Lawn Mower Won't Crank

By spraying starting fluid you're providing fuel directly into the cylinder. Since it 'wants to start' (I think is what you're saying) that tells me it has a fuel/carburetor problem.

Yes, dump the gas, and replace with fresh. Then (if it still has problems) take it to a shop where somebody knows what they're doing can fix it. And lay off the starting fluid- you'll score the cylinder if you keep that up!

Yeah - go to another yard sale and buy another one.

You pumped the "thingie". The "thingie" has a small tube attached behind it and these tubes break down. I would check / change the tube and pump it more than 3 times. If there was water in the gas it wouldn't run at all after the starter spray burned off.

Typically, I dump all the gas from the tank when storing for long periods of time and between cutting seasons. Running the mower first until it cannot pump any more gas from the tank first of course. Old gas is a small gas engine's nemesis.

It was merely a gas issue--as in it was OUT of gas. I tried dumping the old gas out and there was barely a couple of tablespoons in the tank. Put in the new gas, and after a little sputtering to get the new gas through the system, it works fine now.

LRH

Gee Larry, are you sure you're qualified to operate that equipement?

I know this is late, but maybe it will help in the future. When emptying old gas, please don't "dump" it. Pour it in your car. Mixed with even a couple of gallons of fresh gas, your car will never know the difference, but the earth will thank you.

Tony

I just pour the old gas and motor oil into an old well behind my house. That stuff originally came from the ground, and I am just returning it to where it came from.

Does it smell like this stink bait? :)

This is just the most reprehensible thing that you cold possibly do with that oil and gas. Please never do this again. You are contaminating the water table for anyone else that has a well. You are not putting it back where it came from.

Bad, Bad, Bad. Cringing Tomes (hoping that this is a sick joke)

Spit the hook.

I was wondering that myself after hearing that the lawn mower wouldn't crank. First thing I'm thinking is the engine is seized and he can't pull the cord. Then when he went on to talk about "it stays cranked", well that answered the question.

For reference, the term cranking, came from the early days of automobiles, where a hand crank was used to start them. Cranking is just getting the engine to turn, in an attempt to start it. It has nothing to do with whether it fires or continues to run.