Exactly...I believe we are saying the same thing but in a different way. Glassing for hours on end is hard on the eyes even with high quality glass let alone lesser quality. Heck I even used those cheapo Tasco 8x20s with auto focus for archery for a couple years until my own eyes started going then I appreciated the better glass.
And like I said, I think the average eastern or northern midwest like the thread starter, can get by nicely with binos in the medium price range. Most of them, like me, use them to scan the woods ahead of you or see a possible target and check it out to be sure. Maybe using the glass a total of n hour all day.
And IMO if you're going to be doing a lot of glassing you'd be better served getting a decent pair of binos and a high end spotting scope.