Swanson Tool Co SVT200 9 Inch Savage Digital Magnetic Aluminum Billet Torpedo Level,Orange

This thing is awesome. So far I have mounted 4 TVs to the wall using this level. I was able to use the levels magnets and attach it to the top of the mount frame. From here I lined up my lag bolts and drilled them in in while keeping the reading within 0.1degree. All my TVs look square and centered as planned. I like the weight and color of the level, feels like quality material. no complaints.

This is an excellent level. I would buy it again. However, I don't like is that there is a "units" button that can change the measurement display from degrees to percentage and the unit indication is quite small. I have just cut a few tiles incorrectly because of this! My advice for a next version is to make the % indicator *way* larger or remove the units button altogether and make it display always in degrees.

This level is highly accurate, I checked it on a surface that is known to be perfectly level.This little level is highly accurate, I use it when setting up my RV to check the refrigerator for level, does a fantastic job.Also, the quality of this level is very very good.

This could *easily* be the best digital torpedo level made by *anyone* if it was actually accurate. I'll start with the good. The size is *perfect* for a torpedo level, and I've never seen another this size with a digital readout - huge plus!. The magnets are great for holding the level to ferrous surfaces like pipe, conduit, corner bead and the like. The backlit display is easy to read and has two digits behind the decimal for better accuracy, (more on that later). It feels like a quality tool and It looks cool with its orange anodized finish.The mediocre: The buttons depress too easily and because of the small size of the level it is easy to accidentally press a button when you didn't mean too.Now the bad. The purpose of a level is to make sure your work piece is level! I've gone through four of these and not a single one measured the same. Either the bubble(s) was off, the digital level was off, or both. No amount of calibration would correct the problem for the digital. Another inaccuracy is that if I calibrated the level and then flipped it upside down, it would no longer read the same. If I measured a slope then rotated the level 180 degrees, I would get a completely different reading. On some units, the digital display would often read erratically bouncing around by .3-.5 degrees - and that was on a rock-solid surface. The battery life of two of the units was absolutely abysmal lasting only about ten minutes of actual use. There appears to be two different digital suppliers OR two different firmware releases. When calibrating the level, one firmware release lets you calibrate for level and plumb, and the other release for level only. There is no symbol on the display when you set a reference level, so if you're not careful, you can end up with some very out of level/plumb surfaces. Given how easy it is to press the buttons, this can happen more often than you might imagine. On three of the levels I tried, some of the magnets were put in crooked, which on one unit lead to a tiny bit of rocking on a flat surface, and all of the levels had metal filings stuck to the magnets. The finish on the alloy material is not prefect with small nicks and tiny anodizing flaws. Why couldn't Swanson provide a small case to protect the digital display? Good luck finding a protective case for a level this size.Like I said at the beginning of this review, this could have been the absolute best digital torpedo level made my anyone - if it were a quality tool. These types of inconsistencies are the reason that so many Chinese made tools are poorly looked upon. That said, a big mistake many people make is to assume that the new level they just bought is accurate, when often it is not. There are plenty of videos on Youtube that explain how to check a level for accuracy. This should be the first thing you do after receiving your new level - or after you drop one.

I bend conduit as an IBEW electrician where consistent, true bends are required in a timely manner. Using this level, with it's backlit display and strong magnets, the guess work is removed from the angles that conduit is bent at. Though the "on" button is a little too easily activated unintentionally, I have no other issues with the level.However, the display did produce a black spot that obscured the digital values after having the level for only 7 months. NO WORRIES! After sending a letter with pictures of the issue to Swanson, I received an email informing me that a new level was on the way.I will continue to encourage fellow trades-people to buy this level and will undoubtedly be buying more Swanson tools in the future.

Someone stole it the same day it was received so it must be a good tool. Was able to use it once though and worked well. Only negative was transporting it. Any jostle and the buttons would push and turn on very easily so I would expect batteries wouldn’t last long if you don’t have a case for transport.

Purchased as a gift.

Very good