My 14 y.o. son persuaded me to buy a laser level in a supermarket today on the basis that "If you don't it'll just be another tool you'll need in future and you'll say you could have bought it for a few bucks a year or two ago and the only one you can get now is too expensive. So buy it now.". He's right. So I bought it.<br /><br />This laser level comes in a plastic case with a tripod and instructions. The level has the usual horizontal bubble and a 360 degree adjustable bubble. The level sits on an adjustable and rotatable base. <br /><br />It's probably not great quality but for the half dozen times I'm likely to use it before I die it's as least as accurate as and way better than water levels and other levelling devices. <br /><br />It cost me $19.99. That'd pay for a few metres of clear plastic tube for a water level that wouldn't do a quarter of what this will do. Also this works fine single handed.<br /><br />The store had to make at least $5 on it to make it worth stocking. Even if the store imported it itself it had to arrive here with freight etc costs making it worth at least $15 landed. It'd be lucky to be worth $5 when it left China. <br /><br />We'd be struggling to make the plastic case and get it into a store for $5, never mind the contents.<br /><br />How DO they do it?<br /><br />It just doesn't make sense, even allowing for the Chinese desire for hard currency and lower labour costs.
<br /><br />H.
