ARAS Laser Distance Meter 40m, Portable Handle Digital Measure Tool Range Finder with Bubble Level and Large Backlit LCD 4 Line Display(40m/131ft)

This is an excellent bit of kit. It's accurate, repeatable, easy to use, and seems well made.At 5 m range mine seemed to be reading consistently 2 mm off when compared to a good-quality steel tape. I used the calibration function to correct this, and it's now spot on at that distance.At 15 m range the measurement is repeatable to ±2 mm. Checking accuracy at this distance is hard without specialist surveying equipment, not least because the pressure needed to operate the "Measure" button causes the spot to move slightly if you're not careful. I'm satisfied that it matches a Stanley fibreglass tape to within 10 mm, and I wouldn't be surprised to get the full 2 mm accuracy. In other words it's excessively accurate for most real-world applications.The display is easy to read. It took me a while to realise that a removable clear film protects the display for shipping. The buttons have a nice feel. The unit does beep a lot, but I don't find that a problem.Build quality is fine for the price, though I don't see it standing up well to wet and mud on a building site. The included case is handy and gives good protection.The little paper manual has some terrible Chinese translations, but thankfully operation is fairly intuitive. The various triangulation modes, which allow you to measure things you can't physically reach, are more complicated, but easy to get the hang of if you use them regularly.On switching on, the unit defaults to the rear measurement datum (it's easy to swap to measuring from the front instead), but the units – metres, feet, inches etc. – are preserved.In practical use, range is limited by how far you can see the laser spot. To get the full 40 m you'd need dim lighting, a steady hand (a pity there's no tripod socket), and perhaps a reflective target. The built-in spirit level is not very accurate, though better than nothing I suppose.In sunshine, even 10 m could be difficult; if you're in doubt, try a standard red laser pointer. You can definitely take measurements successfully when it's too bright to see the laser spot, but accuracy will suffer if you can't see where you're aiming. Red laser glasses might help.The unit comes in a nice-looking printed cardboard box. Batteries (2 x AAA) were not supplied, which is unusual these days.

Very accurate. Have used it for 4+ years now and haven't needed to calibrate it yet. Keeps battery well & protective case is good.

very useful when trying to measure short to medium distances on own. measurements can be taken in metric or imperial units in different ranges. not sure about absolute measuring accuracy but found it to be within 1mm when checked against other measuring devices although found out later there is actually a calibration function on the unit if the measurement seem out !!The only niggle I have found is the bubble level, the bubble sticks in its tube when the meter is obviously not horizontal so I would not rely on this for any accurate measuring

This is a brilliant tool! I surveyed my entire house in probably half the time it would have taken with a tape measure. However, if you buy one you'll still need your tape!There's a button that will take the measurement from either the top or the bottom of the device, which is incredibly handy. It would be useless without this feature really. If the laser is measuring anything less than 75mm away from the top of the device, chances are it's going to display an error. This is where you need your tape.Generally, because houses are never built perfectly square, I take the measurements from three points and then see what they come out at. The display will show the latest measurement, then the three measurements previously taken above. There's also an add/subtract feature where you can measure two areas and take away a third. This is handy as a double-check. There are other features which are probably too advanced for what I need.The only annoying thing I found with this is I can't fit the wrist-strap. It's infuriatingly fiddly.

I was somewhat wary to buy a cheaper device than the most popular brands - but a few hours in and I have to say I am very impressed.Its easy to use - in fact, I did not read the manual until after I used it - typical bloke :-)I have not had to do any calibration having checked some measurements using a tape and all look bang on. I have used it outdoor to measure from ground to the highest most point of the roof apex and worked a treat. This was my main reason for buying it and was a little concerned on some comments about the laser dot not being viable in bright conditions - that may be true, but with overcast weather in January, I had no problems at all.Time will tell on its reliability - but quality seems good to me, so fingers crossed it will last me out.

Great for measuring and great price

Excellent laser measure! I've used a Bosch laser measure before and this one is much more compact (which is good). It's very quick and doesn't make a mechanical knocking noise when you take a measurement like many others do (including the Bosch).In particular I love the built in functions for calculating area, and the pythagoras functions which allow you to calculate the length or height of distant objects (eg the height of your roofline, or a tall building). Nice clear display with white electroluminescent backlight.Can't really fault it. Even comes with a case. Like all occasional use tools though - remember to take the batteries out if you're not going to use it for a few weeks or they tend to leak.