I bought that Cub Cadet model a little over two years ago from Home Depot (they were having a 4th of July sale and was able to get it for $190 plus tax). I found it to be a very good performer. Mulch performance was very good  everything disappeared under "typical" height cuts, and mostly disappeared when plowing through overgrown or wet areas. Bagging also was good, although the bag is a bit on the small side. Very even cut and easy to push  it does have ball bearing wheels. Overall construction was excellent for that price point. Love the single lever height adjustment. OHV engine started up on the first pull provided that you set the choke properly. It is a Chinese-made engine, but maintenance parts (air filter, spark plug) are available at HD. IÂm not an engine expert, so I canÂt comment on the longevity of such an engine, but IÂve encountered no problems whatsoever since I purchased it. I wound up giving the mower to my neighbor a few months ago and picked up a Toro Super Recycler (the push model  canÂt recall the exact number). There was nothing wrong with the Cub Cadet. My neighborÂs mower died on him and he couldnÂt afford a new one due to being laid off. He was borrowing my Cub regularly so I told him to keep it (heÂs a great guy that has helped me out many times in the past, so I was happy to be able to do a good turn for him). HeÂs had zero problems with it as well. I asked that he loan it back to me in the fall when I need to bag leaves, since I didnÂt get the bag attachment for the Toro. In comparison to the Toro, the Cub Cadet is a lesser machine across the board  the Toro mulches better, has more solid construction throughout, and a better deck. But, given that the Cub was less than half the price of the Toro, I think it is a great value. I do miss the 19" width  it was easer to maneuver than the Toro in the tight spots. IÂm not familiar with the Poulan, so I canÂt give you a specific recommendation as to which would be better for you. But the Cub has been a great performer for me (and continues to be for my neighbor) so if $65 savings is important, IÂd say go for the Cub.

Apparently, the steel alloy for those particular axles was chosen for machinability and ease of manfacturability. No thought was given to the attribute that the alloy had a transition temperature of 20 F. It was subject to crack initiation below 20 F and especially if it was undergoing alternating loading while passing through the transition temperature. Once a crack was initiated, it was only a matter of time and load cycles for crack growth. When enough of the cross section has weakened, then the remaining section experiences failure. This failure may be ductile. The ductile break can occur quickly in only a few load cycles or in one loading above the average loading such as hitting a bump in the road. A point on the surface of the axle in the critically loaded zone of an axle experiences alternating stress from compression to tension as the axle rotates. When this point is on top, it is in compression and when it is on bottom, it is in tension. In addition to these stresses, is has shear stress from torque. And then, other stress loadings occur from end loads from cornering with the maximum happening if the wheel encounteres something that greatly increases the end load (and moment) such as stubbing against the edge of a hole while sliding sideways or worse yet, striking a curb.

mariposatraicionera, so sorry to hear about the tragic case of your relative. I can tell you from personal experience that finding responsive and expert medical assistance is not always easy even in the DC metro area. I am fortunate that since my wife is a physician who works at a major teaching hospital, she is able to utilize the resources of that center for consultations and/or treatment when it comes to family members. It was, in part, the insistence of physicians in the cardiology department at her medical center that provided the impetus to have a cardiac catherization done. One other piece of information that may be of value to forum participants: for anyone who is ever faced with a situation requiring cardiac catherization - the two imperatives when it comes to such a procedure is that it is done by a cardiologist who does at least 75 of these procedures annually and it is done at a facility that has a by-pass program as well. The latter is important because there is an inherent risk that during angioplasty and stent placement, damage can be caused to an artery which would necessitate immediate by-pass surgery. If this should occur, time is of the essence and being at a facility that can perform by-pass surgery is a god-send. Mine was done at a facility that does an average of 70 cardiac catherizations a day!! The interventional cardiologist who did mine does 6-8 daily! I now have to go to my regular cardiologist for follow-up visits since the interventional cardiologist does not do any "regular" cardiac care. It is amazing how specialized everything has become. talley_sue_nyc, your comment that "many people just live w/ a dull ache in their arm, and end up dying of a heart attack" is probably true. In my case, the moment I told my wife about the ache she immediately scheduled an appointment with my internist for the very next day. I went and cancelled it telling her that she was over-reacting! So I know exactly what you mean.

First,I tried krud cutter, soft scrub ,oops, magic eraser. The tile guy (through my contractor) said to try goof off or nail polish remover. I think davidro mentioned the tsp and muriatic acid, but when I went to the hardware store and showed the paint dept guy all the suggestions, he said that if what I used already didn't work, these others wouldn't either, and said to try the varnish remover. He said epoxy was very hard to get out and it might require a machine. DH let the varnish remover sit for 10 minutes as recommended on the can to remove epoxy and rubbed it with a wire brush, but not a blade. Davidro, I can't feel it with eyes closed. And my floor is grooved and uneven to imitate a natural stone. What it looks like is that I have a dirty floor with splash marks, plus the wheel marks.