Dewalt DCE089D1G-XE Review
Being from a trade background where finishes are important, having good levelling equipment is vital. As a tradesman that is always striving to provide the very best finish for my customers, I take which lasers I use very seriously. It can be very difficult to get information when purchasing new tools. I usually end up talk to other tradespeople to get their feedback due to a lack of information on high end products. As a result I am starting to do tool reviews on tools I have purchased and my experiences with them. So here we go, the Dewalt DCE089D1G-XE review.
As you can see I have been using this laser on site for about a month now. I purchased the unit from Total Tools Kunda park for The case it comes in is solid to say the least. It has T stack which works in conjunction with other DeWALT storage containers to help keeps tools organised. Keeping lasers well protected is vital to their accuracy and longevity, however the trade-off is quite a large case for a small laser.
Opening the case we have the laser itself, charger, battery, target, glasses, wall bracket and instruction manuals. There is addition spacing in the foam which I’m assuming is for storage of an optional receiver if you choose to purchase one.
The Dewalt Line Laser Level Detector Green Beam DE0892GXJ can be purchased for an additional $139. It was a little disappointing that this is optional receivers are fantastic for extending the range of a laser beyond it’s visible range.
Battery system
I’ll start with the battery which is a 10.8V Dewalt Lithium Ion rechargeable unit. Considering I use a laser of this type nearly every day and before I purchased this unit I was using 4 x AA batteries per day. That’s over 20 batteries per week! The costs savings vs a non rechargeable unit are considerable to say the least when you do the maths on it. When using multiple lines the run time before recharging goes down depending on how many beams you are using. On site 3 weeks ago I used the unit with 1 line which was still going after 15 hours…. not bad at all. Being lithium ion you can recharge the battery after use and there is a battery indicator on the side of the laser to let you know how much charge you have left. A second battery can also be purchased for $75.00 from total tools, which you could use 1 battery while you charge the other.
Turning the unit on
The unit is turned on via a single switch on the side of the unit, which also serves to lock the unit when being used or transported. Locking features are always great on lasers to help prolong their life and keep them calibrated correctly.
Mounting Options
The included baseplate contains some serious magnets which is a nice change from the majority of the other units of this type out there. The laser comes with a metal wall brackets which works well with the magnets on the unit for fast levelling. In my experience in the ceiling industry the majority of accidental damage that I have seen happen to units of this type are from being knocked off the wall. When I say this units has some serious magnets in the brackets, I’m talking two hands to remove it. This is great for preventing accidental fall damage and a major pro for buying one of these units.
The Beam
The unit uses green laser technology rather than the traditional red beam. The advantage this offers is superior visibility to the naked eye. This means you can see the beam further in brighter conditions and have a further effective range before you need to use a receiver. The beam is very bright which is excellent, however it has a thicker beam than some of the other lasers out there on the market. A thinner beam would mean more accurate use especially when not using a receiver and using the laser by eye.
Horizontal levelling is a breeze, especially if there is metal nearby to attach the magnets to.
- Just mark your height
- magnetically attach the unit to some nearby steel
- turn the unit on
- press the button to turn the horizontal beam on
- slide the laser up or down the steel till the beam is on your mark
- And Presto your levelling to your hearts content, that easy!
Squaring function
Squaring is equally simple with the laser being offset to the ground so you can get 360 degree beams all around the unit. This makes squaring lines easy to see when setting up. One negative worth noting is the absence of a fine adjustment knob for squaring with some other lasers have. Sometimes it can take quite some time to get the laser in exactly the right position without a fine tuning adjustment.
Plumb Functions
finding plumb lines is easy, just turn a vertical axis on and line it up with your mark… done. You can also turn both vertical axis on to find a point directly over the cross on the floor instead of using a plumb bob. As you can imagine this method is way faster than using a plumb bob. Using this method you can also project plumb and square lines on the ceilings as well as the floor. This is particularly useful for a suspended ceiling installer.
Dewalt DCE089D1G-XE Review: Conclusion
I feel the negatives of this units are outweighed by it’s robust nature, good warranty, low running costs and ability to be used in a wide array of building applications. Would I buy this unit again most definitely.
8/10
Taken straight from the DeWALT website
click below to see DeWALT’s webpage.
Features:
- x3 360ºSelf Leveling Lines
- Projects bright horizontal and vertical lines
- Variable blink sequence for manual mode
- Working range : 30M (60M w/ detector)
- Accuracy : +/-3mm@10m
- Full-time pulse mode allows use with detector maintains full brightness for visibility
- 10,8 V battery pack included
- Upgradable battery for extended life, fast change time, less down time
- Locking Pendulum to help prevent damage to internal components
- Integrated Magnetic Pivoting Base with ¼” Thread
- Wear resistant – overmold : IP65 / 2m drop tested
Specifications:
- Voltage: 10.8V
- Pøesnost: 3/10mm/m
- Number of beams: 3
- Direction of beams: H/V
- Indoor visablity range: 30m
- Tripod connection: Yes
- Laser class: II
- Self-leveling range: 4º
- Dimensions (L x W x H): 317mm x 450mm x 155mm
- Weight: 4.3kg
One thought on “Dewalt DCE089D1G-XE Review”
No worries mate, when I get some free time i’ll review some of my hilti lasers too.