Product review for the SuperCross-Laser Compact – www.getwoodworking.com April 2013
Light and Level – For the price of a decent 1000mm spirit level you could invest in the LaserLiner SuperCross Compact.You could spend a fortune on a laser level, but all we normally use one for is to set out or transfer a line. The good old spirit level will do the same, but setting over distance with a level is always prone to error, even with the longest and most accurate of them.
The Laserliner won’t break any records over its beam range, but at 10 metres, with a beam
spread of less than 2mm at that distance (the amount the line widens as it gets further away)
it’s certainly good enough for most of us. Couple that with an accuracy of +/- 5mm
over that distance with crisp bright beams and you have the basis of a cracking little level.
Bear in mind that this distance is doubled, so set centrally it will cover a 20m span, and it’s
all the more impressive.
As a standalone laser it is compact enough to slip into a pocket and it comes with a small
woven belt pouch. For carrying it about a small rotating collar locks the pendulum that holds the laser prisms. It’s important that you keep it locked during storage and transport to preserve its accuracy, but should it need it, there are instructions to check the accuracy; it would have to be returned for recalibration. However, the lock has a dual function as the laser can still be operated in locked mode. This is ideal for laying out slopes, handrails in stairwells for example.
Power for the lasers is achieved via a single rubber-shrouded top button. This also has a
dual function, illuminating if the self-levelling function goes beyond its 4° range. The lasers
also go out to indicate the self-levelling is out of range.
Stability would initially appear to be an issue, but some nifty built-in legs flip out to make a
tripod in which the laser firmly sits, with access to the single AA battery through the small lid
once the legs are opened. You have about five hours of use from the battery. There’s also a base available to mount the laser on a standard tripod with both 1⁄4in and 1⁄2in standard threads.
Three stud feet allow it to be used as a simple rotating base, and with a degree scale on the collar it works well for projecting and setting out angles, a handy addition for studwork for instance or simply moving a beam around a room for dado rails and suchlike.
This is a handy, pocket-sized level for setting out right angles or for where a plumb or level
setting is needed. It’s not the most robust of builds; the legs look a tad flimsy for instance,
but the price band doesn’t put it into the heavy-duty sitework bracket. It’s certainly ideal for oneman band chippies, kitchen and shopfitters out and about doing work that won’t see it subjected to any rough-housing.
