Fresh off the review of the Johnson 25โฒ PlanReader tape measure, the Johnson Level 40-6616 Tiling andย Flooring Laser Level makes doing right-angle flooring layouts simplerย and is a good tool to use along the way to check to make sure thingsย stay in line and square. For a reasonable price, the DIYer has a tool that can give their tile projects that professionalย appearance. Everyone knows that tile work is all aboutย straight lines, perfect corners, and a layout that matches the room.ย With laser guidance within reach, you can ensure that your flooringย project will come out the way you dreamed it would.
Our Johnson Level 40-6616 Tiling andย Flooring Laser Level arrived in a clear plastic retail-style packageย of the kind you can expect to find on store shelves. Once we cut our way into it, we found that, along with the flooring laser level, it included 2 โAAโ alkaline batteries, a red floor target, an instruction manual, and a soft-sided pouch. While it is a sillyย thing, I love it when products include batteries. All too often in theย shop, we never seem to have the right batteries around when we needย them. There is nothing better than the instant gratification that youย can open a tool, put the batteries in, and get up and running inย seconds.
Johnson Level 40-6616 Tiling and Flooring Laser Level Features
The flooring laser level has a mainย body that is made of orange plastic, but on the bottom, there is aย metal base plate that has three machined surfaces that contact theย floor. The reason for this is two-fold (we suspect). First, it adds weight to the base so it is sturdier, and second, with the three contact points, there is much less chance that the level will rock when set down. Mounted at 90 degrees to each other are two bubbleย level vials that make it so you can check the plane of the surfaceย you are working on in two directions. In line with these, bubble level vials are the red colored lasers that project out to about 30 feet indoors, depending on the lighting conditions.
When working with tile and many flooring products, it is critical to maintain straight lines, and you can be sure that this level will perform since it is calibrated to be within a 1/4โณ at 60 feet (a tolerance which we verified). There is a simple red on/off toggle button in the centerย of the tool, and the batteries are located inside a black cover justย behind that button. The batteries will provide about 30 hours ofย continuous use. The red target is handy, and we will touch on its useย later. We really liked how the soft carry case made it easy to storeย and transport the Tiling and Flooring Laser Level.
Testingย and Use
If you have ever done a tile flooringย job, youโll instantly appreciate the convenience of a laser systemย like this. Setting up the Johnson Level 40-6616 Tiling and Flooringย Laser Level was very simple. You turn it on, set it on the floor, andย take some measurements to make sure that it is projecting the linesย where you need them. Even if it is your first time doing a floor, weย are pretty sure that the system will be easy to understand and use.ย
No more will you have to draw lines or use a chalk box to mark outย where things need to be. I always used to think to myself how sillyย it was to go to all the trouble to lay out the tile floor on the subย flooring material, and then still have to measure and check once Iย started to lay the tile, because I covered all my markings withย thinset mortar. Now, once you have a tile or two placed, you can setย the laser level on them and use it to project the straight linesย right over whatever material is in its path.
Just in case you canโtย see the laser line, the floor is long, or itโs not perfectly level (which is the case most of the time in the real world), you can use the included red laser target to help you find the line. Just position the target down the line from the laser, and it will instantly andย brightly let you know where the line is. I tried to capture this inย this photo to make it easy to see in action.
Given the right-angle projectingย abilities of the 40-6616 Tiling and Flooring Laser Level, we suspectย this tool can be used for more than just tile and flooring. Itโs not as sophisticated or automated as the Bosch GSL 2 surface laser, but it delivers a lot for the price. The trickย to remember is that it must be used on horizontal surfaces becauseย there is no way to either mount it on a tripod or on a verticalย surface โ this is a tad disappointing, but we suspect itโs becauseย Johnson Level has other products specifically suited for thatย purpose.
Things like doing floor layouts for cabinets, cubicles,ย furniture, and walls are some of the other uses we were able to comeย up with. Our only complaint is that the battery door does not have a veryย positive latch, so it has the tendency to want to pop off when youย grab it around the middle. If you drop the tool, you can also expectย to lose the cover.
Conclusion
We find that the Johnson Level 40-6616ย Tiling and Flooring Laser Level is definitely something that anyoneย should pick up if they are getting ready to lay a tile floor. With aย simple design, good accuracy, and a reasonable price, we feel this isย a tool that will bring a level of quality to your project, even ifย you are going to do a single floor. With a smorgasbord of laser-typeย products on the market, with many of them costing considerably more,ย we felt that this tool earned an 8/10 on our Value scale.
For ourย Performance rating, we gave this tool a 6/10 since it works well andย has features that both the DIY and pro can benefit from. We also would have squeaked up another point if the battery door were a little more robust.
