Went through 3 cheap levels in 2 months before a framing crew boss showed me the light

Last month up in Loveland I was fighting with a $12 bubble level that kept drifting during a kitchen remodel. A old timer on the framing crew grabbed it off my ladder, tossed it in the mud, and handed me his 6-foot Stabila saying "bubble's no good if it don't sit true." I dropped $110 on a decent grade level the next day at the lumber yard. Has anyone else here gotten burned by cheap levels that look fine in the store but fail on the job site?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarat373d ago

I saw a contractor on YouTube say cheap levels are just straight up gambling with your time.

morganl713d agoTop Commenter

That "gambling with your time" line is spot on. I bought a cheap level once and it was off by like an eighth of an inch over just four feet. Had me redoing half a shelf before I figured out it was the level, not my measuring. You end up fighting the tool more than the project. That time adds up fast, especially if youre doing something like tiling or hanging cabinets. Might save you twenty bucks but cost you hours of frustration.

juliaa653d ago

@morganl71 nailed it with that gambling comment. My cheapo level had me shimming a vanity three times before I realized the bubble was lying to me. Level looked straight as an arrow on the shelf at the hardware store but apparently couldn't handle a little drywall dust on the job. $12 lesson learned the hard way, now I test every new level against a known straight edge before it ever touches a stud.