Category

Total Stations

Manual, reflectorless and robotic total stations for land survey, construction layout and as-built work.

Brands in this category: Carlson, GeoMax, Leica Geosystems, Nikon, Pentax, Sokkia, South, Spectra Precision, Stonex, Topcon, Trimble

Total stations depreciate slowly and last a long time, which makes the used market unusually deep. The decision is rarely about angle accuracy alone — it is about whether you need a robot, and whether the field software you already run will drive the instrument.

Manual, servo or robotic

A manual instrument needs a person at the gun. A servo instrument turns itself but still needs an operator. A robotic instrument is controlled from the pole, which is what turns a two-person crew into one.

The economics are straightforward: if you run a crew daily, a used robot pays for itself in labour within a season. If you set up a few times a week for layout, a manual instrument such as a Leica TS06 Plus or Topcon ES-105 is the sensible spend.

Check tracking, servos and the software chain

On robotic instruments the tracking system and the servo drives are the wear items. We exercise ATR, PowerSearch, Autolock or UltraTrac through their full range and confirm the instrument reacquires a moving prism rather than hunting.

Field software matters as much as the gun. A Leica instrument with Captivate, a Trimble with Access, a Topcon or Sokkia with MAGNET Field — or any of them driven by Carlson SurvCE. Tell us what your crew already runs and we will confirm compatibility before you buy.

Common questions

Do used total stations need calibration?

They need collimation and a baseline check, which we perform before listing. A manufacturer service and certificate is available on request if your contracts require it.

Is a robotic instrument worth the extra over a manual one?

If it removes a person from the crew, almost always. If your setups are occasional, it rarely is.

Will an older instrument work with modern field software?

Usually yes over Bluetooth or cable. Very old instruments may be serial-only — tell us your controller and we will confirm.

Ask about total stations

Prices shown are indicative for a single tested unit. Quantity pricing, dealer terms and blanket orders are quoted individually. Send the list and we will respond within one business day.

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