Tool Review: Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level
The Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level is a nifty little gadget for some home projects. Simple to use, this laser level uses battery powered suction to keep it from falling off of your flat walls. If you have textured walls, the Ryobi AIRgrip does come with pins that can be used to secure it to most surfaces. In our home test, we used the laser level to attempt to hang a 4′ x 4′ bathroom mirror, mount a corner shelf, and to hang some newly framed family photos.
This suctioned powered laser level boasts that it provides a visible light for up to 30 feet. The 360-degree rotating head offers users multiple angle capabilities, and a unique rotating laser head rotates 90 degrees for vertical and horizontal applications.
Hanging the large bathroom mirror was a breeze with the Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level. With fresh batteries, the Ryobi remained firmly suctioned to the flat surface of the bathroom wall. The level was easy to read and the laser was simple to see. All we needed to do was measure and mark where we wanted the mirror to hang. Having the laser as a guide made this task much easier than we anticipated.
Following the success of the mirror, we decided to test the angular claims that the Ryobi makes by mounting a medium sized corner shelf in the living room. While the level and the laser were able to provide a perfect 90 degree angle, the battery powered suction failed to work on our lightly textured walls. This task ended up requiring two people. We placed the laser level on the corner shelf and while one of us held the shelf in place, the other marked the mounting points using the laser as a guide. While not the ideal situation, the shelf was mounted nicely after a few attempts. We could have opted to use the pins to mount the laser level to the wall, but decided that we did not want to have unnecessary holes if at all possible.
Hanging the family photos using the Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level proved to be quite the project, as the textured wall surface again prevented the suction function from working. Following multiple attempts, we decided to use the pins to secure the Ryobi to the wall. This would have worked just fine had we wanted to hang the photos in a straight line; however we opted for the stair step look, so the laser level had to be moved and re-pinned several times, leaving small, but visible holes in our wall.
Overall, the Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level is a cool gadget if you are soley working on flat surfaces or if holes in your walls do not bother you. The AIRgrip Laser Level comes with a padded case, 4 mounting pins, and a velcro strap to secure the laser level to objects. You may also use a tripod with this product. The Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level can be found for less than $40 at many locations.
