Check teh level of teh mower deck when in teh mowing position. The Freedom deck needs to be more flat than the regular decks, just a very slight tip toward the front. The owners manual has the specifics and JD among others sells a very cheap level guage to make checking easy. Also, there is a big difference between cutting in straight lines and cutting while turning. Mulching requires mowing at a slower speed than a side discharge deck, to allow full pulverizing action. Note that the freedom deck has very little lift (vacuum) to pull up the blades for cutting, so that may also contribute to the need for a slower speed. Apparently the mulching decks do not like to cut while turning, so most advice is to make a couple of passes all around the target lawn area, and then do straight passes, turning in the areas you cut on the first pass. Final advice I have read is to vary the cutting height and see what difference it makes. Said tob e very critical to get just teh right height and the height varies by type of grass being cut. Something around 2 3/4" is a good start, then try a few passes at differing heights (in 1/4" increments) and see what happens. I have been cutting with a Freedom 42 for just this season, but so far, it is an absoultely great cut and no clippings at all(at 2 3/4"), but I haven't got to the drier grass of mid-summer yet.

Hummm. I'm really surprised you had a problem with All-Clad. I've always heard good things about them. They probably slipped by some Quality Control person who had a bad weekend. I agree that a high price tag nowadays doesn't mean you'll get a perfect product. A few years ago I bought a set of $69 WearEver stainless from Amazon. I think they're made in the USA---Hooray! They arrived in perfect shape; pretty to look at; a good weight and not a dent, ding, or scratch anywhere and easy on the checkbook. The packaging was the best. Nothing could move in that box. They just can't hold a candle to the performance of Scanpan, but I didn't expect they would. Well, my second set of Scanpan arrived 95% okay except for a scuff mark on a pot where the handle of another rubbed against it (probably on the way from Denmark!). This duplicated the same scuff mark problem as the first shipment. The scuff is minor, just aggravating. All they have to do is pack the things correctly! It's certainly not rocket science. All the pots are in good shape and I love cooking with them. Scanpan suggests you heat them at medium temperature. This disappointed me because I thought they would take forever to heat up. Surprisingly they reach cooking temperature much faster than other pots I have that I start at almost High. So far they seem to cook evenly and sure clean up great. I cannot say enough good things about the people at Chef's Catalog where I ordered my Scanpan from. They were polite and sympathetic about the problem and took special care with the next set. They put the Scanpan carton inside a second carton and put bubble pack all around the inside, sending it via FedEx the same day they got the bad set. Three cheers for Chef's Catalog.

I have this machine too. Normal is the cycle that uses the least water. The "hot " temperature for the water is warm by the standards of your old machine. Depending on the hardness of your water, the amount of detergent recommended by the detergent manufacturers is way too much for a front load HE machine. I have soft water and use no more than 1 TBL of powder or 2 tsp of liquid detergent for a "normal" soil level. If you have lots of suds in the drum during the wash cycle, you're using too much detergent. This might account for the scratchy sheets. Amazingly, the cycles I use most often are bulky and comforter (or your equivalent) because they use the most water and have more built in rinses (2 IIRC). If I want a hot wash, I use the steam function. I don't find either the soak function or the prewash particularly helpful. I do like the express wash where you can get a hot/warm wash and rinse before running a regular cycle. I also use the turbo wash cycle for an extra warm rinse or as a prewash. Given the lack of water, I also run extra like 2 rinses for delicates to make sure all the soap is out. I have laundry in our house for people with allergies and very delicate skin. My favorite detergent is the All free and clear liquid (with no enzymes) in small amounts. It does a great job with no reactions. The powder All is all right too for those with less fussy skin. I like Woolite Extra delicate for special lingerie and other super delicate washables. Yes, I wash almost everything including silk and wool and handmade knits. One more question: Have you checked the temperature in your gas dryer? I don't have a gas dryer, but I understand a gas dryer can run extremely hot. Since the clothes come out of the washer well wrung out, even a modest time in a hot dryer could add a crisping effect. If you look through some of the older threads, rpsinfoman has worked up some wonderful information or workarounds for this machine. The large LG WM8000HWA is the same machine as the Kenmore Elite 41072 (also built by LG for Sears). Take a look, there's much better information than the useless machine manual. Good Luck

The real problem here is any state along that southern border is just overflowing with uneducated trades people who don't understand what quality is. Then add contractors that were working at Walmart last week and homeowners who all think they should have marble and gray walls just like they saw on TV for a price that couldn't possibly cover the proper costs. Illegal workers no matter how you feel about their legal status are a huge problem for the construction business. We have people undercutting bids and have zero idea how to perform the work. The same guy hanging cabinets is your electrical Tuesday and your plumber on Friday. They don't speak or read a word of English which causes even bigger issues. If you cant read how to install something how do you do it? They are somewhat trained from the country they come from which does not have the same standards that we have here in the USA. I live in SOCAL and I see these greedy flippers and realtors using these illegals to make a property look good in a picture. And then the realtor just keeps saying don't worry you'll have an inspection and a home warranty. Of course the warranty doesn't cover any of it and the inspector is in the realtors pocket. The real home market crash comes when all these flipped to the hilt overpriced messes start needing corrective work. Homeowners can barely afford them and as you have here the corrective work will cost more then the original repairs. There is nothing to be salvaged in those pics and what is NOT seen is the real problem.