Had a buddy who did woodworking, made these perfect smooth cutting boards with laser engraving. Nobody bought them. Then he started leaving tool marks on purpose, rough edges, handwritten labels. Sold out every weekend. People want to feel like they're buying from a person, not a factory.

Do you ever get that feeling like your butt has just become one with the seat? lol 5 years on the same crane, I'd probably start naming the pigeons that live in the cab with me. I swap cranes every couple months just so my back doesn't permanently mold to the shape of one seat. Props to you for sticking with it, but I'd go stir crazy.

Went through this exact same thing with a Hitachi nailer last year. Figured out the rebuild kit cost $65 installed and a new one was $180, so I just bought the new tool and tossed the old one in the scrap pile. Saved me the headache of chasing leaks again and I was back on the job the same afternoon.

Oh man I feel your pain... had the exact same thing happen with a Konica Autoreflex where the curtain tension went totally off after a clean. What finally worked for me was taking the whole shutter drum out again and checking the capping curtain spring hook. Turns out I'd bent the end of the spring just a hair when I put it back in and that tiny kink was causing the drag. I straightened it out with some fine tweezers and it ran smooth as butter after that. Might be worth a look if you end up going back in there again...

Did you read that article in Bicycling last spring about chain lubes and friction testing? It basically said wet lube is great for rain but attracts way more grit in dry conditions. I switched to dry lube for summer after that mechanic basically told me the same thing. You still gotta reapply more often but your drivetrain stays way cleaner and shifts smoother. I just keep a small bottle of wet lube in my bag for if I get caught in a shower.