$40 Whirlpool and you almost flipped it? What changed your mind?

Man, 200 emails for 4 replies is brutal, I feel that in my soul. Good on you for just walking in, that took guts and clearly paid off.

Ever work a fault at 2am in a spaghetti splice case where your toner is singing on every pair? That's when the old guy's point kicks in. A good meter with a pair map tells you more than a wand chasing a tone through wet cable. I still carry a toner but it's the cheap one, and half the time I just ohm out the pair or throw a butt set on and listen. The tool I won't give up is my Fluke 87, because voltages and opens at the pedestal tell the whole story without me walking the route. Knowing the plant saves you more hours than any gadget, but the meter backs it up.