Bought a $90 tone and probe kit on a whim and my $35 one did the same job
Used the fancy kit on 6 jobs and the probe kept losing signal through insulated walls, so I went back to the cheap one I got at a supply house in Dayton. If you're doing basic residential drops, the extra cash gets you a nicer case and not much else. What's the one tool you regret upgrading?
The real issue is that pricey kits use higher frequencies that travel worse through dense walls, so you're paying more for a weaker signal. Cheap units often run lower freqs that punch through better. Been burned the same way on other gear too.