My stubbornness cost me YEARS of extra work with a wobbly old level. The upgrade felt like a personal defeat but wow what a difference.

Have you ever bought something just because the numbers looked good? I mean, I've definitely fallen for that and ended up with a total brick. Maybe specs are just my personal weakness.

I read an article that said a little heat can reduce metal fatigue, so maybe there's something to it.

Totally see this with cheap power tools too. People buy the no name drill from a discount site and the chuck flies off mid use. Saving fifty bucks isn't worth a trip to the ER, you know? It's that same gamble between price and something actually holding together.