Remember the first time someone handed you a power trowel and you thought it was cheating? I still keep a wood float in the truck for small steps and edges, mostly because my knees tell me when to skip the machine.

I used to swear by my rotary laser after doing a 40 foot retaining wall in Delaware back in 2019, so I get why you rented one. But last spring I did my brother in law's driveway forms with a 100 foot string and a $12 line level and it came out dead on. That laser sat in the truck the whole time. Funny how the fancy stuff makes you feel more ready but then the old way just works. On the battery pack, most rental places won't take it back once it's out of the plastic, so you're probably stuck with it. Maybe call the manager and ask nice, sometimes they'll give you store credit if it's unopened.