Ok, the Honda GCV1600 started easily... I can't say I notice any difference over my older B&S, but I was surprised because it started on the first pull (well maybe I gave it a couple of short soft pulls to recheck the oil..another point, later). The choke is interesting, it is a manual pull to set, then when one closes the autokill bail the choke start to move to off, thus one needs to be ready to pull the rope as soon as they close the bail. The engine is also rated at "2", on a scale of 10 (10 is bad) cleanliness. So I can feel better about producing less pollution when mowing with it. Something to "feel" good about. On the oil, the manual is silent on the capacity, but the machine came with the usual short quart, I think it maybe be 1.5 pints. The suggestion is put it all in, and I'm sure many/most do. However, on putting about 3/4th of it in and checking the dip stick, I see it is full. Remains at the full mark after running for a few minutes. Of course, one is cautioned not to overfill, it is a splash lub engine. It seems like a serious error on my part or theirs, when they ship a special size oil container it should be the size needed to fill the oil tank, this protects the consumer from overfilling while guaranteeing, at least this one time, that the oil tank is full. Admittedly, it is hard to see clean oil on the plastic narrow cone shaped dip stick, but I can see it is wet to the full mark with less than the full container put in the tank. If the Honda is as good as my past B&S engines it will last until I don't need a mower any more. At my age I figure within the next 5-10 years I'm going to have to move off of the big property and take up a easier life stile in a Condo of other everything is done for you environment.

Hey DJ, Well, I tried to measure the soil with a thermometer today, but it wouldn't read for some reason (I think because the new soil I put it in is very "loose" (see pic)). With that said, its a constant 75 here all year round, with most days reaching into the high 70s/low 80s during the day and at night, usually bottoming out in the mid-60s, occasionally lower. Inside the apartment, where I have the CFL light, I would venture to say that it does get hotter in here during the day, but temp. doesn't really fall as drastic as it does outside. Yup, for sure. I definitely wait plenty before I water... until its really dried out. I've been very cognizant of that. Unfortunately I won't be able to measure the nutrients, but the soil I was using seemed to have compacted a lot (even though it drained really well). The new soil is actually from a hill of grass, leaves, branches, etc. that has been composting for years. We are breaking it down a bit, and I grabbed this from the bottom and re-planted it on Sunday. I noticed actually that the roots had barely any growth in the other soil and I'm wondering if that has to do with how compact it was.... I'm giving them about 14-16 hours of light per day.

"claimed that it came with a manufacturers warranty" sellers can claim anything. it's called a manufacturer's warranty , and the contract is with the manufacturer - a third party cannot alter the contract without the manuf. written consent which will never happen. storm - let me try and clarify the winds for you. I don't think moja's problem quite meets the vote the free market I was/am talking about. He should not have bought a product from Miele in the first place. By telling people about this he brings the debate forward and can shape the market if he convinces enough people to to not buy Miele gear because they do this or that. Look at the aforementioned Maytag. They used to make superior washers, and no they don't really exist anymore. Enough people vote with their wallets by nit buying their washers because they turned to crap. Re: the Gaggenau / Miele fatherland thing. Gaggenau is highline- high quality - high price everywhere. Miele USA is really a different business than Miele Germany and what I'm saying is they have chosen to position themselves here as ONLY a high quality make. They don't import even half of their offerings to this market, and like I've mentioned to dodge before they are not simply putting a NA plug on their units, shipping them here and jacking up the price over the German/Euro markets. If a product is available both places the prices are very similar after currency variables are considered. Miele simply doesn't offer mid to entry products here. Because they offer a more broad range in Europe their rep. is slightly lower simply because of exclusivity. Benz does the same thing here. You couldn't get a SMART here until they figured out how to distance that brand from MBenz so as not to dilute the mark. They did the same thing with their vans via Freightliner and Dodge. I take exception at your assertion that I bow to the marketing chants or the winds of corp. top floors. I make no bones about being a Miele fan. But I also rec. lots of other makes. It's all dependent on the customer's need/wants. What I really have a problem with is what's moja's complaining about: I tried to save a few bucks by not buying through an authorized distribution channel and now the manuf. won't help me free of charge. The (my) problem is not that he's complaining per se, but that he seems to feel he has no responsibility in this and that it's totally Miele's fault because they are bad or that the system is bad because big government has allowed companies to set prices for their own products and say where they are sold by upholding a decades old practice. My problem with him over the health care thing is his math. Sure an office visit for the flu is cheaper in Canada than walking into the ER here in the USA. No one will rally debate this. ER's are set up for trauma and critical care and that care is very expensive to deliver. My tummy hurts or I have a cough don't really qualify but the public doesn't really feel like waiting because they are soft and or lazy. I saw it in the UK as I worked in an ER for 8 months. Care was no cost out of pocket and people would still come to the ER for sore knees, headaches, whatever instead of making an appointment with their family doctor which was also no cost, simply because they's have to wait several weeks to see him. They wait at the ER too sometimes a whole day while serious stuff like guys that got shot with a nail gun, or wrecked a motorcycle, or broke they arm playing soccer were attended to. Anyway the overall total cost of socialized system is more than a private one and the numbers bear that out. Oh and the CDC doesn't really keep that info, or didn't . It's not in their pervue. If they do now, please point me to the hard data.

FYI........ All opinions expressed earlier about Kyocera's white-bladed line I still hold to. I like them. I've sent them all in another time ($10.00 for nine of them) and they were returned quickly as good as new. Excellent service. But I have several more years experience, now. On a lark, I also purchased one their top-of-the-line "Kyotop" 6-inch chef's knives for myself and several for gifts. This is the best they make and costs MANY times more than the white-bladed equivalent. They have a "Damascus" sort of pattern to the blade surface, dark ceramic blades, wood handles, and are promoted is being more durable than the lesser lines. After three months use, I am dismayed to say that they aren't more durable. The edge has degraded (micro-chips) at about the exact same rate as the less expensive lines. They look really neat and in-use perform wonderfully, just like the lesser lines but, clearly, there is no advantage in durability. What we're left with is small differences in configuration and large differences in appearance. I like this knife. It fits the hand wonderfully and is a pleasure to use. However, at the price, for me, I just don't see the value compared to Kyocera's lowest-priced lines. Performance and durability in my kitchen has shown to be exactly the same. At the same time, I've acquired several Japanese steel knives to replace my Henkels and Wusthofs. Have acquired Shun Classic, Shun Elite, Mac, and Tojiro of various types. The steel is harder and thinner than the European knives and in side-by-side comparisons of the same tasks outperform them rather spectacularly. Their 16-degree blade angle makes them incredibly sharp -- even sharper than the ceramics -- and their edges are still easy to maintain. I've found that their hard steel (Rockwell low 60's. Most European knives come in around mid-fifties) and sharpness make them superior even to the ceramics that, I had said previously, stood alone in my experience. I do like the Kyocera ceramics. And their re-sharpening service is exemplary. (I will certainly continue to use it.) Not taking anything back that I said. I just know more, now. If I knew a few years ago what I know now from experience, I would forgo the ceramics in favor of the Japanese steel blades.