Broken riding mower

Nashville ain't close enough or I'd come help you fix it.

I hate working on mowers.

Irrs-it tries and then stops. With the plug out it tries and tries. I can fee air coming out of the spark plug hole.

I will look up that soleniod.

Duster-I'm in Knoxville, but that only makes a couple hour difference. And lawn mowers are rapidly becoming my least favorite thing to work on.

It could be a low battery - with the plug out you're lowering the resistance of the motor to turning so ... check and charge the battery.

It was running before, so it's probably something simple.

Have you tried to jump start it? Sounds like a low battery that can't overcome compression. Put a volt meter on the battery, should be 12.6 sitting, more running, better than 9 cranking. You can jump one with a car no problem.

Fully charged battery with a new spark plug that I tested and have a good fat blue spark when it is on the motor. Mower still doesn't start.

Antibackfire/fuel soleniod plugged in or unplugged still doesn't start. (I let someone borrow my multimeter so I can't test the solenoid)

Carb cleaner into the carb and still doesn't start.

And with the spark plug out carb cleaner and gas get forced out of the spark plug hole.

What on earth else am I missing on this thing?

So just to be clear here, turns over fine with plug out, does not with plug in (makes a partial revolution and stops)? That's a weak battery, or possibly a bad connection. Like I said, check voltage while cranking.

Also, you won't be able to see the spark very well in direct sunlight.

Drive belt is too tight. Briggs starters make a rotary seem like a tractor pulling engine where torque is concerned.

Or try jumper cables straight to starter. If it fires off good, it's wire/starter solenoid.

Also, do you still have any Nader devices connected? If it's spinning over but not starting, it could be one of the kill the engine safety switches. Seats ones go bad quick, and the clutch pedal one may be out of adjustment with the new belt.