As I know well, tool users have favourites. Sometimes these favouritisms are mere prejudice, sometimes based on old habits, and sometimes based on a good solid grasp of reliability and service. As a tool company Draper has been delivering quality and service at all price levels to tool users for many years. Draper does seem to have the knack of buying in and obtaining the right sort of tools for its loyal customers and dealers. A check on my own tool bag revealed to me just how many Draper tools I have purchased over the years. Many of them have been "workhorse" tools where the Draper brand has proved to be the right tool at the right price.

Having just moved house (again), and just about to be embarking on all the jobs associated with moving in, like putting up curtain rails, re-establishing my workshop and building yet another garden shed, I was pleased to have a couple of Draper levels to put to use in real life situations for this review.

The levels concerned are the expert quality ZEUS 990 VISION range made for Draper by the KAPRO Company and because they are high quality products are part of Draper's Expert Plus range of tools aimed at professional users.

The thing that struck me most when I first examined these levels was the quality and the feel of them. To analyse this impression a bit further. might be an interesting psychological insight into buying decisions. The colour is a deep, but bright post box red that is obviously baked on and very durable. Just a little bit different from the very common high-visibility yellow of many other levels (including other Draper levels) the colour is satisfyingly "other", and therefore appealed to me.

The inherent quality of the level seems to come across in a number of ways.

Clearly the alloy profile of the body of the level is very strong and the levelling surfaces are well ground to an almost mirror-like surface. It also feels a bit more" chunky" than other levels. I guess on longer levels, "chunky" may equate to a bit of unwanted weight, but on the shorter sizes up to about 900mm, I liked the chunkier feel of the body. To help with gripping it the body has a satisfying concave curve that allows fingers to get a good hold.

The end caps appear to be highly shock-absorbent with their rubberised outer surface and plastic inners. They also help the level stand up nicely when it is stood against a wall.

There is a well-integrated handle just next to the centre vial. This too has a rubberised inner surface, and while some users may not like a carry handle, I quite like having one. It is also useful for hanging the level up when not in use.

End vials on this level are set into windowed apertures. This will help to protect them against build-up of mortar and should be fairly easy to clean. They look to be well set into place with their own hard plastic units to hold them firmly. These end vials are fitted with a reflective periscope type of mirror that means the level reading can be taken from the front of the level. This may be handy when levelling vertically on walls where side visibility could be restricted. As long as the lenses are kept clean, this is a good system. In the UK, this is a unique feature for Draper levels called 'Plumbsite'.  Some users really like them, and as long as they are high quality (as on this level), they will be a definite plus as a purchase feature.

The all-important middle vial is the most used in my experience, and should be perfectly accurately and firmly set for optimum accuracy.  This vial is actually a little bigger than the end vials and quite deeply set to avoid collecting clogging mortar. But perhaps a unique feature is that this vial can be illuminated. The simple addition of a couple of AAA batteries means that a bulb at the end of the vial will light up. To some users this would be a bit of a gimmick, but after thinking about it for a while and then actually trying it out for myself, my conclusion is that it would be quite useful. As I write, it is just past four o'clock in the afternoon and the light is just fading. I have often been forced to work on in the dusk when I just need to finish something or get to a certain point. Using this level I was able to get a level reading in dark and dingy places like inside the walk-in hall cupboard where I was putting up some shelves. I guess I may need it too when I have to stretch the afternoon when I put up my new garden shed.

The battery compartment appeared to be moisture proof and well sealed and the push on/off switch quite efficient, so the light could well be a selling point for some users. The other thing is that it's not compulsory - a "non-lighting" user could simply purchase the non-illuminating models.

Like most good quality levels these days, the accuracy of this range of levels is guaranteed to be within 0.5mm/metre. So there must be other reasons why a user would choose these levels in an already competitive market place. Clever pricing is a good start. The 600mm level can be had for around £27.00 from internet sites and stockist's shops, which is good value for a level of this quality.

Secondly, I think it has a very good "feel", so will handle well and still feel good after continuous use. It is also robustly made with its strong end caps and baked-on paint finish, so should give a long period of good service. And lastly, and definitely not to be taken lightly, is the back-up and service that Draper continues to provide for its customers and dealers. These days, quite a consideration when the "fast buck" seems to be, sadly, the norm.