Rant: blew $85 on a laser distance meter, and it's the only reason my pick points made sense

Harper Schmidt · 2026-10-07T23:20:05.043246+00:00

I run a small crane service out of Fort Worth and last week I had to set a prefab stair section down between two walls with about 4 inches of play on each side. My spotter had a tape measure and we were yelling numbers at each other and it was a mess, so I grabbed an $85 laser distance meter from the truck that I honestly bought on a whim a while back. Took me 30 seconds to get the real clearances and I set it down first try. My old setup was hand signals and a guy pacing things off, which worked until it didn't. The meter has a backlit screen that's useless in direct sun though, so I still keep a tape in my pocket. What's everyone else using to get numbers to the operator when the load is out of sight?

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Rant: blew $85 on a laser distance meter, and it's the only reason my pick points made sense | Crane Operators - Opinions Matter