Review of Dewalt Laser Tripod with Tilting Head (DW0881T)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RX1Z2S1
I wanted a light weight, sturdy, brand name tripod with ability for pointing anything mounted on it.
But it is cheaply made. The parts are good, but the integration is not. The people assembling it, probably never had to use it themselves.
I have a telescope that ought to fit nicely. It did, but the adapter on the telescope is metric, and Dewalt has not learned how to work internationally, and still clings to centuries old measurements.
The bubble should help you to level it. But, stupidly, they put it on the horizontal platform, rather than on the tripod itself. So when you want to tilt up or down – useless bubble.
The worst thing is the linear gear for raising and lowering without changing the tripod leg distances. It has so much slop, useless for pointing. If I point at 97.5 degrees, clockwise from North, it ought to be there and not wiggle at the slightest touch by several degrees.
Perhaps they should list the exact applications. But it is sold as an adjustable “laser” tripod. Presumably for precise pointing.
A tiny tiny bit of thought and effort, and for the same parts and assembly costs, they could have given everyone a decent platform and direction holder for many devices. Transit, telescopes, GPS, etc. Except it seems all the options are more expensive. You want a toy it is affordable, so you can buy our more expensive model. I feel sorry for Dewalt. I always had a good impression of them. Good products and affordable prices, tools for people to get their jobs done. Now we have lots of computers and devices, and I am not sure where Dewalt’s head it now.
I will try to replace the American threads with metric. I might be able to lock the slop in the vertical lifting mechanism. It is just cheaply designed and assembled, plastic with wide tolerances (several degrees). I might just glue it fixed and call it a wasted hope for a nice feature that should have worked. Or jam something in to lock it in place, once the height is set. They should have let me design it in the first place. Precision tools at affordable prices, reliable, built to global standards.
