Bought a cheap infrared thermometer and it saved my butt on a pour

Spent about $35 on it last month. I was able to spot a cold spot in the mold before we filled it, which would have been a total scrap job. What other small tools have you guys found that pay for themselves fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_foster921mo ago

Honestly that's a solid buy, my cheap one just tells me my coffee is always lukewarm and my patience is nonexistent. For me it was a decent pair of digital calipers. Felt like a splurge at the time but not having to squint at a ruler anymore saved so many dumb measuring mistakes. Probably caught a dozen errors in the first week alone. It's the simple stuff that makes you feel both smart and like a total clown for not getting it sooner.

the_mary23d ago

Not having to squint at a ruler anymore" hit way too close to home. I had the same problem with woodworking projects. Bought a cheap digital angle finder on a whim and it was like a light bulb went off. No more guessing if a miter joint was actually 45 degrees or if my eyes were just playing tricks on me. Caught a ton of dumb cuts before they ruined a whole project. It is one of those things where you kick yourself for not spending the twenty bucks years ago. Sometimes you just gotta trust the numbers and not your eyeballs.

johnson.paul1mo ago

Grabbed a cheap borescope camera on a whim. Stuck it down a clogged drain line and found the problem in two minutes instead of tearing apart a wall. That little snake camera has saved me hours of guesswork and probably a thousand bucks in drywall repairs. Felt like a genius for buying it and a total moron for not having one years ago.