What is Reddit's opinion of Astromania 1.25Inch Metal Collimating Cheshire Eyepiece Without Laser for Newtonian Reflector Telescope - Long Version?

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Nah, laser collimators are overrated, can make things worse if the laser itself is not collimated, and cannot help you fully collimate your secondary (it's easier to introduce false collimation in a secondary with a laser).

A simple cheshire is all you need. That will be nice and accurate, and then the final touch-up for accuracy is a star test at high magnification (200x or so). But the nice thing about an F/8 dob is that the long focal ratio makes it more forgiving of collimation errors.

To see Mars, you'll definitely want a 6mm eyepiece to give you 200x magnification.

I actually recommend this set:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR78I42/ref=twister_B07JHKZQG9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

That set is a PERFECT match for a 6" F/8 dob. When you buy the set, they are as cheap as Plossls, but offer better eye relief and a wider field of view. The focal lengths are a fantastic match for that scope.

• 6mm = 200x = good for high power planetary and lunar observing when the atmosphere is steady
• 9mm = 133x = good for lunar and planetary observing when the atmosphere is not steady. Also good for small bright DSOs (M13, M57 etc)
• 15mm = 80x = good for general purpose DSO viewing.
• 20mm = 60x = good for viewing somewhat larger/dimmer DSOs.

Combine that with a 32mm or 40mm Plossl for the widest true field of view and brighter view for really large and/or dim DSOs (also good with a nice O-III or UHC filter), and you have a full spread of eyepieces to suit just about every need, without costing an arm and a leg.

To get the best views of Mars, you'll definitely want to make sure your scope passes the star collimation test at 200x. Also make sure it's thermally acclimated to ambient air temps (can take 1-2 hours depending on how big the temperature differential between inside and outside is, and how fast temperatures are falling at night). And then just wait for Mars to get to a reasonable altitude above the horizon. The higher the better, but starting around 30 degrees above the horizon, it should be good.