That's a solid tip for checking the cut, but it misses the wear pattern over time. A fresh scrap shows the initial bite, not how the teeth hold up after a few passes through backing and pad. You'd really need to run a bigger sample through a machine to see any wobble or heat buildup.

That's what @the_lucas meant by the trap, gets you every time.

What finally got you to hit send?

But is it really a flaw to like your usual route? Sometimes a routine just saves brain space for bigger stuff. Kids see us handle real problems, not just traffic. Maybe getting bent out of shape over a detour is the actual lesson, not the route itself.

Man, that's brutal. Honestly it feels like everything is built to just barely handle its job these days. You see it with tools, appliances, even cars. They make them strong enough to not break right away, but not strong enough to actually last. Spending two hours with a hand saw after your main tool quits is the perfect example. It's like they expect things to be used gently once a week, not for real work.