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Picked a cheap laser level over a Bosch for a kitchen remodel. Big mistake.
Had to lay out cabinets for a client in Denver last week, so I grabbed a $40 laser level instead of shelling out $150 for a Bosch self-leveling unit. The cheap one was off by almost 1/8 inch over 10 feet, and I caught it right before I marked the wall for island placement. Has anyone else had a budget tool cost them more time than it saved on a job?
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piper_reed5mo ago
@jordang32 I gotta disagree, cheap tools are fine if you double-check your work with a tape measure on every mark.
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the_holly5mo ago
Wait, you really think double-checking each mark makes up for a bad tool though? I used to say the same thing, honestly. I was all about saving money on tools and just being extra careful with my measurements. But then I tried framing a wall with a cheap speed square and every single corner was off by just a hair. Not enough to notice at first, but when I went to hang drywall nothing lined up and I spent a whole weekend shimming and fixing stuff. Now I only buy middle of the road stuff at least, because the time I save not fighting my tools is worth way more than the forty bucks I saved on the cheap one.
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jordang325mo ago
Oh man, I've been there. I grabbed a no-name level once for a fence job and it was off by a solid 1/16th inch over 6 feet. Caught it after I'd already set three posts. Had to pull them all out and redo it. Cheap tools like that are fine for hanging a picture, but for layout work they'll eat up your time real fast.
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