I finally had to pick between a standard brush and a whip for a really tight flue

Got called out to a house in Springfield last week for a standard cleaning, but the fireplace opening was tiny, maybe 14 inches wide. The flue was narrow and had a sharp offset right above the smoke shelf. I stood there with my standard poly brush and my steel whip attachment, trying to decide. The brush is my go-to, but I worried it would just get stuck. I went with the whip, figuring I could work it around the bend more carefully. It was slow going, had to feed it in a few inches at a time and really feel for the angle. Took me about an hour longer than usual, but it got all the soot out without a single scratch on the clay liner. Anyone else faced a tight offset like that? What's your move when the brush just won't make the turn?

Remember when you had to pick between a lattice boom and a hydraulic?

Back in '98 on the I-5 bridge project, the foreman gave me a choice: stick with the old 25-ton lattice boom I knew inside out, or try the new 30-ton hydraulic they'd just brought on site. I went with the lattice, thinking its reach was better for the tricky spots over the water. Honestly, it was the right call for that job, but I spent the next decade playing catch-up on hydraulic rigs. Anyone else make a choice like that and feel it shaped your career path?

Debate: Is that fancy new vibrating concrete screed worth the $1,800 price tag? I bought one for a big patio job last month and I'm not convinced it saved me any real time.