Review on 📏 Leica 838725 DISTO D2 New 330ft Laser Distance Measure with Bluetooth 4.0, Black/Red, Compact Design by Flocka Parsons

Full disclosure, I have two others, BOSH Professional GLM 30 and Kobalt LDM-35. Leica made a good device, no question, but of all the devices I like the BOSH best, although it doesn't have the range of the Leica, hence the 4 star rating. I bought this specifically to use the DISTO (bluetooth) integration with the Xactimate mobile app to set up insurance. While it worked as advertised, I felt the whole process was one step forward and two steps back compared to sketching on a piece of paper and recreating in the program. Despite my bad experiences integrating with Xactimate, I still had high hopes for my own Leica app, but it didn't work out. As other reviewers have already pointed out, the app is absolutely unsuitable for professional use without the zoom function. D2 is designed to handle a lot of abuse, there's no doubt about that. It's very well built. I'm a big fan of the battery compartment access method, pull out handle/tray that creates a right angle for lining up wall edges etc is great - wish more companies had this feature. The short hold time of the "POWER OFF" button is the best of any power off device and it has the best viewing angles of any of my other laser pointers. I also really appreciate that the backlight stays on by default, although it's not clear how that affects overall battery usage, but I miss it here and it's easy and fiddly to use. I can imagine this device being used in extremely cold weather and someone wearing large gloves using it with no problem; You will not accidentally activate this device, everything requires intention. The buttons are hard, a little too hard for what I prefer for one-handed operation, which is 90% how I use the meter in the field, with my index finger triggering the laser calculation and other fingers stabilizing the device on the wall. You may think I'm complaining, but when you're measuring 30+ walls in a house and you're processing multiple houses a day, 7 days a week, it makes a world of difference. To use an analogy, the Leica D2 is like a tank. It will take a long time to destroy, it is very well built. It's designed to get the job done, and it will. But like a tank, it's not a smooth ride. This device is uncomfortable to hold with one hand, especially in relation to BOSH. Leica has also made their buttons extremely unobtrusive compared to other manufacturers and while I think I can understand this method, it makes using this device more painful for my use as it requires a lot more force to press the button. When using the device with one hand, the index finger is already in an impaired position where the finger is weaker than normal. I get Leica made in Switzerland, BOSH made in Malaysia and Kobalt made in China, but in testing BOSH was just as accurate as Leica every time. I think I'll stick with the Leica as it has the longest range of any other device as it's always good to have extras in the field as a backup. Because of the reach, I see an application for commercial real estate in particular. I hope they improve Bluetooth functionality in all applications, but the BOSH Professional GLM 30 will still be my go-to for distances down to 100 feet or less. This baby is easy on the fingers if you take a lot of measurements.