Pro tip: That $80 digital level I bought last month just saved my whole day

Was setting a rail on a 30 story job and my old bubble level was giving me different readings every time I checked. The digital one showed a tiny 0.2 degree twist I couldn't see, saved me from a huge callback. Anyone have a go-to brand for these that can take a real beating?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.drew24d ago

Man, I feel that. I was putting up cabinets last year and my old trusty level was lying to me. The whole run was off by like a hair, but it was enough to drive you nuts. I grabbed a DeWalt digital angle finder from the truck and it showed the problem right away. That thing has been dropped off ladders and still works.

river_scott1d ago

Yeah, that exact thing happened to me on a trim job. I was fighting with a level for twenty minutes, swearing the floor was just that bad. Finally borrowed a digital level from the guy doing the tile, and @craig.drew is right, it showed the truth instantly. My old box level had a tiny chip in the edge I never noticed. Now I check my tools against each other before I start anything fussy. Those digital ones are tough, but honestly, sometimes you just need to trust the new reading and move on.

the_fiona24d ago

My old level must be related to yours, @craig.drew. I spent an hour trying to figure out why a shelf looked drunk before realizing the bubble was stuck. The digital tools don't lie, even if they make me feel a bit silly for trusting a hunk of plastic with a bubble in it.