I enjoy going to the National Hardware Show because it’s a great place to see tools I haven’t seen before. Among the new tools I saw this year is the Kapro 846 Cyclops level, which is small enough to fit in a tool pouch or pocket.
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As with any spirit level, its vial can be viewed from the side. But it can also be viewed through a slot in the edge. A mirror inside the slot provides a clear view of the vial; it’s kind of like using a periscope.
Being able to see the vial from the edge allows you to check for level and plumb in tight spaces where it might not be possible to get a good look from the side.
The body is made from cast aluminum and has two machined edges. The edges have v-grooves to hold the level parallel to the pipe and conduit it’s placed against, and rare-earth magnets to hold it to iron and steel.
Its accuracy is said to be 0.0005″/inch, or 0.5 mm/m.
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Price: $20
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More Info(via Kapro)
Kapro is an Israeli company that specializes in levels, lasers, and other measuring and layout devices. I’ve owned their 2′, 4′, and 6′ spirit levels for 10+ years and have been very happy with them. Kapro does OEM production for other brands, so you may have seen their tools without realizing it was Kapro who made them. If the label on a level says “Made in Israel,” it was probably made by Kapro—which also has production facilities in the USA and China.
First Thoughts
I like the idea of having a level that can be read from multiple angles, and is small enough to carry in a pocket or tool bag. You couldn’t use it to hang doors or level cabinets, but it would come in handy for checking electrical boxes, conduit, appliances, machinery, and anything else that’s regular enough to be checked with a small level.
Yadda
Neat!
fred
Same price ($20) at Home Depot
I may buy a few as stocking stuffers.
Kapro makes the Husky Plumb Sight levels for Home Depot. It too has a mirror for viewing one of the vials. HD also sells the Kapro equivalent – Plumb Sight levels. The UPC company code (prefix) for Kapro is 739632.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-48-in-Box-Level-with-Plumb-Site-900-42P-48H/206109404
fred
When I was just looking at Sands Level & Tool Co’s webpage, scrolling around I spotted quite a few items that seem to be made by Kapro.
We used a lot of Stabila products – both in the plumbing company, the installation company and the GC/Remodeling company. The guys also liked smaller/torpedo levels from Checkpoint. That all said – the old-school plumbers still grabbed their made-in-USA levels from Sands (Kraft Tool Company).
These are still 6-vial (Curved vials) levels – and the ones we used (based on an old inventory database) were this style – with slope adjustment:
http://www.krafttool.com/products/SL2424P
As far as I can tell Sands is still making some levels in the USA – but also may be importing some from Kapro-Israel.
We also used smaller Checkpoint levels with a base and slope pins. When we bought them – they were made in the USA – but now seem to come from Taiwan.
Checkpoint also makes a laser hole locator kit – but we used a Stablia 08000 for horizontal/sloped runs and a Stabila 08500 for vertical runs. Stabila levels were made in Germany – with cases made in China – when I was buying them – fast forward 5+ years and I’m no longer sure of their COO.
Nathan
nice I could use one of those.
Sébastien
I own an electrician 1 meter kapro level ( with angle finder and spacing for electrical boxes) and a pair of 10 cm mini level that I carry to check leveling of switches and plug plates.
Was thinking of getting that one. Now I think I ll get it asap☺