DeWalt DW089CG 3-Line Green Laser Level

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] DeWalt’s 3 Line Green Laser Level has been a joy to use. I did experience a few issues (more on them later) but overall am very happy with this product. The durability is top notch, visibility is great, and adjustability has no complaints. The laser level has a very tough build quality giving me the confidence that if I accidentally drop it it should still work without issue. The built-in magnetic pivot bracket is very strong, allowing for fixing easily to metal surfaces or the accompanying mount that can be attached to surfaces via it’s built-in clip or screwed. The laser level also features the standard female 1/4-20 receptacle for attaching to a standard tripod head. Before getting this level I wasn’t familiar with the differences between red and green lasers. Quick research informed me, in short, that red lasers tend to not be as visible as green lasers. Typically red lasers aren’t usable at greater than 50 feet, nor are they much good for outside use where the light is competing with the sun. Green lasers can also tend to have a more refined and cleaner visual line. DeWalt claims a 100 foot range with this laser, without an extender. This is clearly not based on outside use as I tested on a slightly overcast day and could not see the line anywhere near 100 feet. However it was still quite visible at around 25 feet. I didn’t measure greater than this but suspect in the same conditions that I should be able to make out the line at twice that distance. In a dark environment, the 100 foot range is quite believable. I tested in the corner of my 28’x31′ shop with the lights off and could very easily see the line across the diagonal of the shop. As I mentioned at the beginning, I did experience a few issues with this product, both rather minor in my opinion but probably still worth mentioning. The first issue really isn’t a big deal, perhaps strictly a quality control issue. The first couple pages in the manual weren’t fully cut so the pages on a quick opening felt double thick. It wasn’t until further investigation that their ends were still stuck together. Nothing some scissors can’t fix, but if you weren’t paying attention you would have missed the instructions on pages 3-4 and 7-8, or more if your manual was worse off than mine (though I suppose more pages like this would increase the likelihood of the individual noticing the issue…). The other issues relate to the batteries, specifically the low battery indicator and accessing the batteries. The lid to the battery compartment took me a little bit to figure out how to open. Did I mention this product is durable? I about broke a fingernail trying to get the compartment open. This was largely due to not exactly knowing what was physically keeping it closed. In short, push the lid tight to the body, pull the tab out past the stud, then lift it open. I only used the device a few times over a week’s time, demoing its brightness and features to friends and family, with the batteries it came with. The case includes a spot to store 4 AA batteries the laser level requires to operate. So each time in-between uses, I removed the batteries from the unit and placed them in this battery spot within the case. About a week after having gotten the unit, I tried to turn it on and found the lasers wouldn’t stay on. It perplexed me. There is a low battery indicator light and that never lit up. I don’t technically know as of yet whether that part is defective on my particular unit or I just never noticed it light up in my eagerness to play with the new device. All I know is at that point in time, the low battery indicator didn’t light up (perhaps an issue with me taking the batteries out between testing). Suffice to say I didn’t know why the lasers weren’t staying on. Long story short, I put in some fresh batteries and brilliantly the lasers stayed on! I now keep the batteries in the unit and four extra batteries in the storage part of the case as backups. All in all I love this product! Highly visible, highly durable, and highly accurate. From hanging cabinets, leveling countertops, hanging a line-up of picture frames, to installing coffered ceilings. This level is a great buy!