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grade laser questions/help

Farmrboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
58
Location
Southern Illinois
We currently don't have any sort of laser and I think it's time to add one I think I want a duel slope just in case we ever needed it probably the most we would ever do is clean ditches build some pads and maybe do a terrace here or there ive been looking at the spectra gl622 is this a decent unit? What's the advantage of it over the gl422? Also would like to mount the receiver on a excavator or backhoe I like the idea of the lr50 or lr60 mounted on the stick what's the differences between these two? And is this the way to go? Never been around a laser to much want something simple and not super high end but not a piece of junk either thanks
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
Farmrboy, if you've never owned a laser before, hunt out YOUR local laser supplier and find out if he fixes them himself or sends them out to be repaired, your wanting a person local to you that sells and FIXES lasers and has equipment on hand at all times. Most any of the major players in lasers today has good equipment they sell and can get parts for. I'm not familiar with the 622 personally, but own the 422 and also the 722 laser, both dual slope, the 722 is my favorite of any laser I've ever owned or used bar none, but that's personal choice.

As for being a piece of junk, that depends on what your definition of junk is, spectra as with many companies make a wide range of lasers quality products, they'll all do the job and measure accurately, the difference being in how long they last, how much trouble they give, how easy they are to get parts for and a host of other things, the single main thing is how well you take care of them and handle them. Do you take it in every night and set it on its shelf in the house or shop or let it bounce around in its box in the back of your pickup for weeks on end, do you put it in the cab and keep it safe, warm and dry when not using it, or let it sit out in the rain and snow for day's on end even when you don't use it, do you handle it like a carton of eggs or toss it around like a shovel has more to do with how durable it is and how long it lasts.

I like the dual grade lasers myself, would never own another single grade laser, as for what one of the two you have listed does over the other, can't tell you for sure, I'd have to study them for a while but the dollars are not large in difference between the two from I can see on the internet, there's a huge jump from those two you named to the 722, as in three or more times the price, so to me, both those you named are lower end lasers just from price alone.

My 422 has its place, but to do it over again I'd have bought another 722 and had two of them, in all the years I've ever owned the 722 its never yet caused me a seconds grief or not worked, the 422 is hard on batteries, has only a 12 volt charge cord, has shorter range than the 722, is much lighter and is much finickier than my 722, doesn't have the adjustment range of the 722 and takes four times longer to self adjust than the 722 and when the wind affects it, which is much more due its lower weight, shuts down to self adjust then starts back up again, meaning I have to spend far more time wondering or waiting if its a wind issue or battery issue with the 422 verses the 722, my 722 only ever shuts off if its battery related, usually dead and needs a vehicle to plug into to keep running and using it, the 422 that's another story altogether and causes its own set of issues on a daily basis which cause me more trips to the laser to check out in one day than the 722 has caused in over a decade of use combined.

My advice is to find the laser fix it guy who's local to you, go and run them firsthand and ask questions to that person and ask for a demo of both, as in you take them home, either new or used units he has on hand and run them for a few days each and decide from there.

All anyone here will give you is an opinion of what they think, some are comparing them to high end lasers like myself, others have little to no experience with any laser, some only use them at work and have no clue what it costs to keep them going, others only pay the bill and have hired guys who run the lasers and don't use them personally and a couple hundred more things tossed into the mix, not to mention a few hundred opinions on different brands of lasers, you need a starting point of the pro's and cons of each laser, and first hand experience is the best way to get that, a local laser guy should be able to help you with that, if he's worth a pinch of salt that is.

Some places offer a rental on lasers, I'd recommend that as well until you have it narrowed down some more on what exactly your needing in a laser.

Buying the stuff is only half the part, keeping it running when you need it is the other half, just yesterday we pissed away three hours on a receiver only to find out the receiver has a problem, so we ended up using a back up receiver and only one when we needed two, so we made due and got the job done, the first of the week the receiver goes in for repairs, same for my 422 laser, it wouldn't start up either yesterday for some reason................again, so I dug out the 722 and had to wait for it to charge so we could use it.

They only cause grief on the cold, windy, snowy day's usually on a weekend, never in the dead of summer during the week, or so it seems to be the case with me anyhow, or else I'd have run the half hour to the fix it guy and swapped out lasers and receivers yesterday afternoon and kept going full tilt instead of being dark and not done and now the frost is too deep again to do finish work, so in essence I've now lost a week or more in time over the laser and receiver issue yesterday alone. To send them in for repairs to somewhere not local to me, I might as well hang out the for sale sign on my door, I'd never get anything done ever waiting for a laser and receiver to get fixed. Best of luck on whatever you decide
 

Brad SEIN

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
34
Location
SE Indiana
I agree with everything Randy said. I currently has a 422 and a 612(single slope). You definately need someone close and dependable to work on them. Someone with a loaner available.
As Randy said there are several good lasers available, and you are going to have to pay for quality.

As far as models go, the 612 is a pain in the butt, and has a lot of the problems Randy describes with his 422. Not that we don't have the same problems 422. Cold weather is hard on them, as it is anything electronic.
Honestly my most trouble free laser was an old Topcon single slope, but it got stolen years ago when one of my job trailers got broken into. I ended up with Trimble after that as they were a good dealer that we were using with our GPS stuff.
 

Shimmy1

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
4,229
Location
North Dakota
I clean ditches for a living. Randy and Brad have covered the laser questions, I'll chime in on the receiver. I used to run with a LR60 on the stick. Works fine if you're running along on perfectly flat ground where the ditch is about 15' from the edge of the tracks, which happens about 0.01% of the time. I installed a mast on the bucket, and run the receiver on plumb indicate, sensitivity set on "fine". Here's my thread. https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/making-it-so-the-water-can-run.46911/
 

skyhooks

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
6
Location
Louisiana
i wouldn't recommend the dual slope, but thats just me. the second slope rarely gets used in my experience. i find the single slope is usually more than sufficient for most people. the single slope is more than sufficient for ditches, drainage pipe, etc. a lot of my guys prefer to use a pipe laser on a tripod or in the pipe for sewer. really depends on what kind of jobs you do though.
 

Shimmy1

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
4,229
Location
North Dakota
i wouldn't recommend the dual slope, but thats just me. the second slope rarely gets used in my experience. i find the single slope is usually more than sufficient for most people. the single slope is more than sufficient for ditches, drainage pipe, etc. a lot of my guys prefer to use a pipe laser on a tripod or in the pipe for sewer. really depends on what kind of jobs you do though.
Always better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. The only reason I could see for not wanting dual slope is lack of capable operators, because price difference is negligible.
 

stars&bars44

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2015
Messages
142
Location
Trinity NC
Occupation
Earthmoving
Guys you've covered everything, I found a local guy and bought a used single slope Leica. I was told the same to go on and get the dual slope. Haven't needed it yet. Paid 1200$ for mine. 2 yrs service with no issues. The new duals are high. My salesman can also fix them and stocks parts. You may find an internet deal but buy local if you can, you'll come out if you ever have trouble.
 

Dozerboy

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
2,232
Location
TX
Occupation
Operator
I agree with skyhook unless you really think you have a use for a duel slope single slopes are the way to go. Just like with Non slope lasers dual slopes are easy to make mistakes on when you're setting them up .
 

kevin37b

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
Messages
145
Location
illinois
Occupation
Operator #841
How do these receivers work on an excavator ? How do they compensate for xyz axis ?
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
Kevin, on most of the compensating receivers I've been around, they have an internal set degree's they can be off and still read accurately, but you need to know what the parameters are ahead of time so you can stay within those parameters, the degree of accuracy and its operating parameters differ by make and model, shimmy has a good thread on how he installed his mast and how he runs his receivers on it.

With the gps setups, those are completely different in function and how they work, I understand the concept and how they work, but would botch the explanation of them for you.

Bullseye has some models of receivers the have built in compensation, google them and you can read up on how they work and how to use them, I've only own and use bullseye's on all my machines, once you have one, you can pretty well run any of their line of receivers.
 

EvanM

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
54
Location
Idaho
I'm fine with single slope. I use topcon. Even picked up a single slope model for 120 bucks at pawnshop..

Dual slope costs twice as much

I guess it could be handy for crowned pking lot or drive way..

My question is how the hell you doing work with no lazer it's just as important as the dirt you get payed yo move
 

Farmrboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
58
Location
Southern Illinois
I'm fine with single slope. I use topcon. Even picked up a single slope model for 120 bucks at pawnshop..

Dual slope costs twice as much

I guess it could be handy for crowned pking lot or drive way..

My question is how the hell you doing work with no lazer it's just as important as the dirt you get payed yo move

We farm so we only move dirt once or twice a year usually it's just dipping a ditch or something small like that so a laser wasn't really needed. I would of had one years ago if this was my full time job because no doubt they sure make life easy I ended up with a 622 spectra so we will see how we get along with it.
 

Randy88

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
2,149
Location
iowa
As for how to get along without one, a simple hand level will do the job for simple work, we have a grade rod holder and set it in the ground, stick the rod in it, and then use a hand level anywhere you needed to check grade, quick simple and cheap, still use it sometimes just to check grade to save having to get everything out and set up all the laser stuff.

If you have a helper, a transit is much cheaper and still accurate, for years we used a transit set up and just moved the grade rod holder and grade rod and it was still a one man show, but for a couple hundred bucks verses several thousand for someone who doesn't need to use it lot, works great and transits don't have any issues like lasers do with things going wrong and needing repairs.

There are a lot of ways to get around needing a laser, but this depends on what type of work you do and how much you need to use it and how accurate you need to be.

Most moving dirt don't really need the accuracy as much as the speed and convience lasers give, not to mention coupled with machine controls, makes life so much easier, to sit on a dozer, scraper or excavator and not have to deal with a helper who's never where you need them and to have to get off and do the checking and measuring yourself.
 
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