The $40 laser level I mocked is now my daily driver
I spent 8 years using bubble levels on every job, laughed at a buddy's laser setup outside Fort Worth. Then I borrowed his Bosch for a dropped ceiling and finished 3 hours faster. Anyone else hold out on a tool for years then feel dumb for it?
Biggest thing I learned is the laser pays for itself on the first job you use it on. I fought it for years because the bubble level was always in my bag and it worked fine. The math just looks different when you're setting a whole row of cabinets or running a long shelf line. My advice is buy a decent one with a self leveling feature and a bright beam, not the cheapest thing on the shelf. You'll still grab the bubble for quick one off stuff, but you'll never go back for the long runs.
Read this piece last month from a contractor forum where a guy did the math on a job with 40 linear feet of shelving. Said the laser saved him about 2 hours of measuring and re-checking levels with the bubble. That stuck with me because it's the same reason I finally caved. I kept telling myself the bubble was fine, but it's not about being fine. It's about not having to crouch down and squint at a line every 4 feet. Once you set that beam once and walk away, you get why people get weirdly fanatical about these things.