My buddy in Seattle does the same thing, cuts off repairs at two bad caps. Honestly it just saves so much headache.

I read an old camera repair book that said a tiny bit of naptha, which is basically lighter fluid, on a stuck pivot is an accepted field fix. The key is using a minuscule amount and letting it fully dry before testing. It sounds like you did exactly that.

Honestly, that tracks with my experience. Grabbed a no-name cordless drill from a discount tool truck years ago, fully expecting it to die on the first project. Thing's still going, outlasted two brand name batteries. Sometimes you just get weirdly lucky with the cheap stuff.

Yeah, it's like people get stuck on one way of doing things and ignore the weather. I see it with my neighbor who insists on watering his lawn at noon in July.

Yeah, 20-30% is the sweet spot for me.