Been fighting the same thing, deep pot is a pain.

Ah yes, the classic "kick the whole staircase in and pray" method. I love watching a guy pound 14 risers with a knee kicker like he's trying to break concrete, then act shocked when the seam at the top of the stairs lets go. That kicker only pushes so much stretch, and by the time you hit the landing you've got zero tension left up there (which is exactly where the hall seam lives, of course). I run a power stretcher off a deadman on the top landing and work down, then stair tool the noses so they don't lip. Kicking your way up a flight is just pre-loading a callback.

Ugh, that sinking feeling when the old gear just quits mid job. I heard a guy on a forum say he still carries a few old DSC pads because once they stop making them you're stuck hunting on eBay. Honestly keeping a couple spares on the truck sounds smart, not crazy.