Did you check your swing tension before you started, or did you just rely on how it felt on the last pass? Because I've seen machines where the brake loses hold after a few hours and the whole thing walks off if you aren't paying attention. That pulsing suction is usually a sign the cutter isn't digging evenly anymore, and you might be better off stepping up the RPM just enough to keep the bite consistent.

Did you expect it to feel different or were you just surprised it hit you at all?

That nightstand failure at 2 AM is brutal, but what exactly happened with the clamp - did the quick-release mechanism strip out or did the whole plastic housing crack? I'm asking because I've got a mix of cheap and mid-range clamps and I'm trying to figure out if the issue is the quick-grip style itself or just the really budget ones that can't handle pressure. I almost grabbed a similar set from Harbor Freight last week, so knowing if the mechanism failed or the frame gave way would help me decide if I can still get away with the cheaper option for lighter jobs.