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Lost $150 on a cheap laser level that gave me crooked measurements for weeks
Picked up a $40 laser level from a local hardware store in Austin thinking I was saving money. Spent 3 weeks installing flooring that was off by a quarter inch in one room. Had to tear it up and redo it. The laser was drifting after 10 minutes of use. Anyone else get burned by buying the budget version of a tool you use every day?
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the_wren2d ago
Yeah @hugo_bennett nailed it, I started renting a good one from Home Depot for like $15 a day and never looked back.
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hugo_bennett2d ago
Saw a video from a contractor on YouTube breaking down cheap laser levels. He tested like 5 budget ones and 4 of them were off after sitting for 15 minutes. The magnets in the bracket are usually garbage too, so they slip on metal studs or door frames. That drifting thing is a known issue with the lower end models. The circuitry just can't hold the calibration once the battery voltage drops a bit. Sounds like you learned the hard way like a lot of folks do.
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