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I finally ditched my $200 laser level for a $40 torpedo level

Everyone raves about those expensive self-leveling lasers, but mine kept throwing errors on dirty jobsites. A basic magnetic torpedo level has been faster for my rough-in work on residential houses in Austin, and it survived a fall off a ladder without breaking the bank. Anyone else think we over-rely on gadgets?

3 comments

3 Comments

wells.evan11d ago

My Stanley 48-inch fell 12 feet and still reads true-bought it for $25.

ray_burns11d ago

Heard a guy on another board say his fell off a ladder into concrete and was fine too. Those old Stanley levels are built like tanks, that's for sure.

oliviabutler11d ago

YES! Oh man, I feel this so much. I had a similar thing happen with a pricey laser level that just would NOT hold calibration after a few drops. I still use it for big layout stuff sometimes, but for everyday rough-in on remodels, I grab my basic 9 inch magnetic torpedo level every time. That thing has been kicked across a subfloor and dropped off a scaffold and it's still reading true. People act like you NEED all the fancy stuff, but sometimes the simple tools are the ones that actually save you time and money in the long run.