Paul7

I would pay the extra money for the Briggs.  I have an Ariens 11.5hp model with a Tecumseh OHV engine.  I had a problem with the engine...when I pulled the starter cord it would snap back with enough force to bust the plastic grip.  I'd be standing there holding half of the plastic grip in my hand.

It was under warranty so I took it to a John Deere dealership because they were listed as an authorized Tecumseh shop.  They needed 4 months to fix it (I didn't care because it was summer) because they claim that Tecumseh kept giving them bad information.  

I'm happy with the snowblower but I wish it had a Briggs Intek engine.

No replies but you're experiencing exactly what happened to me.  You pull the cord but there's no resistance and it won't turn the engine...but it does retract strongly.  I don't have the time to fuss with it so I made an indelible note in my mind to never buy anything that has the Incredi-pull or EZ-start system.  I ended up going out and buying an Earthquake Mini Tiller with a battery key start.  

Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful.

Paul

I have a Craftsman Mini-Cultivator, 2-cycle engine with the Incredi-PULL EZ Starting system.  It's basically a small lever that you flip to the start position after priming the machine, a gentle pull is suppose to start the engine.  Mine started this years perfectly but after using the machine for about ten minutes I shut it off to get a drink.  Came back after about about five minutes and when I pulled the starting cord there was zero resistance...like the cord wasn't attached to anything.  Obviously I can't start the engine.  Anyone have any experience with this the Incredi-PULL system?

Okay that was really cool.  Thanks.

There are true experts who frequent this forum that can provide much better insight than myself but I will offer the following.  Check to see if the engine has a low oil shut-off feature.  My brother was using a generator and it shut off suddenly and he couldn't keep it running.   This happened at the worse possible time (Murphys Law) so he went out and bought a new generator.  Later he learned that his old generator wasn't broke...it had a safety feature designed to protect the engine if the oil level got low...the engine shut down before damage could occur.  It's a long shot but might be worth checking.