I thought those laser levels were just a gimmick for new guys

For a long time, I refused to use one, figuring my string line and level were all I needed. Then I took on a big fireplace job in Springfield that had a tricky, angled hearth. My foreman insisted I try his DeWalt laser. Laying out the whole thing took maybe 15 minutes instead of an hour of constant checking. The line was dead straight and visible from anywhere, no sagging string. It honestly saved the day on that complex layout. Has anyone else been pushed into trying a tool they didn't trust, only to have it work out?

4 comments

4 Comments

betty_wells2mo ago

My stubborn refusal to use a laser level cost me a whole afternoon on a simple deck build.

daniel1402mo ago

Pride comes before a fall... we've all been there. You get it in your head that you can eyeball it or use a string line just fine. Then you spend hours fixing what a two hundred dollar tool would have shown you in two seconds. The new tech is just smarter sometimes, even if the old way feels more pure.

seth_shah2mo ago

Sometimes the old ways are just faster for me, especially on simple jobs.

uma_williams1mo ago

Oh man, "the old ways are just faster" hit me right in the memory. I did the same thing last year on a small retaining wall project. I was all proud of myself using a level and a string line, thinking I was saving time not setting up a laser. Two hours later I had to tear down the first two courses because one end was an inch low. My neighbor walked over with his cheap laser level, had it dialed in under a minute. I felt like such a goof standing there with my string all tangled up. Sometimes I swear the old ways just make me work harder, not smarter.