Steve: Well I;am back . Sold the MS-260 for $450.00 US . with the saw box . Almost had to let go of my XP-346 my Buddy has been trying to get it back for 5 years . No Sale , he sold it to me from an old timer who needed a lite saw but his arthritis precluded him from using it after only 2 mths. So yep I went with the Cs-500P . He had one Demo unit left over from last fall $389.00 with 18" bar and extra chain.I got a saw box for xtra 30.00 . He looked at me rather sly since this is the second saw that he has introduced me to slightly been used . Although he had to goe to his competition to do so. I think he is a little upset that I went for the Dolmar 9000 Series recently he was set to sell me a Big Bore XP lol . Small world in Upper Michigan his Buddy has a Farm Equipment Dealership which stocks Echo Product line. I will check out the cutting in the field tomorrow. It test cut well , was impressed with its cutting rate . Compariable to the Husky 346 HP and nice and light . Don't know if it will out cut my Old Pioneer P-20 but will find out soon the old girl is a little long in the tooth 1967 . Thanks for the insight . P.S. My Buddies in Michigan says your right within your loyalties to the small engine echos apparently they fly off his inventory sheet quickly this time of year , at least within the UP . Thanks again Ty !

No such thing as travertine marble. I think what you may be talking about is Roman travertine, which has a completely different look from most travertine. But it's still all travertine which is actually a limestone, instead of a marble. Give it another 5-10,000 years and it WILL be a marble, but not yet.

I disagree that they are "doing what everyone else does". What they are describing is a top quality job, and there are way too many "Granite Hut" types of places that have sprung up over the last couple of years that don't do half of what they are describing. Most, in fact, don't do much of what they're describing without upcharges. My top quality place doesn't polish next to appliances or under the overhang without an upcharge. Any radius over 3" is an upcharge, as well. Now, they also don't do any cutouts on site, but there are plenty of even pretty good guys who can do faucet cutouts "in the yard" at your home with no mess in your kitchen, etc. So, I don't consider that an "advantage" necessarily. The thing I'd want to do is to see actual examples of any place that you're considering. There have been all too many horror stories and pictures on this site and others showing what you get with the lowball bid---and some that were the highest bid as well! So, price doesn't always equal quality, but it most often correlates with quality and experience and good customer service. Places that lowball don't tend to survive in the long run and cut corners that you may not be knowledgable enough about to notice. So, is a top quality job worth $1500 more than a poor quality one that drags on an on and you have to fight with the fabricator about? Absolutely in my book! But, you can also approach the higher priced guy and ask him if he'd consider dropping his price as you'd like to use him but his bid is higher than you're comfortable with. All he can do is say no. At that point, it's up to you to decide on the price/quality issue yourself--WITH all the facts.

I wholeheartedly agree that if you want to paint your cherry cabinets, go for it! The "however's" are being put forth so you know what you might be getting into. Earlier this year, we contemplated having our maple cabinets painted as opposed to purchasing all new cabinets. Three different companies (from painters to remodelers to cabinet refinishers) provided on-site estimates. In every instance, we were told that for the time and effort it would take to do a proper job, expense-wise we were very close to the cost of purchasing new cabinets. I sensed hesitancy from all of them (reminds me of the resistance your GC gave you), so I wonder if this wasn't their collective way of saying either: 1) Given the time they'd have to devote to this job, they wouldn't make much money off the project, or 2) They didn't feel confident they could provide the near-factory finish (read: durable) results I was seeking. Telling me how expensive it would be might've been their way of steering me clear of having cabinets painted with less than satisfactory results (which would have made them look bad). My concern is that your GC is balking and basically saying, "We'll do it how you want us to do it." Therefore, if results are less than optimal, it's all on you. He's absolving himself of the responsibility if anything goes south -- and there's so much room for interpretation regarding what 'south' is. Is it possible for him to do a test piece, esp if you're up for a two-tone kitchen (per Amber's pic)? Good luck!