pipe laser questions

[jprefect]

I'm looking to purchase a pipe laser. I've narrowed it down to the Topcon. What is your guys opinion on the red compared to the green beam? I'm trying figure out what model to purchase.

 

[dayexco]

red, go with a leica piper 100, have extra bucks..200. have one, absolutely love it.

 

[ericscher]

Honestly, I don't know anything about pipe lasers, but I DO know that when it comes to laser sights on guns, green is easier to see than red; especially in bright light conditions.

 

[JBGASH]

I have a Spectra 622, it is a dial a grade pipe laser & construction laser all in one, so far it has been really good with no problems. The spot lock feature will automatically calculate an existing grade between 2 points, have found this very handy when making sewer line repairs to an existing line. The cost for everything was just under 3000.00

 

[jprefect]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm looking a pipe laser for pipe work. I already have rotating laser for shooting grades. I have used Spectra 711 and 511 but had problems with them both. I have grown fond of the Topcon. I'm just trying to figure out weather to purchase a green beam or a red beam, and why you thing one is better than the other.

 

[Shimmy1]

It's amazing how the world works. I despise Topcon, nothing but bad experiences. Have had nothing but good luck with Spectra. LL500, LL600, now a GL722. Grade-eye, LR50, LR60. Go with what you like. I would recommend red for outdoors. Here is another discussion.
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?46129-Red-vs-Green

 

[buckfever]

We have a spectra 711. We do a lot of live mainline sewer install and all that raw sewage flowing past it has not killed it yet. When we bought it we talked about getting a green beam but the sales rep talked us out of it. He said the way a green beam works requires it to burn a lot more energy for the green light. Expect half the life from the green diode and even less then half the run time on the batteries. Also for us the only advantage was light visibility when the sun was shining down on your beam. When working in a 14' deep trench in a trench box the sun realy is not a problem.

 

[j.r.]

I have used both and I find the green beam way easier see against the dirt. Material changes everywhere but around here we have a lot of reddish brown clay and that makes it hard to spot a red beam 4 feet deep or 20 feet deep. I use the beam to help me grade the ditch before the pipe layer gets down there. I don't know who else makes a green beam laser but we use the topcom and it is nice but im sure its pricey. ours is over 10 years old and the batteries still last all day unless its super late then you bust out the spare our you can hook it up to the truck to keep going.

 

[j.r.]

I run the hoe and that is what I like about the green beam

 

[RonG]

We have a spectra 711. We do a lot of live mainline sewer install and all that raw sewage flowing past it has not killed it yet. When we bought it we talked about getting a green beam but the sales rep talked us out of it. He said the way a green beam works requires it to burn a lot more energy for the green light. Expect half the life from the green diode and even less then half the run time on the batteries. Also for us the only advantage was light visibility when the sun was shining down on your beam. When working in a 14' deep trench in a trench box the sun realy is not a problem.

I just have the feeling that your sales rep had some green lasers that he wanted to sell,it just goes against my reasoning that the green laser draws more current than the red one,and twice as much?It would not be hard to find out these days as you can get the specs online for a lot of devices.I used to buy from NTE electronics,an aftermarket supplier and they publish specs for just about everything that they sell and even if you cannot cross the mfg part number you can usually find a replacement in their inventory once you know the specs.I have found that Spectra-Physics makes pretty good stuff,at least it has been the most popular in my area.One feature that I liked was the self leveling feature when using the rotary beam to hold your grade while digging a cellar hole for example because when setting the tripod up on frost and the sun comes up many times a regular laser just keeps spinning but the self leveling laser will stop spinning so you know that you have to check it before it is too late.Ron G

 

[eamon]

all the way its got to be Leica Piper 100. Easy to set up adjust and use, but most of all very reliable.

Not sure about red or green as never used green.

short and sweet.