Yo same thing happened when my cousin asked about my dvd shelf. I realized I just liked having them there for the look but never touched em. It's kinda freeing to finally box em up.

Cold" welds are a real trap for new guys man. That old timer nailed it. Its not just about the amp number either, its about watching that puddle wet out and flow into the edges. I had a similar thing happen to me with a 7018 rod where a guy told me to watch the slag curl behind it, if its curling slow you're too cold, if its curling fast you're too hot or traveling wrong. That visual cue changed everything for me. You gotta get that puddle to wash into the base metal like butter, not just sit on top like a booger.

Spreading it out lets individual scenes really sink in before the next episode starts.

Kinda learned that the hard way with my own windows last year. I went cheap on some no name brand sensors from Amazon and the gap was so picky I had to remount the magnet like three times before it would trigger right. Switched to the GE ones you mentioned and honestly night and day difference. They're way more forgiving if the alignment is off by a little bit. For metal frames I ended up using those plastic spacer blocks that come with some kits, helps raise the magnet up to bridge the gap better. Also made sure to clean the frame real good before sticking anything on, old paint and dirt can throw off the magnet distance more than you'd think.

Honestly, a bent needle is a real bummer but dropping any torque wrench on concrete is bad news. Digital ones are tougher sure, but they can mess up too from a hard fall. The real trick is to always put a beam or click-style wrench back to zero before you store it. If you do that, the spring or beam lasts way longer. Ngl, I think your buddy just got unlucky with that drop, not so much a beam wrench problem.