Wasted a whole morning on a cheap load level indicator that just wouldn't calibrate right

I picked up this no-name digital load level indicator online for about $180, thinking it would be a good backup for my old rig. Big mistake. Spent three hours last Tuesday trying to get it to zero out properly on my truck crane. The display would jump around by 2-3% even with the hook empty and no wind, which is just useless for any real lift planning. I followed the manual twice, even called their 'support' line (which was a joke). Ended up having to pack it up and drive across town to rent a proper one for the day, which cost me another $150 on top of the wasted money. The whole thing set my schedule back and stressed me out before a big pick. Has anyone found a budget-friendly level indicator that actually holds its calibration? I don't need top-shelf, just something that works.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_john5d ago

My old $90 analog gauge has never drifted once in five years.

the_ryan5d ago

Makes you wonder why we overcomplicate things now.

lunakim5d ago

What kind of gauge is it exactly? I've had cheap analog ones that stick or get hard to read. Is it for pressure, temperature, something else?