Thanks Steve, This should be a big help getting all these Laser Questions in one forum.
Hope this gets active. I have been looking into readers to mount on a machine for a pad job with a friend. So far I came up with LD50N, LD500 which seem to be the same units cost from 499 to 650. CR600 at about 650 locally. LR50 and bullseye3+ around 1200 each. I like the latter two, but a little pricey for one job so may just rent one to test it out for our purposes first. LD50N, LD500 CR600 LR50 bullseye3+
Boo, ive worked around the bullseye3+. It is an excellent tool for a good dozer hand. Ive run it a little and its easy to use, easy to see, and fairly accurate. The latter depends on how good of a dozer operator using it. My crews old finish man could finish a building pad withing +- two hundreths. A little pricy, but considering you do not have to get off the dozer to check your grade, or hire a laborer, it is well worth the cost. Something to consider, with the slow times we are experiencing. Contact the person you purchase your lasers from. See if they have any used items for sale. With a slow economy, and winter, im sure they are dying to make a sale.
OK I have to admit, I am a little ignorant about lazers we have just the basic basic CST unit, so this section has me very intrigued! I am now really wanting a dual slope laser after poking around here a bit. SO set me straight, the dual slope function allows you to grade banks, roads, pipe that sort of stuff right? so if I had an apache reciever mounted on my stick, say the 3+ I could set the laser for the % of slope/grade that I want and go to work? Like I could dig ditches for drainage pipe and not have to have a guy with a 2x4 a level and a tape? that would be clutch! I have always know about this stuff, just never really payed attention to it until now! I'm thinking a new dual slope laser and an apache 3+ reciever for my stick might be something I look into for spring!!!!
Laser recievers Here's some pics of a setup I used last week. It's a 3+ with a magnetic pole. I used it to dig a ditch with a 1/10 fall in it.
Thanks roddyo, thats exactly what I was thinking about! How did it work? how did you like it? This may be a really dumb question, but you can use these set-ups for level digs also correct?:beatsme What does that reciever set-up cost?
Reciever Costs With all things it depends. I think the stick is about $250.00 and the 3+ is around a $1,000.00 it is pretty simple. As far as how it works. I took off about an $8,000.00 Ocala System with a Apache 5+ and got the job done faster and simpler with a $1,250.00 system. As a matter of fact you can see my mounting brackets in the picture for my 5+. That is nothing against the 5+ BTW. I borrowed the stick on stick from a friend of mine and his 3+ was already on it so I used it. The 6+ is the sure enough excavator reciever though. But it is about $2,100.00 though but I think the stick on stick is included in the price. If you have other equipment look at the tornado box. It might make a difference which laser reciever you decide to go with. Here is some links: http://www.apache-laser.com/product/machine.htm http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Laser-Grade__W0QQ_armrsZ1 These recievers will indicate where you beam is. Flat, Slope, or Cross Slope. I'm not sure if that's clear. If you have any more qeustions just ask.
So the 3+ is the most basic and cheapest? That would work fine for us, I find that any time I go big and buy the ultra fancy model of something I only end up using the basic features:Banghead If the 3+ is $1000, and the kit at engineer supply is $900, that means I could get a nice set up that would be suffiecient for me for about the price of a 5+ reciever. I think thats the route I would go for starters, then if things change and I could justify it, go bigger, fancier!
Great thread:thumbsup Outstanding information:notworthy I have been threatening to junk my old dumpy level for years. I am with nedly05; Just need a reliable - affordable - solution. Usually this type of info ends up expensive space age equipment that just makes my head hurt after thinking abut for awhile. May have to use this info and get up off my wallet
That's a good option to take IMO. The 3+ has just a few buttons and options. Mostly just turn it on and go. I usually check my grade every 10 or 20 feet and eyeball the rest. The 3+ is excellent for that approach. When checking grade you just have to make sure your bucket and stick are in the same position as when you set your reciever. Granted most of my work isn't very detailed though. The way technology is today, in a year or 2 when you really get up to speed on this laser thing, there's no telling what features will be availible or how low the cost will be. So getting by on the cheap today may be a better deal for you in the long run money wise. BTW, I'm by no means a laser expert. Just sharing what little I know. Buying off the net is great BUT the big thing is buy something that there is a dealer close by. Just my two cents.
single slope and dual slope Here's the difference in single slope vs dual slope on laser transmitters. I know someone will ask in the future. Take your kitchen table and put something under the legs on one end. If you poured a glass of water on it it should run fairly straight toward the low end. Thats single slope. If you raise one corner up say 1 inch then you have one the opposite corner on the ground and the other two with one higher than the other. :beatsme I know what I'm trying to explain and I'm confused. ointhead If you pour water on it it should run toward the end but ALSO off toward the side. How much it runs toward the side depends on the amount of cross slope you have. That's an example of dual slope or what we call cross slope down here. For anyone looking at lasers that's the best way I know to explain it in writing. I would also go with a dual slope with a smaller laser. Where dual slope really shines IMO is working with the ground in some situtions. An example, If you have a high knob in a parking lot and you can make it the high corner. By useing cross slope you can make it fit the ground better and not have to move as much dirt. A big plus is it looks better because it looks a lot more natural the way it fits the ground. Down here we put cross slope on some ag fields to get the price down where they can be leveled. All of this is done with a single slope laser. :Banghead The way you put a cross slope in with a single slope laser is by indexing your transmitter a certain number of degrees depending on how much cross slope you want. I hope thats clear as mud.
Great info, thanks roddyo!!
I see that this thread gets active right AFTER I buy a laser setup!:Banghead I wouldn't change my purchase though. I bought a CST/Berger horizontal-only auto-level laser with a single slope function. After consistently over-digging for a foundation and getting tired of climbing on and off the hoe (no employee to hold the grade rod), I bought an Apache Bullseye 6. The Bullseye 6 is an excellent piece of technology. It not only gives you grade indication when the stick is plumb, but will monitor grade with the stick 30 degrees out from plumb. This feature is important to me, an inexperienced operator, because my point of reference is larger. With the magnetic mount supplied by Apache I can use the Bullseye on various tasks or machines. I have $2,500 in the whole setup, and can work alone, faster, without the frustration of guessing if I'm on grade or not. Money well spent in my opinion.
Good post, glad to hear your'e liking your set-up! Where did you buy yours? did you get it online or a local dealer? That seems like a good price for the lazer and the Bullseye 6. Is it technical to get set-up, confusing?How do you like the single slope? Do you ever find that you wish you had dual slope?
nedly05, I got both units off Ebay. The laser (model ALH, $600) came as an open-box special from one of the industrial liquidation houses (returns allowed within a few days). The box was beat all to heck, but the laser, tripod, and rod were perfect. I set it up and tried it immediately just in case there was a problem. The Bullseye was on sale at laser-grade last month. I think their normal price is a couple hundred $$ higher. The laser is a bit confusing, and I hope I never lose the manual. To input a slope, for instance, you must press a certain sequence of buttons. It works great, but is not terribly intuitive. For level, however, just press the power button and walk away.:notworthy The Apache is very simple to operate.
I am on the verge of purchasing a excavator grade indicating system from Ocala instruments. Dealer says it's a really good unit, lots in use out there, very old and experienced company. I talked to a guy who has one, he gives it two thumbs up. It is a 4 sensor system that give you a visual indication of where the cutting edge is relative to the laser plane. It can also track the ditch bank profile so you get a nice consistent channel shape. In cab display has a nice big color lcd, supposedly very easy to run, no manual needed. The 4th sensor mounts on the body to sense the angle of the house. This way, when the machine is operating on an angle, the system can compensate for the change in elevation of the boom pin as the body swings. Anyone have anything bad to say about this system? Looking for comments here. Thanks guys, Ken
Ocala Excavision I bought an Ocala last year while it was to wet to work. It didn't dry up for a pretty good while so I didn't get to use it for 6 weeks or so. If I could have used it in the first thirty days I would have sent it back. The Ocala is what I pulled off and put a laser receiver and stick on stick digging the ditch in this thread. The Ocala has been sitting in my spare bedroom ever since. Buying an Ocala Excavision was a mistake on my part. If you are going to buy one get a Trimble or something that you can have serviced locally also. Just my 2 Cents
Hi roddyo. What was it about the Ocala you weren't happy about? I'd be interested in learning a few details if you have time to post it. Thanks
nrs