My old boss in Denver told me to always use a 6 foot level for setting posts, and I finally get why.

He said 'a 4 footer will lie to you on a long run' and I brushed it off for years to save time. Last month I was putting up a 200 foot cedar fence and my posts were just slightly off with the shorter level. After the third panel was a nightmare to fit, I went and got the big level. Sure enough, every post I'd set that morning was leaning about a quarter inch. Had to pull three of them and reset. Has anyone else had a tool tip that seemed like overkill but saved your butt later?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.paul27d ago

My uncle always said a cheap tape measure costs more in mistakes than a good one.

rodriguez.felix27d ago

Your uncle was right about cheap tools costing more. I bought a flimsy one once and had to re-cut a whole set of shelves. Solid advice, @johnson.paul.

skylerrobinson23d ago

My buddy learned a similar lesson the hard way with a chalk line. He was marking plywood for a shed floor with a cheap reel that kept snapping, and his cuts were all over the place by the end. Swore by a heavy-duty box after that, said the weight of the thing alone makes a straighter line. It's funny how the right tool for the job isn't always the one already in your hand.