PSA: That cheap string line I bought cost me a whole day's work

Got a 'professional' string line from a discount tool truck for $25 last month. Figured it was just nylon and a reel, how bad could it be? First real job with it, trying to set a straight run of 200 feet for a ranch fence. The line kept stretching, like a full inch of sag in the middle after I tensioned it. I'd set a post, move down, and the line would be off. Had to re-check every single post placement. Wasted about 8 hours redoing work and fighting the thing. Ended up tossing it in the dumpster on site and sending my helper to get my old trusty one. Lost a full day's pay, probably around $400. What's a good, no-stretch line brand you guys actually use for long runs?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola7631mo agoMost Upvoted

That's brutal, man. Did you try any tricks to tension it, like a trucker's hitch, or was the line itself just junk material? Some of that cheap nylon is basically a rubber band.

kai_knight621mo ago

Totally, that "nice little sag" is the worst. It's not even a consistent sag you can plan for. It'll be tight at the post, then droop three inches in the middle, then pull tight again. You end up chasing a curve all day, thinking your eyes are broken. It turns a simple straight line into a wavy mess that makes every single measurement a guess. That's not a tool, it's a prank.

irismartinez1mo ago

Sounds like your string line was auditioning for a role as a bungee cord. I've seen those discount truck specials stretch more than my sweatpants after Thanksgiving. You tension it, it smiles back at you with a nice little sag, just to keep things interesting. Bet you could have used it to set posts for a funhouse mirror maze instead of a fence. Total junk move by that so-called professional tool.