The best digital distance meters?

ChibiM · 2018-11-30T21:58:55.000Z

I know this topic isn't much talked about, but I thought it could especially be useful for people who do reviews? perhaps.

Currently I only use a 5m tape measure for 5m, 10m and 15m distances.. but its a little annoying to do. So I was considering looking for a digital distance meter.

But like with any kinds of tool, there are expensive, good tools. Cheap, garbage tools, and budget, good tools. I'd like to know if people use these digital distance meters, and how accurate they are, ease of use, etc...

Any recommendations? or in the field experience?

XXX-Man · 2018-11-30T22:27:47.000Z

I use KXL-E40 at work and it has been good and reliable.
You can find it for about $16 on gearbest or banggood with coupon from BLF coupon guys

I have tested it against 20m tape measure and some very expensive Bosch laser meter and it was within 1mm on 20m distance.

Just be careful to buy laser meter, not ultrasound as they are useless IMHO.

Lightbringer · 2018-11-30T22:41:14.000Z

XXX-Man:

Just be careful to buy laser meter, not ultrasound as they are useless IMHO.

Really?

I still have (somewhere… :person_facepalming: ) a few ultrasonic rangefinders, and they were surprisingly accurate, at least at big objects. Indoors, they were accurate to a fraction of an inch.

I could ping the opposite wall, and with a slight change in “aim”, ping a cabinet or wall-unit, and it’d reflect the shorter distance.

I mainly used them just to play with, but I was hella impressed how accurate they are, especially hearing the faint click-click-click as it’d calculate the distance after locking on.

Was also fun to confuse it by slowly waving it closer/nearer/closer/nearer/… and hear it clicking away but not getting any consistent reading to lock onto. Almost felt bad for the critter.

chops728 · 2018-11-30T22:41:49.000Z

I got this one on a Lightning deal on Amazon $22 works really good after I read the manual LOL

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N9TPP4V/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Talpa · 2018-11-30T23:02:18.000Z

Cheap ones are quite okay. depend what accuracy you want.
I have to take measurements between 2 aluminium bars, and cheap ones cannot do that. Something to do with reflective surface I guess.

XXX-Man · 2018-11-30T23:32:37.000Z

Lightbringer:

XXX-Man:

Just be careful to buy laser meter, not ultrasound as they are useless IMHO.

Really?

I still have (somewhere… :person_facepalming: ) a few ultrasonic rangefinders, and they were surprisingly accurate, at least at big objects. Indoors, they were accurate to a fraction of an inch.

Well, that’s my experience with them.
They were not consistent in measurements and sometimes gave weird measurements.
Also many times they gave different measurements of same distance if material was different. Don’t know why.

Maybe you have some better units

With laser units I usually don’t have any problems and are cheap.

DominikM · 2018-11-30T23:53:56.000Z

After some reading I’ve bought this one : LOMVUM 40M - 40m for 15$ - 10 days delivery and reasonable price, I’ve checked it inside the house and it works well and accurate.

Pete7874 · 2018-12-01T00:12:48.000Z

I have this one. I think it was around $15 from eBay. It’s a little off sometimes on very short measurements (like under 5 inches), but I mainly use it to measure longer distances, so it’s not a big deal.

Klotski · 2018-12-01T02:04:43.000Z

Anyone have this one Fin17 has a code for this one right now

gocomma E50 Laser Distance Meter 50M
$ 16.99 code: FIN19

Enderman · 2018-12-01T18:42:35.000Z

I use a uni-t ut393B, needed something that could do over 100m.

LouieAtienza · 2018-12-01T18:40:14.000Z

Not exactly budget friendly but since I also do some home improvement I use a Bosch laser which is pretty accurate and measures to 135’. They do make one that does 165’ as well.

EDCba · 2018-12-02T02:20:02.000Z

Oh wow, after running out of flashlights to buy I’m on the verge of getting one of these too. I’ve also heard that the ultrasonic ones don’t work so well. Just wondering what range to get. 50 m might be too short outdoors.

Pete7874 · 2018-12-02T03:03:21.000Z

EDCba:

50 m might be too short outdoors.

These things don’t work all that well outdoors anyway because it’s usually too bright and you can’t tell where the laser is pointing.

LouieAtienza · 2018-12-02T03:50:14.000Z

Pete7874:

EDCba:

50 m might be too short outdoors.

These things don’t work all that well outdoors anyway because it’s usually too bright and you can’t tell where the laser is pointing.

If you wear specific glasses you can see the dot even outside in the daytime…

Pete7874 · 2018-12-02T03:51:51.000Z

LouieAtienza:

If you wear specific glasses you can see the dot even outside in the daytime…

How much are these glasses? Hopefully not more expensive than the meter.

LouieAtienza · 2018-12-02T04:50:53.000Z

Pete7874:

LouieAtienza:

If you wear specific glasses you can see the dot even outside in the daytime…

How much are these glasses? Hopefully not more expensive than the meter.

I don’t think they’re expensive at all. I have one with a red laser level I bought over 10 years ago. You put a reflective card at your target if need be, and with the tinted glasses it looks like a shiny white dot… Though with the reflective card you don’t really need the glasses. We used to shine laser pointers at street signs as kids, and even in the daytime they’d light up with their reflective surface.

kiriba-ru · 2018-12-02T05:51:25.000Z

Can agree most point mentioned before.

- do not purchase ultrasonic versions

- laser ones are very precise. Never met people who can measure 10-20m using tape measure with same precise.

more expensive models have more features for fast calculations. For internal usage, I would prefer models with micro-switch that can determine if it should add tool length to the measured distance (sometimes you forget to choose right option manually).
Bosch/Makita/Hilti etc. sell their meters but they are overpriced IMO. If you don’t want to play lottery with Ali no-name brands, you can check uni-t/masttech/proskit.

ChibiM · 2018-12-02T07:24:37.000Z

All fair. I'd like something below $20.

I saw a Leica disto a3 second hand for about $50 but their might be other ones that are "good enough" at $20. Next week I'll double check all mentioned ones and prices on different websites.

LouieAtienza · 2018-12-03T18:00:21.000Z

ChibiM:

All fair. I’d like something below $20.

I saw a Leica disto a3 second hand for about $50 but their might be other ones that are “good enough” at $20. Next week I’ll double check all mentioned ones and prices on different websites.

Really however if 15m is your farthest distance, then the prices go down significantly for under 50m laser measurers - even among the name brands…

TimMc · 2020-11-07T11:13:02.000Z

Is Lomvum better than UNI-T?