Craftsman  ACCUTRAC Laser Measuring Tool

The service with Sears was good and fast, but the item is not the best, is kind of 3 stars of 5, some times this machine gave me accurate measurement but some times is less than a foot or 6 or 9 inches different :( I would like to recommend sears services to my friends YES!, but not the machine.

Nice unit. Works great!

The Craftsman Accutrac laser measuring tool is well thought through as a measuring device.

It completes all of the basic measuring tasks at hand and helps with its ability to do calculations that eliminate the standard paper and pencil. The tripod mount is a plus for multi- wall measurements.

I recommend the Accutrac laser measuring tool and it is always in my tool bag!

Craftsman, you need to include a nylon case for this new model like the old model had in the standard corporate red and black colors and how about the dual level vials as well !

Best Regards!

Joseph Loverde a Craftsman Man

Its a hand-held tool, yet it cannot be held steady enough at more than about 10-15 feet to avoid an error.

Indirect measurement is a joke. I could not duplicate a single measurement on the side of a 12' shed... the readings rand from 10' to 18' under exactly the same circumstances.

I'm a journeyman pipefitter and this tool has saved me untold time in measuring piping while up high on pipe racks or in very confined areas/ you have to have a solid target to shoot at so I paint a piece of paper black,tape it to the end of the pipe and get an instant measurement accurate to 1/16" which is closer than a sagging 50 or 100 ft. tape./a real time and work saver!

Carpetman 81

I thought as most people do that Craftsman is a product the Sears stands behind, but when you purchase the Product Protection something I have never done before as Craftsman as guarrenteed for life I figured because this was a laser device that could be dropped and the accuracy altered I bought it after reading the Production Protection it does not guarrentee a new Laser Diatance Measire if the store does not have it in stock I would get a giftcard, I am a guy who uses my tool regularly and a "GiftCard" is not going to help me go to work!!! Not only is that a drawback but it does not come with a beltclip or case for such a sensitive piece  of machinery. It is not always accurate to 1/8 +- . which for me is a problem as I put in Carpet, Tile , Marble, Wood Lamanite,VCT and other flooring products were you need a small amount of waste for straight cuts as well as row cuts ect. Plus it does not save the last few measurements in the unit after you turn it off they are lost something that Craftsman could fix,if they chose to, and unless I am in Europe where they measure in decimal units it is an unnecessary feature.

For the reuglar guy who is the do it youself kind this a great for him as far as for contractor their is too much room for error. I tried the Bosch screen size too small and my dies after 4 weeks, Disto way expensive as is has great optics but  for $199.99 I do not believe it is worth it so I bought a Stanley Fat Max and am happy as a clam, come swith a case , belt clip , 2 AA bateries and a warrentey. I still want the Dewalt DW030P 3 year warrenty for $99-119.00 shipped from a online retailer but backed by DEWALT so I have both a Stanley Fat Max (as it has been discountinued this year maybe for a better model but nobody knows for sure and now posses the DEWALT which holds the last few (2-3) measures is about the size of a TV remote control has a belt clip and case and works like a charm. This is the first time I have been disapointed in a Craftsman Product.

I purchased this tool while i was house hunting and it really helped to get quick measurements of a room. I did have more trouble with it on sunny days and with shinier paints but overall it worked as i expected!The biggest problem I found is that every time it turns off it erases all of the information.

These type units are terrific for people that work alone, when the units work......  First, I had a $99 Bosch unit, which worked great for 2 weeks, very accurate and easy to use, then it died.  So, I got another name brand unit because the Bosch was out of stock, but it had terrible accuracy, being off more than an inch on measurements under 10ft was normal....  I returned it the same day I bought it and went across the mall to Sears.  I have very recently bought several of very nice Craftsman tools in the C3 portable 19 volt line.  The c3 hammer drill is wonderful....  

The store that I went to only carried this Craftsman model and no laser measuring devices, so I thought that this Craftsman might be the thing I needed. I didn't know that Craftsman had a laser measuring device.  It's a nice unit, with lots of features, but it wasn't any more accurate than the previous brand X unit that I returned, being off an inch or more on a simple 5' to 6' test.  Needless to say, I'm very disappointed.  I have some Craftsman tools that are over 30 years old and still in good working condition. I expected a tool with the Craftsman name on it to be an accurate tool, at least within the accuracy specified, which was much less than 1". I need accurate measurements for cutting lumber.  If I only needed a guess, I can do that without spending $100.

To be fair, this unit may be defective and I got the last one that they had, so there isn't another one for me to try in the store.  So, this one is going back tomorrow and I'll buy something else.

At the recent sale price of $70 I believe this laser measuring tool is a better value than the Bosch, Fatmax and Disto alternatives. Even at the normal price of $100 it's a fair deal. Good quality construction with a size and heft that makes taking measurements fairly easy. After having a Bosch unit (until I returned it) I was pleased to find the Accutrac much easier to handle and aim. The buttons are a bit harder to push but not objectionably so. The unit doesn't feel as pleasing since it's basically a cake of soap design but I can live with that. The laser beam is parallel to the sides of the unit so I can put the unit on a flat surface and shoot to the end without having to hold it. The Bosch cannot. Excellent accuracy and repeatability. I haven't done a scientific test but my impression from a number of measurements is that the accuracy is comparable to the Bosch DLR165k. That unit is advertised to be within plus or minus 1/16". Given sag in tapes over long distances I believe this unit is more accurate than a tape suspended in air for any distance over twenty feet. Excellent display characteristics. LED backlight provides a bright display with excellent contrast. Contrast remains excellent in bright conditions. Excellent screen layout. The last three measurements are always available on the screen to help determine repeatability. Min/Max measuring capability allows measuring in situations where you need the distance to the nearest or farthest points. This mode is useful but problematic. I find many situations where the continuous mode hangs up and requires a bunch of jiggering to get going again. Better than nothing but not trouble free. All common measuring units. Decimal feet, feet/inches/fractions, decimal inches, fractional inches, meters and millimeters. The Bosch does not provide fractional inches. Conversion can be done on all displayed measurements by pushing the button until the units you want appear. Length, area, volume plus single and double hypotenuse calculations. This unit beats the Bosch by providing the double hypotenuse for calculating a distance when you can't stand in line with one of the edges of a structure. It's a rough and ready technique but can be handy - especially for elevations that are above and below your observation point. With the exception of the "staking" feature the Accutrac provides all the calculations of the Disto D2. Excellent add and subtract capabilities. Subtraction allows measuring items that don't have a vertical back edge such as a free standing kitchen island. Shoot from the front edge of the island to a wall behind it. Put the unit in subtract mode and shoot from the back edge to the wall. The displayed difference will be the length of the island. There are many times this simple technique can allow the Accutrac to make measurements that would otherwise require a tape with a hook. Laser intensity is the same as the Bosch. Difficult to see in bright conditions. I would love to see a 5 mw green laser version of this unit. Unit forgets all settings when turned off. This is a drag and totally avoidable. Especially since the default measurement mode is decimal feet - an unusual method for carpenters and builders.