Work blind" sounds a bit much for 6 inches of vis. That's murky, sure, but you can still see your hand in front of your face. Finding something by feel in that isn't a miracle, it's just a tough day on the job. I've had to fix network cables in a ceiling crawlspace with zero light, basically doing it by touch. It's frustrating, but you just get it done.

Totally agree. Honestly, I used to think these problems needed big, expensive tech to solve. Seeing a local wetland get cleaned up just by replanting the shore changed my whole view. It's pretty simple when you get down to it, we just have to get out of the way.

Wait, isn't that just good sales? I mean, calling it a "trick" makes it sound sneaky, but you just did your homework. That's the basic first step anyone should take before reaching out. The slimy feeling comes from sending the same lazy message to a hundred people you know nothing about. If you found their recent news and wrote something specific about it, that's just being a professional. The course might have given you a push, but the real method is just putting in the work to be relevant.

My first dig I almost threw out a tiny carved bone bead for the same reason!

You're right about the stamped flighting being weak, but even a solid Danuser flighting can get wrecked. The gearbox is the real weak link once you harden the driveline. Like the_ben said, a grade five bolt in the shear pin hole just moves the breaking point somewhere way more expensive. I watched a guy snap his main casting because his "upgraded" pin wouldn't give. The factory soft pin is a cheap fuse.