Toro walk behind mower - drive doesn't "pull" as much as should

I'd start by investing 10 bucks in a belt that is a "little loose" If there is a clutch system of any sort in that mower I'd clean it too.

Good answer. The belt is probably the only soft part, part that ages, in the drive train.

I used to have to change the belt for my car's cassette player every 4 years.

There used to be something called belt dressing. Pulmore was one brand. Dad had it for one thing or another. Not idea about the cost.

Whenever I've had that problem with my self-propelled mower, it's when the belt came off the pulley (over the drive wheels, not on the engine).

I usually have a can of that around but it really just proves you have another belt problem because it doesn't last long. Sometimes you just have an alignment problem, the belt wears side to side and bottoms in the groove. It looks fine but it isn't grabbing much and it spins.

I've got a can of it. iirc it was pretty cheap, like $5. It's a very temporary fix. After 9 years baby deserves a new pair of shoes.

I had a mower doing similar. I looked at the belt dressing stuff. It wasn't cheap, maybe $8. For not much more you can get a new belt that will last many years. If you have the stuff already or a belt is costly, then it would be an option and likely would work, at least for some period of time.

Check that the whole thing, cable etc moves freely as it should. IF not that, then belts stretch over time and it;s time for a new one. Cheap fix.

OP here, just closing the loop. I replaced the belt. That wasn't it. It was the tension on the cable that engaged the front wheel drive. It had loosened over time. As soon as I pulled and reset the cable taught, it was good as new. Well, at least I got a new belt installed and cleaned the machine a little. Thanks all!

Thanks for the update. Yes, that will do it, acts like a loose belt.