STANLEY FATMAX Pro Box Beam Level, 900mm/36

For when you neeed a quality accurate product that will last a lifetime. Very pleased indeed with product - so well made and very accurate. Highy recommended for serious DIY.

Great levels, have a full set. However dont order longer levels online seem to come bent and unusable

It’s okay

Good quality

very nice work tool

Great quality product. Fast delivery

There seem to be two main brands on the market for everyday use: Stanley and Stabila. I think this is the only Stanley model that really competes with Stabila. This is the Fatmax Pro version (see the manufacturer’s reference number), and it seems it can come with Extreme written on it or not (latterly not, I think). Currently the Stanley website advertises three types of spirit level: a simple box section level and a girder style, and this one which is the strongest of the three. It’s a reinforced box section, with shoulders and ribs. Stabila does three box section levels (a simple box, a box with shoulders, and a reinforced box with shoulders and ribs), and their girder style levels are stronger (not weaker) than the reinforced box (as you might expect). The Stanley 043624 or 043636 (and so on, according to the length in inches) competes with the Stabila 196-2. The Stanley is cheaper usually. They both have the same accuracy. Whether the metal in the Stabila is stronger I cannot tell, but they both look about the same. I did see a Stanley promotional video which showed a cross-section that seemed to indicate that there was an internal metal “baffle” (the very expensive Stabila R Type has a number of them), a sort of “false floor” running the full length, and that would make the Stanley stronger; but, when I took the handle off to check, it wasn’t there. Personally, I have had occasional problems with the squared vial of the Stabila. I found it difficult to judge exactly where the bubble was when looking at a 45 degree angle (i.e. through the corner of the rectangular vial block), and had to reposition myself (and the work!). The Stanley has a rounded vial, and it looks the same whichever way you look at it. All of the good models are accurate to 0.5mm/m, so I suppose that the issue in making your choice is only how robust you need the level to be for it to maintain its accuracy in the working environment.

I’m a bit of a Stanley fat max fan so I decided I get this instead of a cheap one. What a great tool, the handle in the middle is perfect.

Liked the ease of seeing where the bubble was between the lines

Great level