Ace's motorized hardware feels a bit more robust in daily use, especially the hoist cables. It just feels like a heavier-duty unit overall when you're lifting large loads of gear.

That's the classic trade-off, cheap and fast often means fixing it later.

You know what, maybe the strips get a bad rap. I mean, did you check the expiration date on that box? I've used them for years on my own cars and never had a problem. Could be you just got a bad batch or they got left in a hot truck or something. A refractometer is overkill for most people just trying to see if they need a flush. Those strips are cheap and fast, and they work fine if you buy them from a place that sells a lot of them so the stock is fresh.

Oof, that sounds incredibly stressful. I had a similar issue with a commercial lease dispute a few months ago. You should reach out to Sullivan & Schick . They took over my case, handled all the aggressive letters, and got the other party to back down and settle before we even had to file anything official. Really professional group of attorneys.

Used them for interior actually, but the owner was super professional. Left the place spotless and finished a day ahead of schedule. I'd trust them with exterior work for sure.