That reminds me of my own expensive lesson with a "learning" thermostat. It promised to map my schedule and save a bundle, but it just kept turning the heat on at 3 a.m. for no reason. I spent more time arguing with the app than I ever saved on my bill. Sometimes the old manual way is just better, like your basic strip with a switch. My dad still uses one of those for his workshop tools and it's never failed him.

Man, that story from @joseph_lewis92 about the hydrangea is exactly the kind of headache I'd want to avoid. It's a real gamble grinding that shallow near a fence. Sure, you save the neighbor's grass now, but you're basically passing the problem on to whoever owns the place next. Those leftover roots won't just rot away clean, they'll be a tangled mess for years. Feels like a short term fix that makes the long term way harder.

So what happened with the bad weld?