Appreciation post: That $500 laser level I bought for a kitchen remodel in Phoenix

I always thought they were a waste of money until I had to tile a huge backsplash with a tricky window. The laser level cut my layout time from half a day to about an hour and the lines were perfect. Anyone have a good brand for a cheaper one for smaller jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_palmer2mo ago

My brother in law still uses a string level and a piece of chalk, and watching him work is like a history channel reenactment. I held out for years too, convinced my eyeballs and a four foot level were good enough. The first time I used a laser for hanging cabinets, I had to admit my entire past self was a stubborn idiot. That Huepar one lane.drew mentioned is the one I loan to people when they want to try before they buy, because they never give it back.

lane.drew2mo ago

Totally get that. For smaller stuff, I've had good luck with the Huepar self-leveling ones. They're under a hundred bucks and the green laser is way easier to see than red in normal light. The magnetic base is a game changer for sticking it to ductwork or metal studs.

taylor.phoenix1mo ago

Hold on, let's not act like we were all out here building the pyramids with a plumb bob before lasers came along. A four foot level and a straight edge works just fine for most stuff, you just have to actually know how to use them. That half a day down to an hour thing sounds like you were making it way harder than it needed to be in the first place. But sure, if you want to spend a hundred bucks so you can pretend you're a professional, go for it.