I have a 4 year old 20 hp Husqvarna lawn tractor with 185 hours on it. In September of last year, it began to start very hard. Spins Ok but cranks for up to 4-5 minutes. It will eventually start. I replaced the air and fuel filters, ran some Sea Foam through it, and changed the plug. No change. This year it is getting progressively worse. It runs good and idles smoothly just doesn't start for crap. I'm willing to bet that I am the least mechanical person on this site so any thoughts as to what I should be looking at for a potential fix would be greatly appreciated.

What make engine?

Kohler

Starting fluid, or a shot of ether right into the carb?

Hard to start hot and cold, or just cold?

Not enough hours on it for lack of compression to be an issue so I'm guessing for some reason it's not properly choking, or the fuel system is loosing it's prime.

Sounds carb to me. Have you been running ethanol fuel in it?

Compression, fuel, spark that's what you need.

Ethanol is bad schit in a small engine.

Solenoid, coil, whatever you want to call in on a lawn tractor.

I've got a Craftsman about the same age as yours, ran horrible. Did a tune up, cleaned the carb, took the carb off and cleaned and rebuilt it.

Changed the above and it runs like new.

I use nothing but non-ethanol in all my small engines.

Especially if you've been running ethanol, I'd expect to have to clean the carb.

Spark at the plug I assume?

Thanks for the replies

Ethanol fuel but I do add marine grade stabil
Starts harder when it is cold but still pretty bad when warm
Spark at the plug.

I had ethanol problems in my chainsaw and boat motor, I won't run it in a small engine now.

I'm not sure I can get non-ethanol fuel here. I looked in the past and couldn't.

It has to be a carb problem after everything you have tried and it didn't help

Oddly enough I've never had ethanol problems with my Sears 18 HP (B&S) lawn tractor. Will add Seafoam at the end of the season and at the beginning, just cheap gas otherwise. Did rebuild the carb sometime around it being 10 (float valve issue), is about 20 now. All starting problems have come down to air filter, gas filter, readjusting the carb as it aged. Be sure the carb is set a little on the rich side, should it work itself lean and run hot you'll have big problems. Plug cleaned and gapped every year, improper gap can make it start hard.

These little engines can be funny. Mine starts right up if I get the engine turning and then advance the throttle to high speed (not far enough to close the choke, never needs choke in summer). If I advance the throttle to fast and then turn the engine it wants to flood no matter how the carb is set.

Would say this is the ticket here. Take her to a mechanic for a good cleaning and jet change.

gravity feed gas or fuel pump? if fuel pump, i'd guess its going south. did you change the fuel filter?

What is the HP and #,s on the engine. If its a Kohler Courage some of those have auto chokes. If it runs smooth under load its getting plenty of fuel. If its a Kohler command Im betting the choke needs adjusting. Dont use starting fluid its bad for your rings.