Snapper snowblower model 4220 starts, won't keep running.

Looking to repalce my 14 yr old MTD riding mower this spring. I know which Cub Cadet model I want, so it is just a matter of who will give me the best deal. Been told the ones Home Depot sells are not made as well as the ones the dealer sells. I have a hard time believing that Cub would go to the expense to make two models with the exact model number and make one cheaper so HD would sell them. Is there a differece between what I would buy at a Cub dealer and the one HD sells a long as they are the exact same model? I haven't priced one at the dealer yet but HD will give me a 10% discount for being X-military. Found one Cub dealer on the internet who sells the same mower for $300 less then HD and ships it free and I would not pay sales tax which would save me another $100. I find it had to understand how they can ship a 530 pound mower for free and still be $300 less then the list price at HD.

Hello, I have a Craftsman snowthrower with a Briggs 8 HP engine. The Craftsman model is 536.881800. It has an electric start on the unit. I cannot get it to start. Sometimes, the electric start will spin idle and not turn the flywheel, other times it will catch and will spin the fly/crank but the engine will not start. Sometimes it backfires. I can verify that the carb is getting fuel, and here is a list of the other things I have done to troubleshoot. 1- new spark plug 2-new fuel line 3- replace one/off switch wiring, and verified that safety key is in place 4- removed flywheel and changed flywheel key which keeps timing proper (I really thought that it was a broken key and the timing was off, since I had almost the exact same thing happen with a mower, however the flywheel key was in tact, and this was not it) 5- Verified that I have good compression- appr 120 6- drain and refill fuel tank 7-sprayed the inside of the carb/choke with starting fluid 8- remove carb bowl, cleaned and reinstalled Any idea? Could I have a valve problem? I can pull the pull start recoil, and the flywheel will spin freely. I do feel the compression when it gets around to a certain point. Sometimes, the recoil does not act quite right though, becoming harder to pull, or easier to pull, or snapping back fiercely. Any thoughts at all? The unit is about 5 years old, but is in great shape (so I thought). I use it annually, but only a couple of times each year. I usually put Sat-Bil in the fuel tank and store it indoors over the summers. Please help with any ideas. Thanks