TIL that $80 I spent on a 'self-leveling' laser level just gave me a crooked line for three bathroom remodels

Thought I was saving time on tile layout but ended up ripping out $200 of subway tile in my own house because I trusted the cheap bubble instead of a $4 string level.

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.richard1mo ago

Nah, I gotta push back on this one. That $80 laser probably wasn't the problem, it was just a cheap tool that you trusted too much. I've used a $30 ryobi laser for years and it's dead on if you check it against a level before you start.

the_gavin1mo ago

Oh man, I feel that. Checking it against a known level before every job is the only way I've kept my sanity with cheaper lasers. Saved me more than once when the floor was slightly off and I didn't catch it until halfway through.