Seeing green

Green beam lasers are four to six times brighter than red lasers in interior applications, but their extra visibility comes at a cost.

by Tom Hammel

Since their introduction to the construction market a few years ago, green beam laser tools have steadily grown in popularity. Cost-prohibitive just five years ago, the prices of green diode lasers have become much more affordable. One day, a green laser may cost you no more than a red laser, but not for now.

Why? There is more to the difference between green and red lasers than just their color. Because fewer green diodes are manufactured, they cost more than red ones. But green beam lasers also burn much hotter than red lasers, so they require beefier components such as larger heat sinks and other elements that make them bulkier and more expensive to build and operate than red lasers.

Batteries – the candle that burns twice as bright...
Green lasers also demand more power than red ones. These power demands also mean green lasers require higher capacity batteries to feed them. CST/berger and David White green beam lasers as well as Acculine Pro lasers from Johnson Level and Tool use rechargeable batteries to provide the best balance of power, run time and weight possible with today’s technologies.

Green beam diodes also don’t last as long as red diodes, but the difference is not as dramatic as you might think. The average red laser diode lasts about 10,000 hours; a green diode lasts about 7,000.

Current green beam lasers can handle most every common measurement application, from 360-degree rotating beams to cross line indicators and dots.

Inside applications are where green beam lasers shine brightest, both in visibility and in value for the dollar for contractors.

Most contractors use red lasers with receivers in outdoor applications because they are more cost effective and work just fine outdoors.

Laser manufacturers focus green beam products toward interior contractors such as drywallers who can derive the maximum benefits of their visibility advantages.

Great for interior work
“Contractors who work in large interior distances or in high ambient light conditions are the biggest users of green beam technology,” explains David Statza, business unit manager for Johnson Level’s Acculine Pro laser line. “Acoustic ceiling installers, drywall contractors, finish carpenters and cabinet, window and door installers are primary users.”

For interior contractors, the higher cost of a green beam laser can be offset by better visibility, which translates into higher productivity.

Because these tools are meant for interior use, green beam laser manufacturers typically do not offer detectors. CST/berger and Johnson Level and Tool green beam lasers are an exception.

“We offer a receiver that can pick up a green beam up to about 1,300',” says Mark Fleming, product manager for CST/berger. “But the receiver is only for applications that demand one. For most interior applications, our green beam is so easily seen with the naked eye that you don’t need a receiver.”

Sensitivity
There is another reason why green lasers are used mainly indoors.

“Green laser diodes are more sensitive than red diodes to fluctuations in temperature,” says Cyndi Graham, director of U.S. sales for Bosch’s RoboToolz division. “The working temperature range for a red laser is much wider than that of a green diode. This is another reason green lasers are used mainly indoors, where ambient temperatures don’t tend to fluctuate as much as they can outdoors.”

To address this, some higher level units have built-in fans to cool the diodes. However, these features also add to the cost of such units.

More to come
Currently, very few companies produce green beam lasers for construction applications, but as the technology declines in price and grows in jobsite acceptance, more manufacturers will jump on the green wagon.

Current green beam manufacturers are also developing new products with features and price points for a wider range of contractors. In lasers, green is here to stay.

Published in the March/April 2008 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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