Plumb bob vs laser level, I flipped sides after 12 years on scaffold

I always figured laser levels were for guys who couldn't read a string and weight. Then last spring on a job near Tacoma, we had wind gusts up to 20 mph and the plumb bob was swinging like a pendulum, cost us half a day redoing a corner. A younger guy on the crew pulled out his rotary laser and we checked every corner of that 40 foot wall in about 20 minutes. I still think plumb bobs have their place for small repairs, but now I bring both to every site. Anyone else switched tools after a stubborn job, or am I the last one to give in?

2 comments

2 Comments

jake_patel1d ago

Man, wind makes plumb bobs useless, glad you switched up.

the_miles1d ago

Three rainy days in a row taught me the same lesson about laser levels back in 2021, @jake_patel, and I haven't touched a plumb bob since. Wind just picks up that string and makes every single mark a guess, no matter how steady your hands are. Once you switch, you start noticing how many other things in life are secretly dependent on calm conditions too.