$85 seems steep but maybe he's in a market that supports it, my area would laugh me out of the shop for that. Your $70 bump sounds pretty reasonable after 3 years, just see how your regulars react before worrying too much about what Tulsa guy does.

How long before you could actually sit through a whole episode again?

Man, I feel this in my soul. I lasted about two weeks with a reel mower in Tucson before I gave up and went back to gas, so you're a way stronger person than me. My Bermuda was so thick that the thing would just ride up on top of the grass instead of cutting it, and I'd end up with these janky patches that looked terrible. The heat out here does not play around either, I was drenched in sweat by the time I finished a quarter of the yard. Hearing that yours came back greener after three weeks almost makes me want to dig that thing out of the garage and give it another shot.