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Why does nobody talk about how much a cheap tape measure can mess up your work?
I was putting together a built-in for a client in Springfield and the whole thing was off by a quarter inch in three spots. My buddy asked to check my tape and the hook was loose, moving almost an eighth of an inch. I'd been using that same $8 tape for two years, trusting it completely. Now I only buy the good ones and check them against a steel rule every few months. Has anyone else had a tool they trusted totally fail them like that?
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emmamason5mo ago
Yeah, that's a good point about tools just wearing out. Makes me wonder if @drew_rivera's buddy's level was dropped or stored badly before it went bad?
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drew_rivera6mo ago
Honestly, my buddy had the same thing happen with a cheap level. He was hanging cabinets all week and couldn't figure out why the doors looked wrong. Turns out the vial in his level was off by a degree or two. He had to go back and redo like three jobs. Tbh it was a total nightmare for him. Now he checks his level against a known flat surface before every big install. Just shows you can't trust the cheap stuff after a while.
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simonk986mo ago
Ever wonder if the temperature messes with those vials over time? @drew_rivera's story makes me think a cheap level could warp from sitting in a hot truck. Might explain why it goes bad after a while.
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mila2786mo ago
Cheap levels can definitely warp, but I've seen expensive ones drift too. It's more about how they're handled than just the price tag.
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