Skil 360° Green Cross Line Laser Level Delivers Outstanding Value
If your to-do list of installation projects is getting out of hand and the price of a Milwaukee professional cross line laser is out of reach, there’s good news. There’s a Skil 360° green cross line laser and tripod package that offers professional features with a very reachable price tag.
Pros
- Higher visibility green beam
- Full 360° horizontal beam
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery (internal)
- Self-leveling with lockable beams
- 6-hour runtime
- Operates while charging
- Included tripod is great for projects around the house
Cons
- Tripod could be more robust
Editor’s Note: Check out our best laser levels article to get our top recommendations.
Skil 360° Green Cross Line Laser Level Upgrades
Right out of the gate, Skil puts two major upgrades into this laser: green beams and a rechargeable battery.
The human eye picks up green beams better than red and you end up with a longer working range. However, green beams use more power.
That’s one of the reasons this Skil green cross line laser uses an integrated lithium-ion battery for power. You won’t have to worry about keeping a bunch of AA alkaline batteries in a drawer or putting your project on hold to run to the store.
That battery lasts up to 6 hours. We get the most out of it by using whichever beam we need at the moment (vertical or horizontal) instead of keeping them both on all the time.
The downside of an integrated battery is that you can’t just swap them out the way you do with lasers that use alkaline or power tools batteries. During our testing, we noticed that you can use the laser while you have it plugged in, though. If you’re in a pinch, you can use AC power as a backup option.
Skil 360° Green Cross Line Laser Level Accuracy
Skil dialed in the accuracy of this laser level to ±3/16-inch over 30 feet. We tested the laser on some picture hanging, curtain rod installation, and track shelf installation with excellent results. There are some jobs that Pro contractors want a tighter tolerance on, but Skil’s accuracy is just fine for the majority of home improvement projects.
The laser diode self-levels up to 4°. If you get beyond that, the beams will blink so you know to set it closer to level.
If you’re intentionally going for an off-level beam, you can lock the beams in place and tilt the laser to get the angle you want. It’s helpful to add creative interest to a series of pictures, set tile at an angle other than square to the wall, and a host of other decorative ideas.
Included Tripod
We love that this Skil green cross line laser comes with a tripod. It’s something you simply have to have if you’re going to work with a laser level frequently. Trying to find the right combination of boxes and books to stack at just the right height is comical to watch and frustrating when you’re trying to get the work done.
We really like how lightweight the tripod is. Unlike most camera tripods (which typically have the same 1/4-inch screw connection), this one only reaches up to 3 1/2 feet. You can set it on a table or counter without a problem. From there, the tripod’s vertical adjustment can help you dial in the perfect height. We ran into a few times working inside a closet where we wanted more height, though.
While the tripod is light, it’s not designed to take the abuse of banging around in the back of a work truck all day, every day. That kind of work requires a more robust design. If you’re traveling with it, just take care to set it where its legs won’t get damaged from being hit by other objects.
Skil 360° Green Cross Line Laser Feature Set
- 360° horizontal beam
- Green beams visible up to 100-foot diameter (50-foot radius)
- Self-levels up to 4º with out-of-level alert (beams blink when out of level)
- Lockable diode to project beams at angles other than level
- Integrated rechargeable lithium-ion battery (micro USB charging cord included)
- Tripod included
Skil 360° Green Cross Line Laser Combo Price
We like Skil’s price on this green cross-line laser. The whole package is just $119.99.
To put that in perspective, a good professional red laser that runs on AAs with a 50-foot range is about $150. Green beams get you up to about $180 and adding the rechargeable battery on top that puts you well over $200. Plus, none of those include a tripod.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a cross-line laser to help out with projects around the house, you won’t find more bang for your buck than with this Skil green cross-line laser and tripod package. It has everything you need in one box with upgrades no one else we trust offers in the same price range.
Skil 360° Green Cross Line Laser Specs
- Model: Skil L9322G-01
- Battery Life (Hours): 6
- Laser type (nanometre): Green beam, 520nm, class 2, ＜1mW
- Accuracy: ±3/16 in at 30ft ±0.5mm/m
- Projection: 360º horizontal and one vertical line
- Typical Laser visibility/working range (ft): 100ft 30m
- Self-leveling range (°): ±4°
- Height: 4.21 in
- Length: 3.78 in
- Width: 2.87 in
- Weight: 0.97 lb
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price: $119.99
