Exactly! there were other reasons that factored in to my decision other than my bad experience.
Right now, my experience with ukuleles is still at the beginning stages. This will be my second serious uke. My first serious uke is a pono asd that i did buy from HMS....that was my first baby, but the pono tenors i feel are too heavy and big for my playing style right now. The Kala seemed right for where I'm at. Even the Pono i have was and is still a bit overwhelming. The strings are thicker, it was lower action, and although it got easier as time went on, i felt that it was beyond my skill level. Trying out the Kala a few months ago, everything seemed to come together....much easier to play!
A set of Martin M620 strings are like $5 everywhere and likely thinner than the nylon or Nylgut strings you have on now.
Too much tension? Then try Worth CM - if too much tension still then try the Martin M600 (yes ON A TENOR) - and yes this is a progression of thinner gauges from about 45lbs total down to about 38lbs total for the whole set, and yes ON A TENOR UKE....(stringsbymail.com and stringsandbeyond.com are YOUR FRIENDS)
String action is one of the easier things to adjust, all you really need is an emery board, or nail file from the dollar store that is at least 6" long and lots of patience to lower the action, and to raise the action you can cut strips of paper or cardstock or even use some flat, wooden toothpicks, or a 1/8" wide strip of wood veneer, each placed under the saddle to raise it up until you get the string height you want.
Buying a whole new uke because you dont like the strings, string feel, or string action is like buying a whole new car because you do not like the existing RADIO presets on the old car...
There's like 40 different companies making strings for ukulele today and of those companies, at least half of them have like 2-3 or
more different varieties or gauges of strings, so if you dont like the strings you already have on the instrument, you have literally HUNDREDS of choices for alternatives.