Thanks, all! LMD, do you have personal experience with the mower or is it based purely on the specs? I'm not sure I understand what you mean by the drive system not being able to propel a mower this size. Meaning excessive wear and greater frequency of problems, I assume? I'm not looking to use this comercially, just for my own yard. I've used and owned Snappers for about 15 years and know my way aound the mechanics pretty well, but I hadn't come across this model... perhaps, as you note, because of it's potential limitations. It seems odd, though, that Snapper would throw this much into a mower with as potentially obvious a flaw as you are describing. What problems do you forsee with the drive system? One thing I do know is that the disc systems aren't exactly the same... I've worked with some recent 21" drive sytems, and just based on the schematics I've seen of the one on this mower - there are differences in the components, specifically the assembly. How substantial they are, I'm not sure. That said, the dealer I'm working with is very reputable and a big Snapper shop. I've had nothing but positive advice from them in the past. I don't want to pass up a good deal if, in fact, it is a good one, of course... Anyone actually used one?

1) Anybody order this seed from Williams or Pawnee Buttes this year? I am under the understanding they are really good, friendly and well priced. Seed Super Store is the closest to me and they carry all of this seed (I'm in Canada by the USA border) but there prices it seems are higher - am I correct? Can you pick up from them directly on location? 2) What do you think about my seed selections? 3) My soil test from the University here (Guelph University) stated all was good but I feel my PH level is high? 4) Shall I apply curative Grub control before or after Aeration? 5) Do I have to wait 5 days after laying carbaryl? 6) Is the secondary treatment of Starter Fertilizer recommended? 7) Any ideas of how to keep birds/squirrels from eating seed? Would Peat prevent them or a seed blanket that I've seen others use? 1. N/A for me. 2. Sounds fine to me. 3. How do you get a pH that high? Do you live on a limestone formation? I happen to live on a limestone formation so I know a little bit about it, but I have a warm season grass so it doesn't count. 4. N/A and N/A. You don't need grub control and you don't need aeration. 4 grubs per square foot is at the low end of normal. You must have other issues. And you don't need aeration. If you spray the lawn with at least 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet (100 ml per 100 square meters) with clear shampoo, water it in with a heavy irrigation, and repeat in 2 weeks, your soil will be almost too soft to walk on for the next year or so. You can never get results like that with an aerator. 5. N/A. You don't need carbaryl. 6. I would apply organic fertilizer on the same day you put the starter fertilizer down. It will have kicked in before you wanted to put the second dose of started down. The two fertilizers do not interact, so you should be fine with that. 7. Peat or a blanket might help, but there is a good chance of burying the seed. Grass seed needs to be at the surface. You say you have added seed and soil every year? How many years? How many inches/centimeters higher have you gone? In my opinion there is only one reason to ever add soil to an existing installation; that would be only if you have standing water that will not drain when it rains. Unfortunately it has become local custom in many places to topdress with soil, sand, or straw every year. Golf courses use sand but for different reasons than you might think. They use machines that apply it perfectly. You cannot ever hope to do it as well as they do. Plus they don't usually have a basement nearby that will fill up with water when it rains because the drainage has changed from repeated apps of soil. Do you know how long it takes your sprinkler to put out 1 inch of water?

OK, I'm back. Here's my stab at it. Others will tell you if something I say won't work. This is all referring to your plan, not the current kitchen. I have exactly the same distance -- 7'3" -- right now b/t my sink and fridge. Granted, the stove is 6' from the fridge and the sink is 11' from the stove and all the counters are separated from each other by doorways and more. Terrible setup. There is no taking things from one place/zone, pivoting or short steps to put in the next zone. I have to take several steps. Your distances b/t the other two appliances are shorter than mine, but I don't see an easy way to get things from the fridge, clean/prep them, and take them to cook. All those involve more than a pivot or one or two steps. We ended up putting a rolling cart in the middle of the kitchen, which helped with that, but it always felt like it was in the way, we were always having to shift it one way or another to get around it or into things. Is the pellet set in a place that it can't be moved? Before I saw it I wondered if you could switch your LR and DR and have columns to replace the wall b/t the LR and kitchen. If no, then forget what I'm about to say. I also realize that the LR is much bigger than the DR, so maybe this could work just to borrow a little space from the LR and keep the DR where you have it. If you have a more formal LR though, you probably won't want to do it this way. But let's just say it is possible. Here's what I see. I may be biased by my own layout, but you can try it on for size anyway. - Open the LR to the kitchen with columns for support. - This would eliminate the run of cabinets by the fridge. - Start your cabinets on the next (stove) wall. Put a tall pantry cabinet in the corner on that wall. To its left, put the fridge with the side panels. To its left, a run of counter and upper and lower cabinets. - Turn the corner. Allow enough space for the range; move the window to the left to accommodate it. - Move the sink to the left to allow recommended counter space b/t stove and sink. - Instead of a door there, continue the lower cabinets further along. They could go another 2' and still allow more than 36" for clearance to get into the DR without changing that wall. - Start the window to the left of the MW cabinet and center the sink if you like, or have upper cabinets if you need them, and start the window at the sink. (My vote would be to start them at the stove and go to the end run of cabinets. You can center the windows above this run and center the sink with the windows. If you have any kind of view to the left as you are standing at the sink, the uppers on the left side will drive you crazy (or would me). - Replace the middle bay with a door. - In the middle of the kitchen, 42-48" from the counters, run an island parallel to the sink run, 6'x36-39" with seating. This would leave a 42" aisle to the left of the island from the DR through the kitchen. If it doesn't work to switch the LR and DR, I still have another idea. - Leave the long wall b/t kitchen and LR alone. Instead, add 18" to the 12" section. Move the peninsula 30" into the kitchen and down to butt up against your new 30" wall. Your doorway to the LR will be 3.5'. Your peninsula will extend in the same direction and to whatever extent you want, leaving clearance. - Keep the same L-shaped plan as above for your kitchen work zones. - In the middle of the kitchen, put a smaller island for landing and work space, leaving 42-48" for working aisles, 36" for passage aisles. A 4'x2' island running parallel to the sink would give you some workspace and some storage and a 36" aisle b/t it and the peninsula. - An alternate to the peninsula: make the cabinets in the DR next to it 12", bring the peninsula 3' out and make it an island, 3.5'x4', with its long middle where the wall is. I'm assuming you will have something for support? Columns or a beam or both? GW thread on islands with columns Island with columns If you like that look, google "Kitchen island with columns" to find more One other thought: if you were to put the stove on the outside wall, would you consider getting a regular hood? We are trading our OTR MW for a full hood and separate MW. I don't know about your OTR, but mine is no good at clearing the air when cooking and is way too noisy. I hope that is all clear and somewhat helpful.

We're also military and (though we don't move like most of the military does) and I find that most of the other families I know only buy houses based off of location, size, and price. I've got several friends looking at houses and the things they have as must haves definitely don't include specific colors other than neutral! Honestly, do whichever you prefer, as long as it's not something crazy it will resell well! I'm so tired of granite, though, to be honest. I think in 7 years it will be dated.