Laser Distance Measuring Tools, also known as "Electronic Tape Measures", "Laser Distance Finders" or "Digital Measuring Devices", offer true laser light (not sound) for the most accurate measuring. You simply point the laser distance measuring devices dot at a target like a wall, a house, a utility pole, nearly any object, and the device will show the distance on its LCD screen. These measuring devices will show multiple units of measure, you simply cycle through the units till you get to the units of measure you want to measure in, and then start taking measurements. You can even cycle through the units of measure after taking a measurement. These devices can also be put up against a wall and they measure from the back of the unit so that you get true wall-to-wall distance measurement. Same goes with ceiling measurements, lay the device on the backside, point it up and it will measure from the floor to the ceiling. These measuring devices are true time savers and are very accurate.
When selecting one of these tools to purchase, we recommend you first compare the range or distance they are rated to measure since some have longer ranges than others. Also, some models have greater accuracy than others, and some models have a neat feature called "pythagoras" which basically speaking means it will calculate the third side of a triangle (remember the pythagorean theorem from geometry class?). This means, for example, that you can stand back away from a building, point at one corner of the building taking a measurement, point at the other corner taking a measurement and then hit a pythagoras button to calculate the distance across the face of the building. The device uses the pythagorean theorem to figure the "triangle" you just created and gives you the distance of the side. Think, the two measurements you took were getting the distance of two of the three sides of a triangle. The tool figures the third side using geometry. In all measurements, accuracy is dependent on how well you actually hold or position the laser in its pivot position. Be aware that the models that do have the pythagoras feature, some models have a 2-point feature and some have a 3-point feature.
-EngineerSupply Product Team
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