I bought a $400 laser level for a tricky patio job and it was a huge mistake

Everyone on here talks about how a good laser level is a must-have, so I got a fancy one for a big herringbone patio in Cincinnati. It was supposed to save time on layout, but honestly, it just added more steps. I spent more time setting it up on a tripod, making sure it was perfectly level, and then having to move it every ten feet than I would have just using my string lines and a 4-foot level. For straight runs, sure, it's fine, but for complex patterns on uneven ground, it felt like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The battery died halfway through the second day, and I had to stop work to charge it. In the end, I went back to my old method and finished faster. Has anyone else found that some 'time-saving' tools just don't work for the way you actually lay brick?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ruby5d ago

Yeah, had the same thing happen with a tile job last year... all that fussing with the laser just slowed me down. Ended up using a chalk line and my old beat up level, got it done in half the time.

charles_coleman5d ago

Honestly, that sounds like a setup or user error problem, not a tool problem. For a herringbone pattern on uneven ground, a rotary laser on a tall tripod gives you one constant reference plane you can measure down from anywhere, which beats constantly resetting strings. The battery issue just means you didn't have a spare, which is on you for a multi-day job.