Where to begin when diagnosing this problem? The oil, air cleaner, gas, and spark are always kept in good condition and the mower runs well once it starts. But when you stop to empty the bag it often takes 8 or more rope pulls to get it started again. When it is cold it starts right up. It's a B&S, Craftsman mower. It is about 8 years old so it has quite a few miles.

 

Are the hold down nuts on the carb tight?

 

It's a common problem on auto choke engines, which I'm assuming you have (no model number). There isn't much of a fix, it's design flaw. The easiest way I've found to overcome it is to tilt the mower sideways with the carburetor up for 5 seconds or so to let it dribble some gas into the intake to help it start easily without the choke, which is held open when the engine is warm.