That 'barely tight enough to hold the wheel on' part is what got me... I used to think those torque sticks were good enough for quick work, figured close enough was fine on regular cars. But hearing about over half the lugs being that far off really makes me rethink things. I guess air tools just don't have that consistent power like you said, and the sticks are only as good as the setup. You're right though, taking an extra few minutes is way better than risking a wheel coming loose at highway speeds.

Funny you mention that. My wife and I got into a fight once because I kept adjusting the temp on our air fryer mid-cycle, trying to speed things up even more. She was convinced I was ruining the chicken, but honestly, the thighs came out just as juicy in like 22 minutes. Now I just set it and leave it alone.

Three years of swapping cartridges before my neighbor showed me the sandpaper trick for the valve seat. @the_abby I wish I had known this sooner too, how hard was it to get the seat clean on your first try? That CLR soak really made a difference on my stubborn faucet.

Oh man, this hits so close to home! I was the same way up in Smyrna for years, dumping hundreds into lime and treatments every spring trying to force a perfect green carpet on that red clay. Finally gave up last year and went with mostly native fescue mixed with some clover and let the wild violets take over the shady spots. My water bill dropped like crazy and the yard actually stays green without me having to babysit it. Plus the bees and butterflies are everywhere now which is way more fun than staring at a boring grass patch. Your neighbor sounds like a smart guy.

I actually saw this on a plumbing forum once where a guy said the same thing about wire hangers messing with the anode rod. He had a whole thread about how it can stir up sediment or even knock the rod loose if you're not careful.