Man, that Toledo yard sale find is a classic story though, we’ve all got one of those. It’s tough to let go of a tool that’s been through the ringer with you. I’m glad you finally gave that rounding hammer a real shot, especially after hearing how your wrist was screaming at you. And yeah, what @white.sandra said about the kitchen knife analogy is spot on - it’s not about hype, it’s about your body not having to fight the work.

5 minutes of hand mixing is fine for a single batch of sugar cookies, but try making a double batch of stiff bread dough or a heavy fruitcake with that wooden spoon. Your arm will give out long before the batter is smooth. I have a 5-quart KitchenAid that I got on sale six years ago and it handles the tough stuff without burning out the motor or making me sweat. Plus it kneads dough way more evenly than I ever could by hand, which actually matters for yeast breads. For cookies and cakes you can absolutely skip it, but that machine earns its spot on my counter every time I do a big batch of something heavy.

Three boards from online sellers before one worked? Man that sounds about right. I swear those eBay and Amazon sellers just pull them out of the same junk pile and slap a "tested" sticker on them. The guy at Appliance Rescue actually let me plug the board into a test rig right there in the shop before buying it. No returns or guarantees on salvage stuff though. Guess you get what you pay for when it's been living on a dusty shelf next to a pile of broken dryer drums.

Is it really that serious though... I mean an 8 year grudge against a laser level seems like a lot of energy to spend on a tool. I get being loyal to your string lines and all, but sometimes I think we just get stuck in our ways and make a big deal out of nothing. A green beam is nice and all but it's not like it's gonna build the wall for you, you still gotta do all the hard work. Maybe I'm just old school, but I've seen plenty of jobs get messed up by lasers that were off level or batteries dying at the worst time.

Grabbed a set for a hospital job in Tucson last month and @paul_owens25 is spot on about the time savings. I was checking lock circuits on a 12 floor bank and being able to stand in the pit with my phone was a game changer. No more running lines through the shaft or yelling at someone on the radio. The battery life is decent too, I got through a whole day on one charge. Only downside is when you drop a tool and the Bluetooth disconnects, but it reconnects fast. Definitely worth it for me, just don't leave them in the truck overnight in the cold.