The Ryobi self leveling plumb cross laser RP4000 represents one of the best values we’ve seen in a while, and it’s one of the coolest tools in the Ryobi Tek4 cordless tools collection. For pros and do-it-yourselfers alike, this is one tool that is priced as low, or lower than many of the non-rechargeable competition. The tool actually sits inside of a plastic jacket that contains a threaded tripod mount. Once the tool is lifted a bit and “unlocked”, the level is able to self-level and you can get effective results in any of the three modes. The modes are a combination crosshair/plumb bob mode which fires a horizontal and vertical beam as well as top and bottom lasers for use as a plumb bob. The second mode fires only the horizontal beam and the top dot. The third mode shoots a vertical beam with the bottom dot. For setting up cabinets and interior work this is going to be a no-brainer and a real go-to tool.
We used several in-house box beam levels to verify the accuracy of this product and found the Ryobi self leveling plumb cross laser to be quite reliable both vertically and horizontally. The plumb bob feature is very useful and we were able to make good use of it when we relocated and mounted a commercial electric projector lift above a 24×24 drop ceiling. If you ever tried to accurately mark anchor points above a commercial drop ceiling, you’ll understand how handy this feature can be.
Plan on keeping the beam to a maximum distance of 25-30 feet for best results – beyond that this Ryobi plumb cross laser tends to get very wide, and dim, and thus is more difficult to read. It’s also very difficult (for obvious reasons) to use this product outdoors during the day without a laser detector. While there are other self-leveling laser on the market, the rechargeable nature of the Ryobi RP4000 and the incredible feature set make this a great value and a great tool. If you have a few of the Ryobi Tek4 products be sure to get the AP4500 Rapid Charger as it will charge your batteries in just 36 minutes as opposed to the 5-hour charge time of the included Standard wall charger. At $119, we gave the Ryobi RP4000 the highest possible value rating due to its excellent feature set and performance for the price. For sheer capabilities against market competition we gave it a performance rating of 8/10 since it’s well above average for this type of product. Ryobi has hit a home run with this Plumb/Cross Self Leveling Laser product.
