Oh man, I heard those renewal reminder apps send you a text like a month out and that seems way better than trusting my own brain. The $180 sting is real though, glad the officer cut you some slack.

Replacement set costs almost as much as the whole kit" pretty much sums up why I stopped messing with those. Heard from a sweep up in Vermont that the rod metal is the whole problem on the cheap kits, they use some soft alloy that twists instead of holding, so it work-hardens and snaps right where the coupler meets the rod. He said the ones with spring steel cores last way longer but you're paying $400 and up for just the rods. There's also a trick where you run the whip at lower RPM and let it do the work instead of leaning on it, keeps the torque down. Some guys swear by it, some say it just slows you down and you still snap rods eventually. Me, I'd rather spend the extra minute with the rope brush than buy rods every season.