I almost never used mine in my two years of extract brewing. But I Left my beer in the primary for 3 weeks minimum, usually about 5 weeks I never had any bottle bombs.
Is say it depends on the situation. If I'm working on a new recipe or looking to rush a batch is important so you have gravity readings to compare or ensure fermentation is complete.
However personally if I'm being one of my go to recipes I'll often skip the measurement and give it an extra few days to make sure it is finished. I also keg, so bottle bombs aren't a risk.