My tone probe sat in the van for 11 months before it did anything but make me feel fancy. I bought it after watching some YouTube guy rave about his, and my old method was just yelling at the wire and hoping. Then last spring I traced a broken thermostat wire through a wall in a Citrus Heights rental in about 30 seconds flat, and suddenly that $90 felt like the best money I ever spent. The sad part is I still grabbed my meter first that day out of pure habit.

Paying that fee usually wins once you do the math on your own time and missed work, so your story checks out. The catch is that the fee only pays off when you actually have a flexible schedule and live close to the terminal anyway. For most people stuck on a 9 to 5, the "cheaper" terminal pickup ends up costing way more than the $75.