Pipe Lasers - Digital Grade & Pipe Alignment

Pipe lasers are designed specifically for laying pipes at a particular grade. They produce a powerful laser dot that's visible on a target plate mounted in a holder. The idea is to dig and lay pipe so the target sits in position - the laser dot inside the goal on the target confirms the pipe is on the correct grade, slope and fall. The laser is placed inside or on top of a pipe, or on a tripod at the start of the run.

Three things. First - alignment and gradient at the same time, something rotating lasers can only do one at a time (and only certain rotating lasers offer vertical alignment). Second - quicker indication of pipe position, because a visible reference is always faster than chasing a receiver. Third - you input grade as a percentage directly, the easiest and most accurate way to set grades, versus manually angling a rotating laser beam.

RedBack pipe lasers are available in red (PL650, DR100) or green (PL650G, DR100G). Both share the same <5mW Class 3 power output - the maximum legal in Australia for construction. The green PL650G has a marginally smaller dot, so it defines more sharply on the target plate. The red PL650 has a wider operating temperature range (up to 40°C) than the green PL650G (35°C). For high-heat sites, DR100 / DR100G are heat-rated to 50°C.

Most pipe lasers operate the same way, but there are a few nuances. Key variations: laser colour (red or green - same brightness, different dot definition and temperature range), minimum pipe diameter the laser can fit inside, operating temperature range for your site conditions, and the electronic gradient range the laser can set. All RedBack pipe lasers handle the core job - accurate grade and alignment in one tool, ready out of the box.

Nothing. Unlike a lot of other laser brands, every RedBack pipe laser comes complete with all the feet sets, targets, batteries and chargers needed to operate it, plus a recent calibration certificate. The laser is ready to use out of the box - no extras required.

If you're given fall and run rather than a percentage, convert with simple maths: rise divided by run, times 100. For example, a 1 m fall every 60 m (1 in 60) = 1 ÷ 60 × 100 = 1.667%. Enter that percentage into the laser and you're done. Or use our free Slope & Fall Calculator.

Each pipe laser has a minimum pipe diameter it can fit inside. The DR100 / DR100G fit inside pipes from 100 mm diameter and include feet sets for 125 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, 225 mm, 250 mm and 300 mm pipes. The PL650 / PL650G suit larger bores and also ship with multiple feet sets - check each product page for the exact fit. For very large diameters or pipe runs above ground, you can also tripod-mount a pipe laser at the start of the run and project the dot down the pipe externally.

For laying pipe itself, the pipe laser is the specialist: it sits inside the pipe and gives grade AND alignment in one setup. If you're a plumber or civil contractor putting serious volumes of pipe in the ground, that one job justifies it. A grade laser is the versatile all-rounder - falls across pads, trenches and driveways, dual grade and much longer range - but grade and alignment are two separate steps, one after the other. Plenty of drainage contractors run both: the grade laser for site falls, the pipe laser for the trench.

Grade on a pipe laser is entered as a percentage of fall. 1% means the pipe drops 1 unit for every 100 units of run - 10 mm per metre, or 1 m over 100 m of pipe. A common 1-in-60 sewer fall equals 1.667%. Given a fall and run instead of a percentage? The Slope & Fall Calculator converts it instantly.

You can hire one - but day rates add up fast. If pipe work is part of your regular week, a few weeks' worth of hire fees buys a DR100 outright, with a 3-year warranty and a fresh calibration certificate in the box. We sell rather than hire - a laser that's on every job pays for itself quickly.