Milwaukee Cross Line Laser Levels Will Leave Others Green with Envy
BOOM! Just like that, Milwaukee broke into the line laser sector with gusto and we’ve got everything you need to know about the Milwaukee cross line laser level lineup!
Pros
- Green beams in all laser levels
- Two power sources to choose from—M12 or RedLithium USB
- Seven designs to choose from
- Full-day runtime in each model (8-hour minimum)
- New micro-adjust dials in positions easily and quickly
- Laser pivots on the plumb spot so it doesn’t move while you adjust
- 1/8-inch per 33 feet accuracy
Cons
- More expensive than some of the competition if all you need is the basics
Editor’s Note: Check out our best laser levels article to get our top recommendations.
Milwaukee Cross Line Laser Visibility
Every Milwaukee cross line laser uses a green beam to get the best visibility. The design team also worked up a new form of the standard target card to make seeing your line easier when you’re dealing with a brighter area.
It has better visibility with a high-contrast design that makes it easier to see when you’ve hit the center. It’s also magnetic and has standard and metric measurements.
Green beams come with a couple of trade-offs. For starters, they’re more power-hungry than red, so your runtime is lower given the same battery sources. They’re also more expensive to produce, so you’ll notice a bit of a premium compared to red lasers.
But they’re so much easier to see that we’re willing to accept those trades to get better visibility.
Milwaukee Cross Line Laser Accuracy
Milwaukee dialed in the accuracy of the diodes at 1/8-inch for every 33 feet. That’s dead-on what we expect from professional laser levels in this class. Some models drop to 1/4-inch over 33 feet or worse, giving Milwaukee better accuracy than entry-level models.
Power Sources and Runtime
Milwaukee is targeting two types of power sources: alkaline and lithium-ion. The irony is they’re doing it solely with lithium-ion power.
Milwaukee RedLithium USB Laser Levels
Milwaukee RedLithium USB cross line laser models are designed to replace the ones Pros use with alkaline batteries. Using up to 4 AA batteries for power, heavy line laser users might go through two or three sets of batteries a week.
Even though these Milwaukee laser levels run $50 – $100 more than alkaline, there’s a value proposition worth considering.
Let’s say you’re on the conservative side and use just one set of batteries a week. A pack of 48 Energizer batteries runs a little over $20 on Amazon. That’s enough to get you through 12 weeks. You’re going to need four of those over the course of the year (plus a little, but we’ll give you some vacation time), costing you $80. Your return on investment for going lithium is about a year or less.
If you’re that heavier user running through three sets of batteries a week, you’re in it for $240 a year. You’ve almost paid for the whole laser by the end of year 1.
So what about that runtime? Milwaukee’s RedLithium USB batteries will run for more than 8 hours in the cross line lasers and 15 hours in the 3-point model.
Thanks to USB charging and the ability to run while charging, you can easily use an M18 or M12 battery with a USB adapter as a power source. That will extend your runtime significantly.
Milwaukee M12 Cross Line Lasers
For compatibility with Milwaukee’s compact cordless tools, go with one of Milwaukee’s M12 models. These line up more closely with the lithium-ion competition out there in terms of runtime.
Using a 3.0Ah battery in the cross line/point laser or a 4.0Ah battery in the 3-plane model, you can expect 15 hours of continuous use.
Setup Simplified
One of the major highlights on each Milwaukee laser level is a micro-adjust for the vertical beam. We’ve used plenty of lasers with a micro-adjust on the mount for horizontal height, just not on the vertical plane.
Most of the time, you make adjustments by hand and there’s a lot of wobble along with simply overshooting your mark from across the room. With Milwaukee’s adjustment, it’s much smoother and more precise so you can get it right more quickly.
The other issue that pops up from adjusting most lasers by hand comes from the using the plumb spot to dial in a starting position. As you make your side-to-side adjustment, the plumb spot moves, too. The design team put their pivot right on the plumb spot, so you can make that vertical line adjustment without shifting your floor reference.
Jobsite Ready
Sensitive diodes, jobsites, and less-than-careful crew members don’t necessarily get along. However, Milwaukee designed these laser levels with 1 meter (3.3 feet) drop protection and with an IP54 ingress rating.
Milwaukee Cross Line Laser Level Options
There are currently seven laser levels to choose from. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Milwaukee M12 Green Cross Line and 4-Point Laser
The newest laser in the lineup is the 3624. It takes the cross line and plumb spot laser concept and adds two additional horizontal squaring spots to the left and right. You get the micro-adjust dial and plumb spot pivoting and the 3.0Ah battery runs the laser for more than 9 hours.
- Power Source: M12 battery
- Beams: Horizontal, vertical, plumb spots, and horizontal spots
- Runtime: 9+ hours
- Range: 125 feet visible, 165 feet with detector
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Milwaukee M12 Green 360° Single Plane Laser Level
The other of the new 2022 lasers in the line is the M12 3631. It’s a 360° horizontal single-plane laser that gets up to 30 hours of runtime with a 4.0Ah battery. With a visible range of 125 feet from the laser, you can cover a diameter of 250 feet without a laser detector.
- Power Source: M12 battery
- Beams: 360° horizontal
- Runtime: 30+ hours
- Range: 125 feet visible, 165 feet with detector
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Milwaukee M12 Green 360° 3-Plane Laser Level
Milwaukee’s 3632 is the way to go when you need three 360° lines for layout. Similar to the single plane laser, its two vertical beams and single horizontal beam are visible up to 125 feet from the laser, giving you a visible 250-foot diameter to work with. This model pivots on the top and bottom plumb intersections, making layout baselined on those points easier and faster.
With all three lasers running, the runtime is still more than enough to get you through the day at 15 hours with a 4.0Ah pack.
- Power Source: M12 battery
- Beams: 360° horizontal and two 360° vertical
- Runtime: 15+ hours
- Range: 125 feet visible, 165 feet with detector
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Milwaukee M12 Green Cross Line and Plumb Points Laser Level
Of all the Milwaukee line lasers, we use the 3622 the most. With its vertical and horizontal cross line combing with plumb spots, it’s versatile across a wide range of trades. The micro-adjust knob pivots on the plumb spots and even though the kit comes with a smaller 3.0Ah battery, it still gets more than 15 hours of runtime.
- Power Source: M12 battery
- Beams: 360° horizontal, 360° vertical, and plumb spots
- Runtime: 15+ hours
- Range: 125 feet visible, 165 feet with detector
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Green Cross Line Laser
Switching over to the RedLithium USB battery system, Milwaukee’s 3521 is your go-to choice for a horizontal/vertical cross line laser. With the USB battery, the visible range is a little shorter at 100 feet but you still get more than 8 hours on a charge. While there are no plumb spots to pivot on, the micro-adjust mechanism is the same.
- Power Source: RedLithium USB battery
- Beams: Horizontal and vertical
- Runtime: 8+ hours
- Range: 100 feet visible, 165 feet with detector
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Milwaukee USB Rechargeable Green 3-Point Laser Level
When all you need are the points, go with Milwaukee’s 3510. It has two plumb spots and a horizontal point that are visible out to 150 feet. Because of how 3-point lasers are used in the field, the base doesn’t have a pivot or micro-adjust knob. However, it gets an impressive 15+ hours out of its RedLithium USB battery.
- Power Source: RedLithium USB battery
- Beams: Plumb spots and horizontal spot
- Runtime: 15+ hours
- Range: 150 feet visible
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Milwaukee USB Green Cross Line and Plumb Points Laser
For the same cross line and plumb spot functions as the M12 3622 on the RedLithium USB system, look for the 3522. The visibility is a little lower at 100 feet but your detector range is still 165 feet. The battery is capable of more than 8 hours of runtime and you have the micro-adjust knob and plumb spot pivoting action.
- Power Source: RedLithium USB battery
- Beams: 360° horizontal, 360° vertical, and plumb spots
- Runtime: 8+ hours
- Range: 100 feet visible, 165 feet with detector
- Accuracy: ±1/8-inch at 33 feet
- Self-Leveling: ±4°
- Ingress Rating: IP54
Available Accessories
In addition to the lasers, there are a couple of handy accessories worth pointing out.
First is what appears to be a fairly standard magnetic/hangable mount. In reality, the design allows you to attach the laser in 360º, making it easier to find a quick mounting point in nearly any environment.
There’s also a track clip to help you out when you’re working on a drop ceiling or something similar.
The Bottom Line
Milwaukee cross line laser levels have the accuracy and visibility we demand and help speed up the setup process. We like the fact that every model is lithium-ion powered with the runtime to make it through a full 8-hour day. Overall, there’s genuine innovation to be excited about and we expect Milwaukee is going to make a significant impact in the line laser market.
