DEWALT 20v Green Rotary Tough Laser DW079GL

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DEWALT 20 Volt Laser DW079GL Review

by Joe Canning

20v Green Rotary Tough Laser

4/5
Manufacturer: DEWALT
Model number: DW079GL
Price: $1,299
Power source: 20V Max Li-Ion
Weight: 2 lbs
For the last couple of day’s we have been working on a new home build with a walk out basement. This house has a fair amount of bearing basement wall’s on the interior, the interior footings were less than perfect and needed a lot of help from a laser.

DEWALT Green Laser

To repair this we are using the DEWALT 20v MAX  Green Rotary Tough Laser. This laser runs on the 20v battery platform and is flex volt 2000 ft range with the receiver.

Why green you ask? Well, the color green is closer to the center of the spectrum that your eye can see. You can actually see it almost 50% better than red. So, in my experience, that makes it easier to work with.


Features of the DeWALT DW079GL

This laser also boasts 4 speeds and 3 different scan modes of

  • 15 degrees
  • 45 degrees
  • 90 degrees

It is also equipped with a swap-able triangle bracket that can with a single click be taken off and changed from bottom mount or side mount. The bracket is equipped with a standard 5/8th connection. Making it easy to connect to a wide variety of tripods, and the wall bracket provided with this kit. With the these adjustable features it made the DEWALT Rotary Laser easy to adjust and use, even with gloves on.

I was really pleased to see that a manufacturer had made a wall bracket as I usually have to spend time making one myself. On the bracket itself, there are dial’s to adjust the laser up and down the wall up to 3″ It can also be mounted to the wall by 2 screw/nail holes at the top of the bracket itself. On the top of the back of the wall mount, there is another smaller clamp that I was actually excited to see. I thought to myself that would be great for mounting to the flange of a steel I-beam,but was disappointed when the clamp was just not quite wide enough. Not a deal breaker by any means. Since the alternative screw holes mentioned above are available to make the connection.

Specifications

  • ACCURACY PER 100 FT 1/8 IN
  • INDOOR VISIBILITY RANGE 250 FT
  • LASER CLASS 3
  • POWER SUPPLY 20V
  • POWER TOOL TYPE CORDLESS
  • RANGE 250 FT
  • RANGE WITH DETECTOR 2000 FT
  • ROTATION SPEED 150,300,600,1200 RPM
  • SELF-LEVELING RANGE 5 °
  • SYSTEM 20V MAX*
  • TOOL WEIGHT 2 LBS

T-Stak Storage Box

The kit was shipped in a T-Stak tool box where every single piece of this kit was thought about for optimal space saving. When opening it for the first time it was nice to see how organized it was and with the foam insert it was definitely made well and ready for travel.Every piece that was included in the DW079GL kit fits snug and with almost 0 movement.

I would love to see a Tough box system alternative be made available for those of us that are invested more so in the DEWALT Toughbox System.

Durability

This laser is well made,stout and ready for the real world tasks. Equipped with a roll cage and being rated for a 2 meter drop make this tool more resistant to the job site. We aren’t always paying attention and things do take a fall from time to time. Having this roll cage is a definite asset to keep from having costly accidents. Another feature that makes this laser stand out is its IP67 rating. Which basically means it more resistant to water and debris to getting in the laser. Why is this important? As a framing contractor having a laser with a IP67 rating is important to keep out dust and water. I would say 90% of rotary lasers are used out in the elements. I do not work in a controlled environment. To be able to continue working without the concern of the inner circuits getting wet by rain or clogging up with dust is extremely important for the life span and accuracy of the device.

While using this laser there were some similarities to the standards of other brands of lasers.The DEWALT laser receiver has clear indicator on the receiver itself of where your level line.This is a welcomed feature. The spring loaded release/set on the DEWALT receiver bracket was simply game changing for me. There is nothing more annoying then fumbling with that. Trying to tighten the bracket without moving at all. I actually found myself set up and ready to work with this laser a lot faster than some of the other brands.

3 Scan Modes of the DW079LG

The DEWALT DW079GL has 3 different scan modes. Now what I really enjoyed about this feature is it can be controlled by a separate remote control rather than being part of the receiver itself. The remote can also control the rpms of the beam itself and rotation and slope. As a framer we run into something different on every house. No 2 are exactly the same. Being able to remotely control the slope of the laser is important when running into a sunken sub floor. Instead moving the laser and setting up again, we are able to use the sloping feature to perfectly shoot a lower height with no hassle.

Conclusion

You know these lasers are an essential tool for any tradesman. The DEWALT Green Rotary Tough Laser helped my crew and me fix the issue with the footing issue. This made for a perfectly flat and level base for the house to be built. This laser will remain a part of my crew for further builds. I would highly recommend the DEWALT Green Rotary Tough Laser to anyone who is interested in upgrading and or first time buyers. If you aren’t using a laser of any kind you just aren’t working to the best of your ability So do yourself and client a favor and pick one up,

20v Green Rotary Tough Laser
$1,299

About the author

Joe Canning

Joe Canning is a self-taught carpenter and framer from South Western Ontario, Canada. Joe focuses mainly on residential framing and custom homes. He loves efficiency and doing things right! Known by many as "the bearded carpenter," he is most notably recognized by his Instagram profile "Canadian Carpenter," where he shares tips, techniques and reviews tools. If you like framing and doing things right, you're gonna love reading Joe's stuff!

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