A must have for the builder using Laser... (Rating: 4.00)
Review : Although it weighs-in at closer to 16 pounds, rather than the 6.5lbs shown in the specs here and on the mfg's web site. Obvious misprint until you look at the shipping weight. But it is a good tripod, though a bit fragile. One has to be careful with the die-cast aluminum head. I have already broken mine somehow and welded it back with some of the mix-together expoxy. This has made it hard to raise and lower. Something is out of alignment or bent. Stabila does not sell a hardcase for it so I recommend improvising with some 9" PVC pipe to protect it from something falling on it and bending the elevator shafts are aluminum legs. Learn from my mistake.The unit sets up quickly, the legs slide easily and the level bubble is helpful. I use a self-leveling rotary laser. It is so nice, in most situations, to be able to adjust the laser to batterboard height thus eliminating the use of a rod with the sensor. You can simply use the sensor because there is no offset. Then the next day or the next week you can go back, raise the laser level to the benchmark height and recheck batterboards, again without a rod for offset. This would likely work with a sight level too but possibly with more difficulty. Not a bad value. Other mfgs elevator tripods are in the $300+ range. Even their add-on elevators are almost as much as the Stabila.
Very Sturdy (Rating: 4.00)
Review : I have not had a chance to use it at job site yet. But I took a test with a rotary laser. It is an excellent tool. Price is much lower than Hilti, but there is no much difference in quality. It would be a very helpful if they could make it to be able to lower the height for interior carpentry work, ex. chair rail, base cabinet, etc. Hilti makes low boy,but it's very expensive. Also I don't have room for two tripods to carry. I wish I would like to get a multi-purpose kind.
NOT very sturdy, great design, poorly manufactured. (Rating: 2.00)
Review : This tripod didn't last one day on our jobsite. It weighs more than 15 lbs, with most of the weight high in the steel elevator shaft. On the way from the truck to the site, one of the cheap plastic clips on the carrying strap at the heavy end of the tripod broke. The top plate hit concrete sidewalk from about three feet. After that, the crank wouldn't raise or lower the elevator at all. It froze and then stripped. Save yourself fifty dollars and buy Stabila's standard tripod. We did.
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