Last night I worked for another hour on my lawn, and couldn't believe how much work and time this machine will save me, compared to my old Husq/Honda push-mower. Tackling my slopes is so much easier now. I've got another 1/2 hour or so to do, so roughly 2 1/2 hours to do the lawn with the new mower. Previously, it was taking me five hours.(3.5hr for the slopes/ 1.5hr for the "flats") Another point; With the light-weight aluminum body, I figured that the center-of-gravity might be a little higher, and that this might cause the machine to want to roll over, when mowing across a slope. This was not the case. Also, I used to remove the bag when mowing slopes with my Husq/Honda. It was wayyyy too heavy and awkward, and the machine actually flipped over on me, on several occasions. With this new Toro, I have no hesitation to use the bag on slopes. Even with the bag nearly full, the machine easily deals with the added weight, and remains stable. The machine has created one problem for me however; I had just ordered a fairly heavy-duty garden-tractor from John Deere (X-500/ 54" deck). The JD rep was here on Monday, to take a look at my slopes, and he says the tractor would do "some" of my slopes, but downhill only. He felt that even a 4wd tractor wouldn't be able to climb the slopes. A Kubota rep who came later the same day, said the same. Now I'm thinking that I should cancel the X-500. I'm torn, but it's hard to justify the expense, if I'm only using it to mow the "flats" of my yard, when the new Toro takes care of that area in less than an hour. If I relegate the mower to slopes only duty, and use the tractor for the flats, the tractor would see only 15 hours of work per year. For snow-removal, I'm using a "tracked" Honda 11/32, and I'm entirely happy with that machine.

It is so rare these days for companies to do anything but the bare minimum for their customers. To see a company doing something so fantastic for their customers is great. No one knows what financial shape some of these people may be in, just because they happen to be flying does not mean they are wealthy, their prices are very competitive. Several of them were students that wished for a plane ticket home for the holidays. How wonderful for them. This kind of treatment for their customers should bring happy customers and return customers. That is what it is all about after all, keeping your customers satisfied! I don't understand how anyone could find fault with a company saying thank you to their customers and rewarding them for picking their company. Their customers are not the only ones they share their generosity with. Just because someone has not bothered to find out about their gracious programs does not mean they are not doing other fantastic things!!! "At WestJet, we've always been about people and our investment in the community is no exception". WestJet and Hope Air bring Canadians closer to medical care. WestJet helps in Haiti WestJet is providing the gift of flight in support of travel wish granting activities nationwide for Make-A-Wish there are LOTS more but I am sure to some that is all just another publicity stunt!

I have a lot of experience with commercial grade cooktops and ranges. I have a degree from the CIA. I'd like to think that I have cooked on pretty much every burner known to mankind. Due to my husband's job, we have moved many times, owned many homes and renovated lots of kitchens. My mother has a commercial range in the home she purchased. So, I am completely familiar with the problems involved. While commercial units may be attractive from a purchase price standpoint and seem very simple, I wouldn't want one in a home setting. The continuous pilot light alone is enough to dissuade me. Proper ventilation is expensive and noisy. Even commercial kitchens are known to shut off the gas when not open to save money. Continuous gas is dirty. It makes a mess on the walls and ceiling. You have to run the hood constantly. The cost of running a continuous pilot and constant ventilation will begin to eat into any savings immediately. It will take a few years, but in the end you won't be saving money. Your insurance company will have a fit. If they find out you have one they will either cancel the policy, refuse to pay if you have a claim, or if they will even cover it they will charge you more. What you want is an open burner residential appliance. That reduces your options to two specialty manufacturers, Bluestar and Capital. You might find a used Wolf if you look around. My preference is the Bluestar. My primary reason is the burner design. It's the old Garland stove design. It's a superior design that has been tested and found to be excellent. The unit is a pleasure to cook on. You can remove the grate and wok directly on the flame without a wok ring. The difference in price is electric ignition and fit and finish. Capitol makes a nice range top, but it's not readily available in my area. I don't feel qualified to offer an opinion on Capitol. I don't know if you ever plan to move from your home, but I have walked away from purchasing homes due to the presence of a commercial range. And, I know how to use one. While you should please yourself, you never know when your circumstances will change. You always need to plan for change. Doing what you propose will not help you in marketing your home. A heat diffuser disc will take care of any simmer issues on any grate. Last, there is an appliance forum. It's an active forum with lots of participation. That's where the appliance geeks and experts hang out. We love to talk appliances. Pose your question in the appliance forum. You may get some creative solutions.

Katlan, I thought the dancing gal said, "I came in too high". Either way, yes, it's one of my favorites. We usually fast forward through commercials, but I always stop when I see the Nationwide commercial with the giant baby. Men and their cars. That one is my all-time favorite.