I have built a wheel; rebuilt a wheel; replaced all the nipples on a week; and trued various wheels numerous times, but I would consider myself a beginner in the category of wheel truing still. Our coop's tensiometer has been a saving grace for me, and helped me learn to be much more proficient in my abilities much quicker. That being said -- it does feel like a bit of a crutch at times. But I would be sad without it.