Have you checked if the wrench was actually the right size for your nipples? Park Tool makes them in 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, etc. but some cheaper spoke nipples are slightly off spec. I had a similar thing happen with a different brand wrench where the tab snapped because the nipple was actually a hair bigger than what the wrench was meant for. Might be worth measuring both your nipples and the wrench with calipers before buying a replacement. Could save you another $25 and a lot of frustration.

Did clean the wall first with alcohol or just slap them on dry?

Wait, isn't that a bit too general though? Sometimes cheap bits are totally fine if you're just tinkering or building something temporary and don't need it to last forever. The whole "buy cheap, buy twice" thing only really holds up if you're using the part in a critical spot or you need it to hold up under stress. For stuff like a simple resistor or a basic connector that you're just testing with, the cheap ones work just as good and don't cost you anything extra. It really depends on what you're doing with it, not just the price tag.

...wait hold up, you're saying people actually use 80 grit on drywall mud? Like on purpose? That's basically sandpaper for stripping paint off a car, not smoothing out joint compound. I've seen guys do that and then spend like an hour trying to hide the scratches with more mud, it's so ridiculous. Your trick with the Harbor Freight light is genius too, I do the same thing with a cheap clamp light from Lowe's and it's saved me so much rework. I swear people think more grit means faster work but it just makes a mess you gotta fix later.

Yeah that Edmonton weather is brutal, Ive lost pours too because you think it's fine at midnight and then by 3am it's already too late. The worst part is when you wake up and see that crack you just know you're going to be grinding and patching for days. Did you use any kind of accelerant in the mix or was it just straight concrete? I've found that even a little calcium chloride can buy you a couple hours but you have to watch it close or it'll set too hot. What's your go to for timing the pour with the forecast, do you check a specific weather app or just go by gut?