I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to chime in here. I don't think there is anything wrong with buying inexpensive power equipment as long as you aren't asking the equipment to perform above and beyond what it was designed for. For example, I own a weedeater leaf blower ($99) a Poulan "Wood Shark" chainsaw ($99), and a homelite string trimmer ($79). All of this equipment is over 10 years old and with the exception of the leaf blower, needed no repairs. I did have to rebuild the engine on the leaf blower a few years ago. IIRC it cost less than $35 for the piston, rings and jug. I guess they aren't "disposable" if the manufacturer stocks engine components after several years! My point is that I don't use these tools commercially, and I take care of them. The chainsaw starts every time I need it because I always empty the fuel tank and run it dry after every use. My other equipment gets drained and run dry at the end of the season. They always start right up in the spring. I routinely pick up relatively new blowers, trimmers and mowers out of the trash and most of them only need fresh gas, air filters and possible a carb cleaning to get them running. Some of them are Echo's, Tanaka's and Stihl's. It was the neglect of the homeowner that caused the tool to fail to operate. I wonder if any of their original owners end up buying them back when I have a garage sale. Too many folks just run them until they stop. Oil changes? What are those? Heck, they don't even check the oil! I just picked up a Poulan Pro snow blower with a blown 8 HP engine. Owner let it run low on oil and with all the snow we got this past winter, the engine let loose when trying to move 12+ inches of heavy, wet snow. I am going to re-power it with a Harbor Freight engine and sell it. It looks brand new - what a shame. Once again, even if it were an Ariens that was twice the price, the same result would have happened from the neglect. My "cheap" Craftsman snow blower is 16 years old, runs great, starts every time. It's all in the care and feeding.

What a lot of great info on this thread! I'm especially happy to read all the posts about gloves, as I've come to realize that I need about 3 different kinds - I got a pair of goatskin gloves (big expense, but WORTH it), some nitrile ones for repotting (easy to clean and they don't get sopping) - and I have a cotton pair of regular gardening gloves for everything else. The latter are not very satisfactory, and I'm always on the lookout for the Perfect Pair. It's gotten to be a bit like looking for the Perfect Swimsuit when I was younger... I got the Felco #6 pruners when I started working at the Sac Cemetery Historical Rose Garden - I have weak hands, and the #6s are much easier for me to work with. For my little garden of potted roses at home, I use the generic pruners that I already had. In fact, I try to keep the Rose Garden tools separate from the stuff I use at home, so I don't inadvertently carry some Bad Things (viruses, rust, etc.) to the Rose Garden (as far as I know, I don't have any of those Bad Things at home, but you never know). I got an L.L. Bean boating tote (very sturdy) to keep my Rose Garden stuff in, and all my at-home stuff stays out on my balcony. It's very convenient. I was kind of aghast at myself when I spent so much money on those Felcos, but I have never regretted it. For my next mission: copying a list of all the great gloves mentioned on this thread and trekking through the nurseries in town on The Great Glove Search! Laura

Raven, in a previous thread the OP claimed that he/she was using Windows XP and that this same computer did not have Internet Explorer on it. I was unable to get clarification on this point, nor was I able to find out if this same computer has been upgraded to Service Pack 3 or if it is receiving regular Windows Updates. I suspect that it has NOT been upgraded and is NOT receiving updates. I would love to be proven wrong on all these points if only the OP would provide the info. Perhaps you can get the OP to answer. If in fact it turns out that I am correct, then Raven I humbly submit that your laudable efforts to help the OP are being ignored in whole or in part. SP3 was released over 4 years ago, and if this computer doesn't have it and the updates that followed then the OP has left it wide open to numerous security flaws. Even if I am wrong about SP3 and the updates, I am not filled with confidence when I read that the OP got rid of funmoods by saying "Actually I have no problem with Funmoods, I deleted it from my control panel when it first popped up and haven't seen it since." This says to me that either the OP really has no idea what he/she is doing, or that the OP is totally unable/unwilling to communicate what he/she did do. I will read with interest how this comedy of errors continues to play out. I think the OP needs to do much more than just ask for help over the Internet. Here is a link that might be useful: previous thread

Arapaho, Thank you! I am pleased and a little surprised that people like the chandy, which I view as unconventional for the room. A, and K If I switched spots, then, upon entering the front door, one would be faced with the back of the sofa. I always feel that closes off a room.