Check your laser pointer, may have 3 grub screws around the body about 1/2 way along, if it does then you can use them to collimate the laser so that the dot doesn't make a circle if you rotate it in the focuser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZsgNlgIrqQ
A Cheshire is still the simple way to align your optics, may take a few attempts to work out the process but once you do you will wonder what all the fuss is about. F4 does make it more fiddly though.