Material
The main material used in the construction of the level.
— Metal. The material used in the vast majority of modern levels and other similar measuring instruments; usually we are talking about light and strong aluminium alloys, but there are other types of metal, such as steel. The key advantage of the metal, which determined its popularity, is its high strength and reliability. This is due to the fact that levels are often used in rather harsh conditions, while damage to the housing can lead to deviations in readings and make the instrument generally unsuitable for further measurements.
— Plastic. Inexpensive and relatively light material, which, however, has less strength than metal. As a result, plastic is rarely used in building levels — usually in the smallest bubble models (see "Type") up to 20 cm long.
Note that hydraulic levels (see “Type”) are not taken into account in this case — their material requirements are quite specific, as a result, the hose is standardly made of an elastic polymer, and the flasks are made of transparent plastic.
Thickness
Tool size in thickness, from front to back. In fact, this is the smallest slit in which this fixture can be placed during measurements (although some measurements may require a mirror capsule, see "Functions"). Therefore, for work in cramped conditions, it is worth using thinner models. At the same time, note that long and heavy tools are inevitably made quite thick — to ensure strength and resistance to deformation.
Power source
The type of power used in the instrument. Classical spirit and water levels operate without power, so this feature is relevant mainly for goniometers and inclinometers (see "Type"), supplemented by various electronics — digital displays, laser pointers, etc. (see "Type").
Usually, replaceable batteries of one size or another are used for power supply, and most often they are not included in the kit. At first glance, this is not very convenient, but this configuration gives the user the opportunity to choose batteries at their discretion by price, quality and type (batteries or rechargeable batteries). Specific options for size can be as follows:
— AA. They are also “finger-type batteries”, a well-known and very popular type of batteries, sold almost everywhere. In levels, however, they are used somewhat less frequently than the more miniature AAA (see below), because. are relatively large.
— AAA. "Little finger batteries", a smaller analogue of the AA described above. Convenient due to relatively compact size; they are inferior to “finger” ones in terms of capacity, however, the built-in electronics of goniometers and inclinometers usually do not have high power consumption, so this drawback can hardly be considered critical.
— PP3. 9 V batteries in rectangular cases; contacts are located on one of the ends. They are used relatively rarely, mainly in professional tools, the hardware of which requires a relatively high supply vol...tage.
— CR2032. Coin batteries with a diameter of 20 mm, a thickness of 3.2 mm and a rated voltage of 3 V. They are mainly used in goniometers and compact inclinometers that do not have high power consumption even by the standards of this type of tool. Note that rechargeable batteries in this size are not produced, however, the batteries are very "long-playing", so this can hardly be called a serious drawback.
