One of our readers asked, "Can I use a rotation laser inside or do I need a crosshair laser for leveling?" Great question, let's get to the idea of a rotation laser vs. crosshair laser for indoor installations.
The short answer is yes, you can. But crosshair lasers are a better choice. Let's see why.
Spinning Laser vs. Crosshair Laser: Can I Use a Spinning Laser Inside?
visibility
Crosshair lasers use a prism to deflect the laser light vertically, horizontally, or both approximately 180 degrees. This produces a bright, steady beam that is very easy to see.
Rotary lasers emit a laser beam through a single point diode. This gives it greater range (over 10x the range in most cases), but the fact that it rotates means the laser is only in your target area part of the time.
From a visibility standpoint, the reticle laser appears brighter due to its steady state. Spinning the laser can come closer to a steady state by increasing the spin rate, but it fades away as you change it. Some rotation lasers, such as our DeWalt, allow you to confine the beam to specific angles such as 15, 45 or 90 degrees. This will keep the beam on more of your work area for a greater percentage of the time.
scope
It's true that a spinning laser has a much greater range because it doesn't spread out the beam. For example, our DeWalt 20V Max Green Tough Laser can work to 2000 feet, while our DeWalt 12V Max Green Cross Line Laser can work to 160 feet.
But we're talking about the BVR of spinning lasers — beyond the visible range. It falls off noticeably closer than a reticle laser, but the beam still goes on and can be paired with a receiver to handle things you can't see.
So the reticle laser gets more visibility, but the swivel laser is far superior in terms of overall range. However, in answer to our readers' questions, no one wants to mount cabinets with barely visible wires or handheld laser receivers. The longer visible line of crosshair lasers is suitable for this application.
Rotation and Crosshair Laser Precision
Our DeWalt crosshair lasers are accurate to 1/8 inch and our rotary lasers are accurate to 1/16 inch. But that's not all. The accuracy of the crosshair laser is based on 33 feet, while the accuracy of the rotation laser is 100 feet. This means that for the reticle laser, the same level of error at 100 feet is 3/8 inch, while for the rotating laser, the error level is still 1/8 inch at 100 feet – a 200% increase in error compared to the rotating model .
Advantages of rotating lasers.
You can minimize installation errors by keeping the crosshair laser as close as you can comfortably use it. Most installations can tolerate a 1/8" error over 33 feet.
price
There's a huge price gap between rotary lasers and crosshair lasers, and there's a premium if you want to go green. Our DeWalt DW088LG is $349. It's not cheap, but the DeWalt Dw079LG is $1299.
Bottom Line: Rotating Laser vs. Crosshair Laser Used Internally – Yes or No?
There is no question that a crosshair laser is the better choice for most interior applications, whether you are installing cabinets, stairs, tile, or anything else that requires straight lines. Visibility is much better, especially if you use a green laser.
Although rotating the laser is more accurate, setting the crosshair laser close to you will ensure that you are within 1/8 inch of error. This is acceptable for most installation tasks. If it needs to be as close to perfect as possible, you can always double check with a digital level.
Crosshair lasers are much less expensive if you haven't already purchased one.
That said, a rotating laser could be used for the same installation. Keep the laser as close to the work area as possible so you can work comfortably, and keep the RPM as low as possible to get the brightest beam. If you can limit it to a 45 degree beam, that will also help with visibility. Even if you lose some brightness, turning up the RPM will get you closer to a steady beam.
Most professionals turn to indoor spinning lasers during the construction of large buildings, not for the completion of new or remodeled structures.
Advantages of Using Rotary Lasers for Indoor Work
- Greater overall reach for open spaces
- Receiver required for BVR (Beyond Visible Range) work
- higher accuracy (usually)
Disadvantages of Using Rotary Lasers for Indoor Work
- expensive
- More cumbersome to move, install and position
Advantages of Using a Crosshair Laser for Indoor Work
- excellent visibility range
- lower cost
- Steady-state beams are easy to see
Cons of Using a Crosshair Laser for Indoor Work
- shorter overall range
- Lower output and accuracy than high-end rotary laser models