a stud. If so, you'll get spurious readings. It's a good idea to check twice, and drill once (to borrow from the "measure twice, cut once" mantra).
Small nitpicking issues - the velcro on the back works well on smooth walls, but can snag on textured walls. Covering it with tape helps, but it would be nice if the velcro was removable. Also, the hole for marking the spot is a bit small - large pencils will not fit. Minor issues, however.
Love the foam case. Makes it easy to keep the unit secure and all the parts in one place.
The laser level works very well. Easy to see the line in daylight. Would be nice to have a vertical line as well, but the model that has that from B&D does not have a stud sensor function.
All in all, a great product and a fantastic value at the sale price of $28!
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based on 36 reviews
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