IMO if you can do minor repairs and understand simple mechinic's I suggest you look on ebay first. If you are not afraid to buy sliglty used or used you can save at least half if not 2/3rds vs new. This include all brands. A few suggetions if you decide to look on ebay: know how much the model your looking at costs new. Read the shipping costs, this will drive the low bid up sometimes to not make it worth while. Watch the item first and review the sellers record and ratings. I got a reconditioned MTD conv. $200 4 stroke for 19 bucks plus $30 shipping. I also got a 25CC two stroke for 6.99 with 40 dollar shipping charge. Two stroke had a broken rope and a recoil spring design problem, which I fixed for nothing. and the 4 stroke runs and looks like new. I will never pay full price for a weedeater again with hundreds for 1/4th the cost of new. Yes, there are alot of Stihl, Echo, Shindaiwa, and others. But, most of them aution for usually between $80 to $200 plus shipping. a noticeable savings from new on some models. Again if you can do minor repairs then they maybe a good deal, if you have trouble mixing gas then a new one with dealer support would be a good idea.

No I am not upset but it makes it very difficult to help if we ask for specific info as I did in my earlier post and never get it, then it becomes a big guessing game. at LzD it is best to always post in the malware and analysis area to make sure you are getting the assistance you are wanting. And again not everyone at all forums are the experts. Corrine posted a reply on that thread saying she had not had the same experience as the other poster as to Vista. So as I said when you have a question as to something said always ask for further info or clarification. Vista and windows7 are both created from the same core elements and are very much alike in many aspects. I asked earlier if you had updated your Vista to the latest service pack that is essential for Vista it corrected many issues they had with it and may help yours if it has not yet been done. I told how to find that info earlier.

"My point is if everyone keeps dropping their prices they will ultimately be working for free. Real contractors and trades people need to charge what they are worth, not just enough to survive. Dropping your pants (prices) just to get work goes against what the business models say." Price is based on what the market will bear and nothing more. In my region $1200-$1500 to change out a 200amp seervice is all the market will bear. Price it any higher than that and even the 'real' electrician won't be doing the job...no matter how much he thinks he is worth. "I hope you see how dumb your 800k remark was." No dumber than your remarks that "You can't be serious. If that is the case then the contractors in your area don't take their business seriously. That is pricing from 10-15 years ago." :)

Thank you ronnatalie. I will do that. I've wanted a geo thermal system for over 25 years. Yes, its expensive upfront - I hesitated long over that, but thanks to the new Federal Tax Credit of 30% which is making it possible for me (Thank you Pres. Obama), plus a thousand back from my local utility company, its ROI through fuel savings looks to be about seven years. If I replaced my conventional system with another one and added a/c, which I do not have now, it would cost me a bundle too - I got estimates on several before making my decision. But, and this is the important factor - I would never get my money back because I would keep paying for oil or gas to run it even if I bought the most efficient system available. Nothing is as efficient as geothermal. It does run on electricity, but it doesn't take much to keep it humming. Yes, the solar voltaic panels are also expensive, and I thought long and hard about them too, but between NY state giving a tax credit, the federal government giving one and my local utility offering a generous rebate, I can just swing it, though it's going to be tight. The pay back on it will be about six years. After that, the majority of my annual power use will be covered by what is generated. I know others who are putting it in too, for the same reasons. The lady who cuts my hair and her husband put one in several years ago and love theirs. They have only four years to go before their power is free. Meanwhile, they love the days their meter runs backwards. I can say with confidence that the tax credits are putting a lot of people to work in the geo and solar fields. Installers from both are doing good business around here and are actively hiring, which is nice to see. As this is our forever home, I decided it's time to make it more up to date and functional. We've been making do with one bathroom for four people, a 6' x 9' kitchen and no closets as antique homes never had bathrooms or closets. The addition will allow me to put in two bathrooms and a downstairs bedroom for us as we age - and closets, finally. What I'm doing is not extravagant. No home theaters, no big garage, no pool. I will be putting in a foundation, shelling it in, then finishing it as we can. I spent today insulating part of what will be our new kitchen one day. I'm itching from fiberglass bits. You can bet that when the addition is uo and ready to be insulated - by me - I will be using ... denim. It's treated with boric acid so that it's fire resistant, bugs won't live in it and mice won't either. Which is a lot more than I can say for the dirty old fiberglass and rock wool insulation I have been pulling out. Yuck.