I am in a bit of a quandary over the choices in tripods for surveying. The choices are narrowed to two in particular. That is, The SOKKIA wide frame wood tripod or the Leica GST 120-9.
I am impressed with how elegant the Leica tripod is compared with SOKKIA tripod. The Leica tripod weighs is 14 pounds compared to the 14.5 pounds in the SOKKIA tripod. It collapses to a smaller length as well, making it easier to fit in my vehicle.
However, the price of the Leica tripod that is given varies and can be as much as $390.00 to as low as $295.00. My local survey supply sells the unit for $370.50 without shipping. The same supplier will sell the SOKKIA tripod for $258.50 without shipping and that is a huge cost saving.
I don??t know or understand the difference. The wood of the Leica tripod is beech and the wood SOKKIA uses is maple. All the other parts of both are metal. So, other than elegance I don??t see why there can be such a huge disparity in price.
When I showed one of my colleagues a page from a catalog, he chose another brand that cost $184.00 but although comparable in stability its weight came to 18 pounds. I would not want to carry something that heavy even if it saved me one hundred dollars.
I believe I looked at that very model of Leica tripod a few years ago and I don't know if that one is recommended for robotic instruments over a certain weight.
I may have the models confused however it is worth a look.
I have used the Leica's extensively. I've also used the Trimax's a lot. And I've been forced to use a variety of other pieces of ship.?ÿ I'd go with that Leica tripod everyday and twice on Sundays. Slam dunk.?ÿ Cheap in the long run. Will way outlast anything Sokkia. Lighter to carry, more compact, and yet much more stable.?ÿ?ÿ
Trimax's are the only other tripod I would even give moments consideration to, and that because we work in the rain around here.?ÿ They are quite durable, but they not as stable. When I talk stable I'm talking about the gun holding it's zero orientation throughout a setup.?ÿ
I'll add another tripod to think about. The manufacturer is NEDO, they make most of the tripods for Leica. There tripods are wood with a plastic coating and because of this they are extremely durable. Only negative I have with them is I don't like the velcro strap when collapsed. I would see if your local dealer can get you a quote on one of these. The dual clamp tripods list around $275.
I started with Wild GST20's nearly 40 years ago. They are still as good as new - quality products always shine through. Every 10 years or so they get stripped down and repainted with Yacht varnish and are then good for another 10 years. Never had to scrap one yet - now have 15 of them in use.
I'll add another tripod to think about. The manufacturer is NEDO, they make most of the tripods for Leica. There tripods are wood with a plastic coating and because of this they are extremely durable. Only negative I have with them is I don't like the velcro strap when collapsed. I would see if your local dealer can get you a quote on one of these. The dual clamp tripods list around $275.
I haven't used these, but we did once try a plastic coated one - the problem was that some impact damage occurred to the plastic, water got in, the leg swelled and the whole plastic sheath then split. So be careful.
Yep Leica all day, everyday! lesson learned back in the 1980's, I don't know if they will last forever, but 20 years or so with reasonable care and so much more stable than just about all others. First piece of Leica gear I ever used was a tripod after I convinced the boss the Sokkia legs just weren't cutting it.
You get what you pay for, sometimes less and hardly ever more!
First, cheep tripods are a huge mistake.?ÿ They might be just the ticket if your using a GNSS receiver, level or contractor's transit but not robotic total stations.?ÿ Besides the weight, motorized instruments put a lot of torque on the tripod head so be sure consider that in your choice.
I still have two of the four original Leica tripods I started out with over 20 years ago along with a plethora TriMax tripods.?ÿ I went with the TriMax when I started to add crews, mostly for the added height and durability.?ÿ Over the years I have found that the Leica legs are way more stable under the load of my robotic total station.?ÿ I'm in the process of changing out the TriMax for Leica.
They have flip lock for adjusting the legs and a knob that locks the legs together for a firm setup that stays in place and keeps the gun stable and on target.
Nothing to keep painted or worry about swelling or rotting.
All I have to do is adjust the metal parts and replace the footpeg tips.
I use aluminum legs for tribrach and prism setups made by Stabila.
They are aircraft grade aluminum, strong and stable and will support a smaller TS like my Sokkia Set 530R when I am traversering thru the woods, leapfroging and swapping out instrument with backsites.
I'll add another tripod to think about. The manufacturer is NEDO, they make most of the tripods for Leica. There tripods are wood with a plastic coating and because of this they are extremely durable. Only negative I have with them is I don't like the velcro strap when collapsed. I would see if your local dealer can get you a quote on one of these. The dual clamp tripods list around $275.
+1 on these.?ÿ A very fine tripod made in Germany.?ÿ I had one of these and a couple TriMaxes.?ÿ The TriMaxes had their place on soaking wet days or nasty, gritty mine sites, but the fit and finish on the Nedo made it a pleasure to use day to day.
We got a couple of them recently and I find there is not enough space in the leg clamping mechanism. Even with screws completely undone the legs tend to jam and not slide.
I definately prefer the fibreglass Crain/Seco/Trimble Trimax units with the double clamps
I have not had a problem with SOKKIA and think they are fine, sturdy and stable. It's just that the Leica tripods are lighter, but, still made of wood. I did not consider fiber glass as one of my choices. I have had the SOKKIA wide frame tripods for many years and replace them because they are getting old.
