Pro tip: That $80 digital level I bought last month just saved my whole day
Was setting a rail on a 30 story job and my old bubble level was giving me different readings every time I checked. The digital one showed a tiny 0.2 degree twist I couldn't see, saved me from a huge callback. Anyone have a go-to brand for these that can take a real beating?
Man, I feel that. I was putting up cabinets last year and my old trusty level was lying to me. The whole run was off by like a hair, but it was enough to drive you nuts. I grabbed a DeWalt digital angle finder from the truck and it showed the problem right away. That thing has been dropped off ladders and still works.
Yeah, that exact thing happened to me on a trim job. I was fighting with a level for twenty minutes, swearing the floor was just that bad. Finally borrowed a digital level from the guy doing the tile, and @craig.drew is right, it showed the truth instantly. My old box level had a tiny chip in the edge I never noticed. Now I check my tools against each other before I start anything fussy. Those digital ones are tough, but honestly, sometimes you just need to trust the new reading and move on.
My old level must be related to yours, @craig.drew. I spent an hour trying to figure out why a shelf looked drunk before realizing the bubble was stuck. The digital tools don't lie, even if they make me feel a bit silly for trusting a hunk of plastic with a bubble in it.