Man, that's the worst feeling (been there, done that). Rushed a trim on a new rescue once and missed a hot nail, learned that lesson the hard way.

Totally agree, it's a false economy. Bought a similar cheap torch years ago thinking I'd save money. Spent more on gas fighting that sputtering flame than I saved on the tool. You end up wasting so much glass and time trying to make up for the lack of heat. A good torch just feels like an extension of your hand, not something you're wrestling with. That borrowed Carlisle probably felt like a dream after that struggle.

Totally, it reminds me of when my mom would talk to her houseplants. She swore they grew better with conversation, but my dad always said it was just the carbon dioxide from her breathing on them. I tried the fan trick with some leggy tomato starts last year and it was a game changer, they stopped flopping over completely. Makes you wonder how much plant care is just solving simple problems we made complicated.