The level finally beats the laser for me

I used to set everything with a laser level, every course, every corner. Then last spring I got on a job in Tacoma where the laser died halfway through day two, so I grabbed my old 4-foot level and a string line, and honestly it felt like relearning the trade. The laser is fast but it gives you false confidence, you still have to check your bed every few feet. With the level and line, you feel the drumminess in your hands, you catch a lipped brick before the mortar sets. Now I only pull the laser out for long walls over 20 feet, everything else is back to basics. My helper thinks I'm crazy, but the corners are truer than they've been in years. Has anyone else gone backwards on tech and found the work got better?