Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): craftsman with 18.5 Briggs&Stratton engine, craftsman riding mower, briggs stratton engine

Question
i have a 2004 craftsman riding mower with a 18.5 briggs@stratton engine motor# 31p7770348e1
mower # 917 273634. the starter is having trouble turning the motor over. new battery in it ...i saw one of Johns posts that i should check the valve clearance. i took out the spark plug and the engine spins over fine. so i pulled the valve cover and the valves move as expected so i checked the clearance with feeler gauges and the exhaust was .009 and the intake was .005. what else should i check..thanks. roy in SC

Answer
Have you checked the battery state of charge...is it fully charged?  When you installed the new battery, did you clean the battery terminal posts and cable ends with a wirebrush before connecting the battery?

How old is the battery?  I know you said it is new but sometimes batteries sit on the shelf for a while and need to be charged before installing.  Can you have the battery load tested at you local auto parts store?

Did the problem start suddenly or has the mower sat for a while since it was last used?

Clean those connections...I have fixed a lot of starting problems just by cleaning the connections.

Eric