Hi all,
This is a really tricky situation. Green beam lasers are great for all manner of projects with the sole exception of when you want to combine them with magnetic detectors, as they have no green beam compatibility.
If a number of years down the line, your projects change to then require you to work with plant and you have an existing green beam laser, sadly you are very limited with options.
In England, Wales & the Scottish Lowlands, we are starting to hire out lasers (the range will be expanded over time) and we will also be adding magnetic detector hire options later. The kits will be delivered to you and collected by DPD at the end of the hire:
Laser Level Hire
https://www.laser-level.co.uk/hire/rotary-laser-level-hire.html
In terms of the great
Red Beam Vs Green Beam debate, this is our take on things...
We frequently get asked which is best, Red beam lasers or green? As with all things, it is not so much which is best, but which is right for you?
Although obviously there are exceptions to every rule...
If you are primarily working outdoors (say for example around 95% + of your work) then we always advise customers to buy a red beam laser.
Broadly speaking, green beam lasers are around 3-4 times brighter than red beam lasers, but when you work outside it doesn't matter how bright the beam is, what brand you have bought or how much money you have spent, you will always need to use a Detector / Receiver to pick up the beam. Green beam lasers are typically always more expensive because of the cost of the green laser module and so all you will be doing if you buy a green beam laser, is spending significantly more money and only seeing a "slight" improvement as you will still need to pick up the beam with a detector. You are also limited on the ability to work with machine control detectors (the magnetic ones which mount on plant equipment) if you buy green, so for that reason alone it is again always better to buy red beam lasers.
If you do a mix of indoor and outdoor work (say for example around 50 / 50 - 60 / 40) and don't plan to work with plant equipment, then depending on the budget available, we tend to recommend Green beam lasers. For the reasons outlined above, there is only a slight advantage to using a green beam laser for your outside work. But when you come to your indoor work you want to see a dazzlingly bright beam in order for you to set out. This is where the green beam lasers really come into their own.
It is then justifiable in terms of cost to buy a green beam laser if you do a mix of work.
If you are primarily working indoors (say for example around 95% + of your work) then we always advise customers to buy a green beam laser. Although it is more expensive, this is justified by the brightness of the beam and makes working so much easier.
Finally, if you are limited by budget, then it is always better to get a feature-packed red beam laser instead of buying a basic green beam laser for the same price.
Best regards
Mark Roberts
Laser Levels Online
http://www.laser-level.co.uk
they did recommend a new set