BOSCH DLR130K Laser Measure (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Before I got the Bosch DLR130K I wondered to myself, "Do I really need a laser measure, my tape measure works fine". A few months, and many measurements later, I can definitely say, yes, I do need a laser measure and this particular one is outstanding.Key benefits of a laser measure:1. A single person can take measurements, especially long measurements, very quickly and accurately.2. You can take measurements that are difficult if not impossible to do with a traditional tape measure, such as measuring the height of high ceiling or a long diagonal.3. No more extending and contracting a tape measure. No more kinks or bending. No more trying to figure out if the small line the 16th or 8th of an inch.Downsides:1. You can't measure the linear distance of a non-square shape such as the circumference of circle or arch or the actual length of wire needed to transverse an irregular surface, such as a crawl space. (You can do this with most traditional metal tape measures either (only the flexible vinyl ones).As for this specific unit, some of it's positives include:1. Lightweight, compact and well built. In fact it is smaller and lighter than my old tape measure and that could only measure 20 feet. The unit is constructed of high impact plastic and rubberized grips on the side. Very solid, but still lightweight.2. It's reliable. I have to admit, I was skeptical that it would be as reliable as a tape measure. I had one of the sound-based units awhile back and that was very unreliable and generally a waste of money. This unit not only provides accurate measurements (I tested it against my tape measure with about 10 different measurements, then got tired because the tape measure takes so long to set up...) but it also provides measurements off all kinds of surfaces. Wood, stucco, drywall, nylon, paper, even mirrors all returned accurate measurements.3. It's fast. Point, push the button and you have your measurement.Two main negatives:1. As others have pointed out, due to the rubberized grip on the sides, the unit is not square when laid on its side or its back/front, which means you have to tilt the unit slightly to get what you guessestimate is a level line. That said, the bottom of the unit (opposite side of the laser) is flat/square and you can use that for many measurements (wall to wall, wall to ceiling, etc.).2. It can display measurements you take in feet/inches, but if you store those measurements in memory the inches are "decimalized" which isn't a huge deal, but it's a weird oversight.Overall, I would highly recommend this unit. If you are looking to make the switch from a traditional tape measure to laser, don't hesitate, this unit is reliable, well built and worth the money as it should last forever, unlike my tape measures which seemed to fail or get some kind of permanent kink in them every few years.

This is a fantastic device. I have been using it daily for over 3 months and cannot imagine my job without it. I have used several different types, both the laser GUIDED ultrasonic ones and the actual laser ones. The former ultrasonic ones are very inconsistent and really not worth the time. You lose any efficiency gained by the device if you are second guessing your measurements and they seem to be skewed by many different variables.This Bosch DLR130K is incredibly accurate and fits in easily in my hand. I am a painting contractor and use this device daily for my job. I have learned to guess distances pretty good, but this device feels like i am cheating. Place on floor, shoot ceiling, instantly determine ceiling height up to a 16th of an inch. I no longer have to walk in large bedrooms full of a potential customers personal items. I just stand at the door, shoot width, depth, and height and carry on.The device itself seems very well made, as most Bosch branded products. Very easy to use. Laser is bright and clear. Rubberized armor surrounds the device and it looks like it could handle some rough use, though i am pretty careful with mine. The back door is the clip-type, but is very tight. All the buttons are on the front and the pictures on the buttons give a very good idea of their purpose, so no user manual really necessary. I only use the single shot straight measurement feature, but it can do the math for squared and cubed measurements. It makes a quiet, but audible "CLICK" when you push the main button to measure that you can feel in the hands as well, so you do not need to wonder if it fired if you are in an awkward position. All the buttons have a nice, tactile feel to them and are not easy to accidentally press.It will measure in FT(7.435ft), Ft/In(7' 5 3/16"), in(89 3/16"), and m(2.267m), and you can measure once, and switch to all the different forms by just pushing the button, if you are on the wrong setting at first or decide you want it in a different form. The measurement will stay loaded until you take a new measurement. You can measure from the FRONT OR BACK of the device. It comes with a threaded hole in the bottom to use with a tripod, though i do not believe you can measure distance from that threaded hole, as some other devices can. It has an AUTO-OFF feature that is used literally every single time i use the device. Its had the same 4 AAA batteries in it from day one,so battery life doesnt seem to be an issue. It comes with a very nice soft carry pouch as well. It can commit a measurement to memory just like a calculator. It also has this cool feature where you can have a "constant-on" laser measurement going where it will just update the reading to wherever you are pointing. I never use it, or foresee a reason to, but its still cool.The only real weakness of this device to me is the lack of a backlight. Sometimes in a dark room, it would be nice to be able to read the distance. But the distance does stay loaded on the screen until the next measurement, so its really not even a big deal.I never really use it outside. I use other ways to estimate houses outside and guesswork is more forgiving. I am sure it would work fine depending on conditions, but most lasers wash out outside. Even high quality green lasers wash out in the right conditions, so i dont really see this as being a disadvantage of the device.In conclusion, i really like this device. It is one of those products that you cant help but smile every time you use it. It makes parts of my job MUCH faster. I did not research all the different lasers on Amazon. I went with the least expensive one with great reviews (the Bosch DLR130K) and i am very happy i didn't waste any time looking at other ones.

Ça fait 2 ans que j’ais acheter ce laser, et je l’utilise régulièrement, aucun problème. Par contre à l’extérieur de jour il est presque impossible de voir le point rouge.

Excellent buy.

I'd always been very skeptical of laser measuring devices. But as I love all my Bosch tools, and was in need of something that will allow me to do a lot of measuring on an old house I bought, I decided to give this a go. Low expectations, but wow, amazing. Very easy to use keypad, I have not had to open the instruction book yet, but have been able to do a few different things just by looking at the button icons; very intuitive. Solid construction, feels very well made, much smaller than I expected. The accuracy has been dead on or within the specs that Bosch said it would be. My measuring tape was less accurate, especially for longer distances. I did hum and ha about getting the next level up for longer distances, but I think this will suit 99% of my needs.

Very nice unit and I am finding I am using it more than using tape as it is that accurate and easy to use.Only wish it had back-lighting to read at night.

Excellent product. Compact and versatile.