Nine times out of ten, that little bag works fine until the zipper breaks or the thing disappears under your sink. It's funny how we'll keep using free stuff long after it stops being useful, just because it came with the product. A cheap tackle box costs less than a haircut and saves all that rummaging through drawers.

@shane_wilson mentioned checking on upgrade programs, which is smart, but here's something else to think about. That half price upgrade cost might actually be tied to a proprietary chassis or power supply that only works with that old brain box, so you're basically stuck paying a premium unless you switch to a different brand entirely. If the company's still around, see if they'll let you just swap the main board instead of the whole unit, that could drop the cost way down since the case and wiring stay put.

$420 to $850 is a pretty big swing but I dunno if I'd call it a serious pattern. I've seen prices bounce around like that and it could just be a glitch or a one-off sale. I watched a flight to Chicago do the same thing once drop from $600 to $310 and then go right back up the next day. I grabbed it and felt like a genius but when I checked later it was actually cheaper on a different day without the drama. People put way too much stock in Tuesday mornings and 2 am alerts when airlines just mess with pricing to test demand.

I actually read on the Festool Owners Group that their newer sanders have a plastic gear housing now instead of metal. That change might explain why some motors are failing sooner than expected. Holly_green82 mentioned their customer service being good, which lines up with what I've heard from other folks who had to send theirs in. Still though, for a sander that costs what a Festool does, you'd think the internals would hold up better than a $60 Ryobi.

Yeah no kidding, moisture is a sneaky killer with PVA. I've had glue pots go bad in under an hour if I leave the lid off, especially in a humid shop. The bubbles and chunks you saw are from water evaporating out and the glue starting to skin over. Once that happens you're basically trying to spread plastic chunks around. Always keep that lid cracked or fully on when the glue's hot and sitting.