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Dropped $800 on a digital angle finder and I'm torn on if it was worth it
I got a high end digital angle finder a while back, thinking it would speed up setting up my miter saw and checking compound angles on tricky crown. It does that, and it's super accurate, no question. But I find myself still reaching for my old bevel gauge and a sharp pencil for a lot of day to day stuff. The digital one needs batteries, it's another thing to calibrate, and honestly, for a quick check on a cabinet face frame, it feels like overkill. The argument for it is perfect repeatability on production work, but the argument against is that it's a fragile, expensive solution for problems I often solve simpler. Has anyone else bought a fancy precision tool only to find their old methods still work just fine most days?
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oliver52329d agoMost Upvoted
Guilty as charged, I once bought a laser level that spends more time judging my drywall work in the corner of the garage than actually helping me hang cabinets. My old bubble level still wins most arguments because it's simple and doesn't need a power button. Your angle finder might be a fancy desk ornament, but at least you didn't pay extra for the one that remembers your mistakes.
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mason_jackson29d ago
Man, it's like everything has to have a chip and a battery nowadays. I see the same thing at work with accounting software that promises to save hours, but half the time I'm still double checking it with a calculator. Maybe we just trust our hands and eyes more than a screen telling us what's right.
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skylerc862mo ago
My old Starrett protractor cost eighty bucks twenty years ago and still gets it right. The digital stuff adds steps for jobs where close enough is perfect. Sometimes the best tool is the one that doesn't need a charging cable.
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