Feel like that's just how it goes with those online ads. My buddy got a cheap one too and it worked fine for months, guess it's a total gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes you get totally screwed over. Just depends on your luck with that specific unit.

Know that feeling, @veramartin. It's a total scam.

My old Haas just can't handle that constant feed without chattering like crazy on corners. I mean, maybe it works on newer machines but I'm still taking heavier passes.

Honestly, that's a pretty good run for a tool. Most stuff these days is junk by year five.

You know what changed my mind about chalk lines? I was helping my uncle build a deck and our battery-powered level just wouldn't sit right on the warped boards. He pulled out his chalk box, snapped a line across three posts, and bam, perfect. I had to admit, watching that blue line appear made the whole angle so much clearer than a little red dot. Sometimes the simple way just shows you the big picture better.