My laser level died mid-job on a Friday afternoon last month

I was setting up a new office layout downtown, 40 cubicles to mark, and my rotary laser just stopped working at 3pm. Checked the batteries, swapped in fresh ones, nothing. Had to run to the supply house 20 minutes away and grab a cheap replacement just to finish before 6. The old one? Dead diode, completely fried inside. Cost me 2 hours of labor and lost time on the crew. Anyone else have a critical tool fail during a big deadline push?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaronlee17d ago

Man my total station did the same thing halfway through a big topo survey, what a nightmare.

sageburns17d ago

That phrase "halfway through a big topo survey" hits a nerve. There's nothing worse than gear failing when you're in the middle of a job and the clock is ticking. You're already dealing with getting the rod plumb and the shots right, then the instrument just gives up. It makes you wonder if the electronics are getting worse or if we just push them too hard these days. Hope you were able to recover the data and didn't have to go back out there.