Had to re-measure a whole garden bed after my laser level died on site last week | Tools We Actually Use - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Had to re-measure a whole garden bed after my laser level died on site last week
I was out at a job in Decatur measuring for a new retaining wall when my old Bosch laser level just stopped working halfway through. That meant I had to pull out a string level and remeasure everything, which added an extra 45 minutes to the day. Anyone else rely on a specific piece of gear that you should probably have a backup for?
The old Stanley chalk line is a solid backup, but you gotta be careful with it on longer runs. That string can sag a bit if it's humid or the line is too long, so it's not quite as accurate as a good laser for something like a garden bed that needs to be dead level. Had a guy try to use one for a foundation once and it ended up being a half inch off over thirty feet. Still better than nothing though, just gotta keep an eye on the tension.
Man that's the worst. Sounds about right though, electronics always die at the worst possible moment. I've got an old Stanley chalk line that I keep in my truck as a backup for when my digital stuff decides to take a nap. Had to use it last month when my laser level's battery gave out right before lunch. Took twice as long but at least it got done.