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?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryanprice18d ago

My angle finder mostly just judges my pencil lines.

skylerc8618d 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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