That old AA mechanic might know his stuff but honestly it feels like he was gatekeeping a bit. 5,000 cycles is a lot of use for any tool and most guys don't even log that stuff unless they're super anal about it. I've used click-style wrenches for years at work and never had one fail a calibration check when I bothered to send them in. Beam wrenches are fine but they're harder to read in tight spaces and you gotta have the right angle to get an accurate reading. Digital ones are a different story though too much electronics that can crap out on you in the cold. At the end of the day it's just about using the right tool for the job and not worrying about some old rule of thumb from the 80s.

Did you try it with a tighter knot so the fold stays snug while cooking?

Bought a cheap mixer that gave out on a triple batch of bagels and it totally flipped my thinking, @the_nancy. Ngl I used to swear by the machine but now I hand knead more often just for the reliability.

My $12 one at Target cracked in a month, so $35 might actually last.

Paying off debt first is just common sense.