STABILA Type 196 Heavy Duty Level Set, 48 and 16 Inch, Cat. No. 37816

Stabila is top notch; there is no disputing that. They carry a hefty price tag but you definitely get what you pay for. The 4' level is a good all around level and the 16" builders is very handy in tighter spots or when the longer 4' would be unwieldily. These things can take a lot of abuse and are still true to level. The end caps are a very nice hard yet soft at the same time rubbery material that doesn't scuff or damage surfaces; and they are easily removable when needed. Just dont lose them when you take them off! With this pack the only other level one would need is a 6-10' or the 7-12' Stabila plate level.

I've been in construction for 25 years and the one fact that I have come to know that German tools are second to none my stabila, knipex, whia, and hilti tools are the best hands down and I would recommend any of these companies tools to anyone that needs a quality tool yes I own many other tools Makita, Milwaukee,Dewalt, Bosch and many more that are great and I know a few of these are German and Japanese brands that are built well and i love a quality tool and with all that being said stabila levels are second to none when being accurate is important so I think it's worth the money but there are other levels out there that are more cost effective and they work so you choose whats best for you and the application you are using them in the first place and decide

Stabila levels are terrific They are well constructed and ACCURATE! Yes, they are expensive. But what really good tool isn't? I've been working in construction for 30+ years, and have been through my share of levels. Won't name the brands here, but they are mostly those we all see in the hardware and big box stores. And yes, most of these are OK. But that's it, just OK. However, some of these are simply unacceptable. The horizontal vial in my 42-inch level became loose and therefore inaccurate. So, I shopped at the big retailers. In one store I looked at six different 48-inch levels from well-recognized manufacturers. These weren't the cheapie plastic ones, but aluminum box frames selling for around $40 - $55. Every one of the these six levels gave a different indication when placed on the same display shelf in the store. Even after using some thin cardboard to 'level' a test location, I still couldn't get two levels to read the same. Swinging each level 180 degrees easily showed their inaccuracies. Some weren't as bad as others, but none were what I'd call really accurate. This is why I decided to invest the money in Stabila. I am very pleased that I did. These tools really are the most accurate levels I've ever owned. Another point where the Stabila levels really are better is their solid construction. The rugged vials are mounted to the box frame exceptionally well. You can see simply by examining the construction of these tools that they are very high quality. Guess that's why Stabila has such a fine guarantee. Of course, as solidly as these are built, it's unlikely that they have to exchange very many 'defective' levels. And finally, I have waited about a year before writing this review. I wanted to use these levels a lot before writing my review. Although these levels aren't as 'pretty' as they were a year ago, they ARE still as accurate. If you want a fine tool, Stabila levels will do very nicely.

👍🏻👍🏻

as a professional carpenter all I can say is amazing levels they are pin point accurate, light weight easy to read. And easy to find in the dirt. I threw the last part in because I was using a brown wooden level for years and it would blend in with dirt or material, and that can be frustrating when you can't find your tools you just set down. This one is obviously bright yellow so to my relief i can set it down and still find it when I need it. These levels are expensive for a reason they're professional grade, and very well made. Point being that they may not be what a DIYer would need. For everyone else in the building trades a must have in my opinion.

Awesome

I’ve laid a good deal of buildings with these now. Comparative to other levels, it holds true. It’s been dropped hard and has held its bubbles and accuracy. I have a Crick whose bubble broke out of nowhere. 1 day, it was there, then it wasn’t. Stabila is where I stay.

The box beam construction is strong. Consequently, it’s more durable and retains accuracy better than most other types of levels. The color of the vial fluid together with the vial design make reading the vial easy-from above, below, and the sides. The handholds are comfortable and very convenient for both carrying and measuring. The end caps are removable for flush measuring. After over 10 years, I am still very satisfied with the performance of these levels. The only problem for me is that the marks on the vials don’t line up with the edges of the bubble when the tool is level. In other words, when the tool is level, there is a small space between the bubble and the vial marks. Also, the vial lines extend all around the vials such that two lines are often visible (one on the upper portion of the vial and one on the lower portion of the vial when viewed from above). Bubble edges in another level that I own are just adjacent to the vial marks when level.This design can make reading and adjustment of a level a little easier. Note: A comment to this review provides a Stabila website statement that claims that the space between the bubble and the vial marks is important to allow the user to judge whether the bubble is centered. The statement also claims that if the bubble were just adjacent to the vial marks, then as the bubble expands due to temperature variations, it would no longer fit between the vial marks causing a loss in accuracy. I would say that it is self-evident that the Stabila design causes more error than that without spaces between the bubble and the vial marks because the user needn’t make the judgement regarding the relative size of the spaces between the bubble and the vial marks. I also don’t see how anyone could find it easier to determine if the bubble is properly located as designed. The latter determination is not particularly difficult in ideal circumstances, but there are many circumstances in which levels are used that are not particularly ideal. Furthermore, the bubble does not expand or contract significantly with changes in temperature because the vial is sealed and therefore at constant volume.

Exelente calidad muchas gracias

Some of the better quality levels money can buy.

No other levels on the market compared to stabila out there.. you pay for what you get…

As a mason stabila are the only level I’ll use. They stay true for a lifetime if you treat them right

straight level and plumb