TIL a $30 string level beat my $400 laser for setting fence posts in Rocky Mount
Spent 2 weekends fighting my fancy laser level on 14 fence posts and every single one ended up leaning like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Borrowed my neighbor Dale's old string and line level setup and knocked out the next 6 posts dead straight in one afternoon. Anyone else got a cheap tool that just flat out works better than the expensive one?
Learned this the hard way too but from the other side. Lasers need a steady hand and fresh batteries, and out on a windy day in an open field they drift on you without you even knowing it. String never lies because gravity does the work, not some sensor. People drop big money on tools to skip the basics, then the basics are exactly what saves them. Dale's setup worked because there is nothing to calibrate or zero out, just pull it tight and trust it. Fancy gear is great in a shop, but dirt and sun and wind don't care how much you paid.