Review of the Leica Builder 503



The Leica Builder 503 is one of the newest reflector-less total stations made by Leica Geosystems.  The new features and capabilities of this total station will drastically increase your efficiency on the job site and takes much of the unneeded work out of surveying.  I have experience surveying with total stations, and the features this unit offers far exceed those I am accustom to.  Although it has a price tag of $9,295 the features, accuracy, and ease of use will prove to be worth it.

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    The first thing worth mentioning is the ease of transferring data.  With an internal memory that will hold up to 50,000 points, Bluetooth technology, and an external USB port, bringing data to and from the devise is simple.  This makes it possible to use the data you have collected and easily integrate it to CAD.  This data storage also allows for quick rechecks of measurements such as concrete forms and slope grades. 

                The Builder 503 is capable of measuring angle down to three arc-seconds.  Some models can measure down to 1 arc-second.  Although 3 arc-seconds may not be the highest of accuracies, the price of this unit is reasonable compared to many others with the same accuracy.  It also has a long battery life of up to 20 of run time on one charge.  This allows for plenty of time to work without have to stop the entire job site and wait on a charging battery. 

                How many of you surveyors out there grow tired of walking all over a job site holding a reflector or prism?  I know that I do.  With the laser technology the Builder 503 has, this annoying task is almost eliminated on measurements fewer than 540 feet.  This may not be too strenuous of a task, but it frees up one more person and significantly reduces the time it takes to get the job done.  On longer shots, a prism can be used to measure as far out as 1600 feet.

                Durability will not be an issue with this total station.  It has a protection class of IP55, meaning it is protected from dust and any water jets.  Especially important here in Fargo, ND where I have surveyed, the Builder 503 can be used in temperatures anywhere from -4^oF to 122^oF.  In the rare instance it may be defective of damaged in the field, it is covered by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.  Furthermore it comes with its own carrying case to protect it to and from the field. 

                If I had to give an overall rating to the Builder 503, I would award it 4 out of 5 stars.  Its ease of transferring data to and from the machine, its battery life, and its warranty are just some of the factors that make it a good total station.  To make it great, Leica could improve its accuracy to 2 or even 1 arc-second and increase the range of its reflector-less laser.  Is this the most high end total station on the market today? No, but for the price the Leica Builder 503 is good investment.