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Torpedo spirit level

Updated: 22 October 2026

The long level is still in the hall because it will not fit between the curtain and the ceiling, or beside the socket you are setting. A torpedo spirit level is the short tool for that gap. It suits a picture, a bracket or a short piece of steel, and it is the wrong only level for a door. The 1200 mm Grettz and the five-piece inch set stay on the [spirit level comparison](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/spirit-level). Peter F. used amazon.co.uk files captured on 21 October 2026, plus BuildWiz and Stanley's UK page. There is no lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The wider length rule is in the [spirit level buying guide](/hub/measuring-and-marking-tools/spirit-level/sub/spirit-level-buying-guide).

The long level is still in the hall because it will not fit between the curtain and the ceiling, or beside the socket you are setting. A torpedo spirit level is the short tool for that gap.

Our top picks

STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FatMax 250 mm torpedo

Best overall

STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FatMax 250 mm torpedo
9.4/10about £14.99
View offer
Firecore Firecore 230 mm magnetic torpedo

Best value

Firecore Firecore 230 mm magnetic torpedo
9.2/10about £6.53
View offer
Teronbeta Teronbeta 400 mm magnetic level

Alternative

Teronbeta Teronbeta 400 mm magnetic level
9.0/10about £13.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What a torpedo is for
  2. 2.The short levels in this set
  3. 3.Magnets and pipes
  4. 4.Thickness, and why it is not a door level

What a torpedo is for

A torpedo is a short level, often about 90 mm to 300 mm, with vials for level, plumb and sometimes 45°. BuildWiz treats ABS torpedoes as the looser end, around 1.0 mm/m when a figure exists, and aluminium nearer 0.5 mm/m. Those are habits from other UK shops, not a test of the ASINs below. A torpedo only reports its own base. An honest 230 mm bubble can sit true on a bowed metre of timber. The 45° vial is a preset for a mitre you already know is 45°. It is not a 1:40 fall, which is 25 mm per metre. It is a problem only if you treat 45° as the slope a drain requires.

The short levels in this set

These tools are all short, and they are not interchangeable. The Firecore is 230 mm of ABS, 90 g, at £6.53, with three vials, magnetic strips and rubber ends. No millimetres-per-metre figure is stated. One verified buyer failed a 180° test and returned it, so you still flip it. The Stanley FatMax 0-43-609 is 250 mm of aluminium, 273 g, at £14.99, with 0.5 mm/m stated. The Amazon bullets do not state a pipe groove, though Stanley's UK page does. Which of these two to take is on best spirit level. The Teronbeta 400 mm at £13.99 states ±0.5 mm/m and weighs 210 g. One UK review found it too thick for blinds at a ceiling. The Franklin, about 305 mm, turns green and still needs an AA cell. The light does not lengthen the sole. The XunHe at £10.29 is a 95 mm acrylic pocket gauge. It is for a hook, not a bracket.
STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FatMax 250 mm torpedo

Testsieger

STANLEY FATMAX Stanley FatMax 250 mm torpedo
9.4/10about £14.99
View offer

Magnets and pipes

Buy a magnet for ferrous steel you cannot spare a hand for. It will not hold copper, plastic, timber or most stainless, and paint weakens it. Magnetic on the Stanley can still mean a modest grip. A V-groove is separate. It stops a round pipe rolling. These Amazon bullets do not state a groove. One Stanley review mentions a pipe channel, and the manufacturer page mentions a V-groove. The listing does not. If the pipe is the job, look at the sole when it arrives.

Thickness, and why it is not a door level

Thickness is the other miss. The 400 mm body was too deep for a blind recess in one review, so a slimmer 230 mm tool can be the one that fits. Stay at 230 mm or 250 mm in a tight recess. A magnet does not turn 230 mm into 1200 mm. Plumb the full height with a long level. Use the torpedo for the strike and the packers. How to read and flip the vial is on how to use a spirit level.

Common questions

What is a torpedo level for?
It is for a gap a long level will not enter: pictures, socket boxes, brackets and a patch of steel. It usually has level and plumb vials, and often a 45° vial you may not need. It reports only its own sole. A true reading on 230 mm does not prove a door lining or a long shelf.
Is 230 mm enough for a floating shelf?
It can set a short bracket or check a small shelf locally. It is thin evidence for a shelf a metre long, because a bow between the ends never passes under the sole. About 400 mm bridges more of that hollow. If the shelf fills an alcove, you want something closer to the shelf's length, not one reading in the middle.
When do I need 400 mm instead of 250 mm?
Choose about 400 mm when the run is longer than a picture and the body still fits. Here that is the Teronbeta 400 mm at £13.99, with ±0.5 mm/m stated and 1,440 ratings. Stay at 230 mm or 250 mm in a tight recess. One review found the 400 mm body too thick beside a ceiling. The 500 mm title from the same brand is not a clean length on the page.
Do I need a magnet?
You need one if the level must stay on steel while you mark or drill. You do not need one for timber, plasterboard, copper or plastic. Even on steel, expect a modest grip. Several UK reviews of the Stanley say the magnet is weaker than they hoped. Test it on the real surface before you let go.
Does magnetic mean it sits on a pipe?
No. Magnetic means a grip on ferrous metal. A round pipe needs a V-groove so the sole does not rock. This set's Amazon bullets do not state that groove. One Stanley review mentions a channel, and the manufacturer page mentions a V-groove, which is not the amazon.co.uk text. Check the sole you receive if pipe work is why you bought it.
Can I plumb a door with a torpedo?
You can check a short patch of jamb, such as the strike, and you should not accept the whole frame from that reading. A bow above the tool never moves the bubble. This set has no 1200 mm bubble box. The only door-length listing is the Grettz, which is a different decision. Overlap a torpedo and note the highs only if the frame is not structural and you have no longer sole.

Related pages

Digital spirit level vs bubble

Spirit level

Best spirit level: Stanley FatMax ahead of a 4.8 star

Spirit level buying guide: length before the claim

How to use a spirit level: read it, then reverse it

Sources

Public sources from the digest, then the maker pages named there. Shelf prices are the amazon.co.uk figures stored for this set. Scores are the listing stars scaled for the table. This is not a laboratory test. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Approved Document H (England, 2015), Table 6 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Measuring Instruments (Material Measures of Length) Regulations 2006 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK, laser radiation safety advice (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Stabila, spirit level accuracy (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Stanley UK, FatMax 0-43-609 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. BuildWiz, spirit level (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Johnson Level, reverse test (US method page) (retrieved 22 October 2026)