Framing square vs digital angle finder for base cabinets, which is actually faster?

I spent 6 months in Denver using only a digital angle finder for scribing base cabinets into out-of-square walls, and it cut my fitting time on each unit from about 20 minutes down to 8. Then I picked up an old framing square with a sliding bevel for a job where the digital battery died, and honestly I got the same result but felt like I was working blind. Is the digital tool really saving time or just making me think I'm accurate, have you guys gone back to manual methods after trying one?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_morgan1d agoTop Commenter

Manual is faster. Batteries lie when they die, and your hands learn the angles.

mitchell.thomas16h ago

That "your hands learn the angles" line hit me hard, because it's true. I got so hooked on the digital readout that I forgot my body was already doing the math without me looking at a screen. The battery dying on that one job was a wake up call, I felt naked for about ten minutes, then my muscle memory just took over and I was actually faster. There's something about feeling the bevel seat into the wall that the digital tool skips over, it gives you the number but not the touch. I still keep both in the bag, but I'm not gonna pretend the digital one is the hero it used to be.