That's the same kind of rigid rule that makes people miss the real problem.

My last big laminate job was a 900 square foot basement in Cleveland and I had the exact same problem! I used a scoring tool for the first day to save trips downstairs to the saw. Every single snapped piece had that little rough edge that left a hairline gap. I switched to the miter saw for every cut after that and it made all the difference. The clean cut just locks together so much tighter. I don't even keep a scoring knife in my flooring toolbox anymore.

Forty-five minutes for a buckle?