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Wasted $200 on a digital angle finder that couldn't handle a basic 45
Picked up one of those fancy digital protractors from Home Depot for $200 last month, thinking it'd speed up my roof pitch work. First job I used it on in Phoenix gave me a 44.8 degree reading on a truss that was clearly a standard 45. Had to re-cut three rafters before I tossed it in the drawer. Anyone else ditched digital for a good old speed square on site?
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stella222mo ago
Right, that 44.8 thing is exactly the kind of garbage that makes you want to throw the whole thing in the trash... these sensors are useless when it gets hot and the battery's low. Thomas nailed it, you paid for the privilege of tearing out your own work. A speed square never needs a firmware update and can't be fooled by a little Arizona dust. Plus you can use it to scribe a line in the dark with a cigarette lighter if you're desperate enough... try doing that with a plastic screen that's cracked from one drop off a ladder. You're better off saving that $200 for a couple of good chisels and a six-pack.
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ruby6592mo ago
Has anybody actually tested what happens when you pack one of those digital squares in a tool bag with a wet trowel or a damp chalk line? That humidity alone will fog up the screen and mess with the sensors even before you factor in the heat. I left a cheap digital level in my truck bed for one afternoon and the display went all wonky, never recovered. The old school stuff might be heavy and rusty but at least it still works when you pick it up again. Plus you can drop a speed square in a bucket of water and fish it out ten minutes later good as new.
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thomas_price2mo ago
Ha! $200 for a digital square that can't even find a 45. Sounds like you paid for the privilege of re-cutting rafters.
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