That pump efficiency crowd never accounts for real world conditions. Last summer we had a spot on the Kaw River where the sand was mixed with old tree roots and rocks. My pump efficiency dropped like a rock but I just slowed the swing and kept the cutter head from bouncing. The engineer on site kept yelling at me to speed up to match his calculated numbers. I told him to come down and feel the vibration in the ladder if he was so sure. A good operator knows when to ignore the theoretical numbers and just get the material moving.

Learned that lesson the hard way myself... melted a glow plug controller one winter.

Those old bricks can play tricks on wireless signals when you least expect it though.

That's actually not as crazy as it sounds. I remember reading a study from some university extension program about using a tiny amount of soap as a wetting agent for hydrophobic soil. The issue is dry organic matter in pots can get water repellant over time, and the soap just lets the water sink in instead of beading up. Your mileage may vary on the whole Dawn thing though, some soaps have degreasers or additives that could mess with the soil biology if you overdo it. I'd keep it to a few drops per gallon and only when the soil's bone dry, just to be safe.

Ha, yeah that quick-connect comparison hits too close to home. Nothing like watching your money spray out into the dirt while you stand there holding a hose that's supposed to be "easy" but somehow needs three o-rings and a prayer. Guess some things just gotta be old school, even if the new stuff looks shiny in the aisle.