I agree with a couple things posted here.

1) Joe, Your frustration is the primary reason we try to recommend to newcomers that they visit a club first. Ask questions, learn about equipment and terminology, etc. It's a lot quicker and less expensive than your approach. (Most people don't want to hear it though.)

Club members, at leasy of you were at our club, would have saved you some money too. The deflection meter, tach, and prop balancer are not needed. And you should be asking, "how do I set the bottom and top end?" if you don't know. Guys are usually happy to show you, but may assume you know what they mean because you had already flown when you showed up at the club.

I agree with John about instructors too. Plane savers is far less than what a real one does. We do all that stuff that Joe missed out on.
Dennis-