Nodded at a guy yesterday, got a full-on glare back. Portland's broken.

Stick with both but pick your spots. I learned that the hard way doing side work for cars, same deal as you. Flat rate only works when you can see the whole job before you quote, like a compressor where you know the setup. But the second you hit rusted bolts or a weird install, you're gambling. Hourly keeps the stress down and the customer honest about what they're really paying for.

Three out of my last five jobs this month had something similar. I had a fridge that kept tripping the breaker, and my first thought was compressor. Turned out the cord was chewed where it ran under the baseboard, wore through to bare copper. It's like the older guys see the world in terms of where stuff moves, rubs, bends, not just what the computer says. That gut feeling is just experience talking, and it saves you from eating the cost of a part that wasn't the problem. I still catch myself skipping the visual walk-around because it feels slow, but it's never the time you save that bites you.