When family and friends pick up their mowers, I always tell them - if it doesn't start in absolute maximum 15 pulls (10 pulls, wait 1 hour then another 5), bring it back. If they are a bit handy, I will say tip a bit of fuel in the plug hole (stressing cold engine), and see if that gets things going.
Had one guy bring in a horizontal briggs engined edger - the ones with the fuel shut off and choke on top of each other. 550 series from memory (I have done 2 similar ones so can't remember exactly), anyway he was complaining how difficult it was to start, finally it wouldn't. Turned out it was simply out of fuel, but seeing him trying to start it found the hard start issue.
He was turning the fuel tap on and off instead of the choke.
And Norm, that guy that questioned his wife why she hadn't finished the lawn, did he get the answer before or after being smacked over the head with a frying pan?
AVB, if I had a week old mower that wouldn't go, I would be marching it back to the place of purchase (probably in that guys case Home Depot) and going off at them, not destroying something that I just payed $200 odd dollars for. But I would check the fuel first
