***"all the major OEM mfgrs may have left a bad taste in their buying public's mouth............."*** Yep, but the OEMs are counting on each and every case of failure of the transmissions remaining "an isolated case caused by extenuating circumstances" when the typical owner of one of the so called "sealed for life" units is told by the repair shop that they need to buy a new transmission. The OEMs seem to be hoping that there will never be a rebellion by the consumer masses to have all the light duty transmissions equipped to drain and fill them like the higher end units. And, the OEMs are precisely correct in their hopes/beliefs of that remaining status quo. The OEMs can shave a few dollars off of every transmission they build by omitting the steps for drilling and tapping to include a drain plug, plus their cost for the plug itself. A few $ multiplied by thousands of units built adds up to a substantial savings for the OEMs. And because of this planned obsolescence, the OEMs of both the tractor, and the transmission.....stand a good chance of selling either a new tractor, or a new transmission to most of the consumer public. Of all the millions of units sold sold to consumers world wide, how many do you suppose have ever gone to a forum like this and learned ANYTHING at all about the scenario? I would say the answer is "So few the OEMs don't have a thing to worry about in keeping right on building them just as they are doing currently." Those are my thoughts on it.

Kenmore Pro has a 42" counter depth - it is SXS. Jenn-Air & Kitchenaid have 42" French door

My hutch has 15x42 cabinets on the sides and yours would have glass about the width of my entire door. I don't think that would be too wide. Mine were pretty narrow to work with (I had leaded glass panels made to go in them).

First, I think the 42/18 cabinet proportion works. But in general, I try to not take cabinets to a 10' ceiling. I did it in the photo I posted because they were spec houses and the builder wanted two different looks. I prefer the option where the cabinets do not go to the ceiling. I do not think the other option is as successful in regards to proportion (it feels top heavy). This is another example of where I took the cabinets to a 10' ceiling: I think this one is more successful because it's larger, has a mix of closed cabinets and open shelving and is balanced by a very large window. I think good scale and proportion can be overlooked in design in favor of the notion that cabinets HAVE to go to the ceiling. I would look at your plans and elevations with a critical eye to make sure you are choosing the best option for your space.