Brian Pfeiffer

Had my tractor loaded on the trailer and headed to LOWES (35 miles away) and figured I may as well swing by a local tractor dealer- had nothing to lose to hear his two cents about the issue. The guy at LOWES said they would be sending it to Syracuse NY (another 100 miles away)with a 7-10 day wait period minimum. SO I explained the problem to the tractor service center guy... he laughed and said he knows what it probably is without even looking at it. He added that he has had several with these and similar models with the exact same issue.

When the throddle cable is attached at the factory the screw on the front of the engine is way too tight. So when the lever is applied all the way to the choke position it can't extend (he showed me - the throddle cable will move outward away from the mower when the choke is applied) so it never engages the choke = poor if any cold starts.  A simple turn or two of the screw on the bracket which holds the cable allowing it to move freely. Hopped on and turned the key and it fired right up!

Said someone is too strong at the factory as he laughed. He was the oone that suggested if there was a forum out there to "spread the word", but to make sure you check all the things the manual suggests (gas, etc.- which is the issue most of the time) but before loading and probably paying (this repair wouldn't be covered in any warrenty) take a peek at this silly little screw first.