Wait, you were spending $450 for just one person? Honestly that's wild to me, I feed a family of four for less than that most months. Tbh planning around sales is the only way to make it work.

Yeah, "fancy impact driver" reminds me of my friend who bought a top brand one that stripped every screw head on a deck project. He ended up borrowing a basic model to finish the job, which seems to line up with what you're saying, @fisher.mary. Sometimes the expensive gear just doesn't live up to the hype.

Ever think those old parts are actually easier to find?

Seriously, what did you expect? The whole point of the cheap version is to save money up front, not to hold up for years. It's the oldest trick in the book.

My uncle's shop in Maine still hand cuts every joint for their custom boats. The clients there pay a premium for that visible craft, and it lets them fix odd angles machines can't handle. That human touch is the whole product for some markets.