Hey guys, Thanks for the info and encouragement. I did take the S-B back but did not get the Pony after all. I got the "Big Red" instead. Boy, does it do a great job! I brought it home and tilled a little over 1000 sf to the full 8" in about an hour. Love having those extra gears (4 forward & 2 reverse), with neutral for idling, disengage tines when not needed, and throttle control on the handle. I found that easing back on the throttle makes it much easier to turn this 350 lb beast at the end of a row. I told my dear wife (whom insisted I get this instead of the Pony) that it is sturdy enough and powerful enough to outlast both of us (I'm 56); and one of our 5 kids or 8 grandkids will inherit a very nice piece of equipment. Tomorrow's game plan is to get the compost from beneath the leaves on the wooded section of our backyard and mix it into the plot I just tilled and start getting the beds ready for planting. I'm looking forward to spring, even though I know the garden will keep me out of my woodworking shop. So little time and even less energy these days. Thanks again for your input, Paul

Yes, "jump starting" is a good way to determine if the starter will perform when furnished with enough battery power. That the lights "burn" is not proof of a good battery. A battery might show 12 volts immediately after charging but that is only the level of voltage. What it takes to crank an engine is lots of amperes (current). Your battery can show 12 volts and still lack the amp capacity to crank an engine. In fact, it is quite common for a defective battery to actually display 12 volts (or more) immediately after charging, but it is only a temporary thing. The voltage will drop quickly if left sitting for a short time. A load test is always the best indicator of battery health.

A glance in the OEP book shows the belt as 5/8 X 29 3/16" OEM # 1902325. The OEP part # is 75-380. Stens shows their part# belt as 265-107 & says it is 5/8 X 29 1/4" long and replaces 97133. So if were me, I would try the OEM belt if you could locate it and then a Stens belt. The Stens belt in my experience is a good belt. I think they are Thermoid belts which actually make many OEM belts. Some of the OEP fall short, though some do fine. Beyond having the proper belt, pulley alignment, bearing or pulley wear will affect belt life as well as an impeller that may be damaged. Another thing to do when installing a new belt is to condition the belt by allowing it to run up without actually putting a load on the equipment for 15 minutes. Hope this gives you some help.

2 thing you can do get sea foam its gas additive with solvent for gasoline try run engine at what speed it will run so solvent clean as goes through carburetor jetting like Idle and main jets. After run 15 to 30 minutes let set so solvent soften what in jet this take more time setting like over night. Crank up next day if run good after 15 minutes the sea foam worked if don't step 2 take carburetor apart clean jet with small wire that less size of holes in jets after wire air blow jets to get crumbs out fresh gas and add sea foam to new gas and twice year there after. Adding sea foam twice year will keep jetting system so this event want happen again. I always use B 12 carb cleaner with straw and wear safety Glass as carb. apart see that all passage are open this keep from repeating carb. clean over and over.